Mr. WAFERS Voyages, &c ifj 



rather to ftay where they were. Thefe 2 came td 

 tae ; and the other 2 foon after the Company's De- 

 parture for the North Sea, as I Ihall have Occafion 

 to mention ; fo that there were 5 of us in all who 

 were left behind among the Indians. 



Being now forc'd to ftay among them, and hi-Thtmdh 

 ving no Means to alleviate the Anguifh of my*/" CUI * 

 Wound, the Indians undertook to cure me 5 and 1 eA * 

 apply'd to my Knee fome Herbs, which they firft 

 chew'd in their Mouths to the Confiftency of a Pafte, 

 and putting it on a Plantain-Leaf, laid it upon the 

 Sore. This prov'd fo*efFe£tual$ that in about 20 

 Days Ufe of this Poultefs, which they applied frefh 

 every Day, I was perfectly cured ; except only a 

 Weaknefs in that Knee, which reinain'd long after* 

 and a Benummednefs which I fometimes find in it to 

 this Day. Yet they were not altogether fo kind in 

 other Refpefts i for fome of them looked on us ve- 

 ry fcurvily, throwing green Plantains to us, as we 

 fat cringing and fhivering, as you would Bones to 

 a Dog. This was but forry Food yet we were 

 forc'd to be contented with it : But to mend our A kind 

 Commons, the young Indian, at whofe Houfe we^*^ 

 were left, would often give us fome ripe Plantains, 

 unknown to his Neighbours 1 and thefe were a great 

 Refrefhment to us. This Indian, in his Childhood 

 was taken Prifoner by the Spaniards, and having 

 liv'd fome time among them, he had learn' d a pretty 

 deal of their Language, under the Bifhop of Pa- 

 nama, whom he ferv'd there till finding Mearis td 

 efcape, he was got again am6ng his own Country* 

 men. This was of good Ufe to us > for we having 

 a fmattering of Spanifh, and a little of the Indian's 

 Tongue alfo, by paffing their Country before* be- - 

 tween both thefe, and with the additional Ufe of Signs, 

 we found it no very difficult Matter to underftand 

 one 'another. He was truly generous and hofpitable 

 towards us ; and fo careful of us ? that if in the 



Vol, III T Day* 



