266 The V G Y 
former Difcoveries into Doubt, and even into Contempt ; 
but' a little Thought,, and a imall Acquaintance with the 
Nature ot ill h Things, will let us right again-, and we 
need only con fide r the Courie that Captain Davis fleered, 
in order to be fatisned, that liis was a true Difcovery, and 
that, by the fame Courie, this Country might be found again. 
But to proceed with our Voyage : 
The Drtch Commodore failed Weft twelve Degrees, 
having ftih Sight of a Vaft Number of Birds, which attended 
them, till they arrived on the Coaft of a final! liland, about 
fixteen Leagues in Extent-, which Wand, as they diicovered 
it on EafterAay , which fell that Year on the 4 of April , 
they called Pafch or Eafler Iflami. The African Galley , 
being the imalleft, and withal the beft Sailer in the Squa- 
dron, went firft to examine this new Country, and reported, 
that it feemed to be very fertile, and withal well inhabited 
too, Since they had leen abundance of Smoke in all Parts of 
it ; which gave great joy to the Commodore, who imme- 
diately refolved, that the whole Squadron Would go in. 
The next Day they fpenc in looking lor a Port and, when 
they were about two Miles from the Shore, an Indian came 
off to them in his Canoe. They made Signs to him to come 
on board which he very readily did, and was exceedingly 
well received. As he was naked, the firft Prefent they 
made him was a Piece of Cloth to cover him. They gave 
him likewife Pieces of Coral, Beads, and other Baubles, all 
which, together with a dried Fifh, he hung about his Neck. 
His Body was painted all over with all kind of Figures his 
natural Complexion appeared to be a dark-brown, and his 
Ears exceffively large and long fo that they hung down 
upon liis Shoulders, occafioned, no doubt, by the wearing 
of Ear-rings fo large and heavy, as to extend them in this 
Manner; which is a thing likewife pra&ifed by the Negroes 
in the Mogul’s Country, who make their Ears large and 
long by the fame Method. He was tall, well-made, robiift, 
and of a very happy Countenance. He was brifk, aCtive, 
and appeared to be merry, by his Geftures and Manner of 
fpeaking. They gave him a Glafs of Wine to drink, which 
he threw away in a Manner that furprifed them. Our Au- 
thor thinks, he was afraid of being poifoned but, perhaps, 
being uled to Water, the Smell of a ftrong Liquor might 
offend him. They next cloathed him from Head to Foot, 
and clapped him an Hat on ; with which he was not at all 
plea fed, but feemed to be aukward and uneafy. They gave 
him Victuals, which he eat heartily ; but could not be per- 
fuaded to ufe either Knife or Fork. They then ordered 
their Mufic to play ; with which he was extremely well 
pleafed, and, whenever they took him by the Hand, would 
leap and dance. As they found it impoffible to come to an 
Anchor that Day, they thought proper to fend off the In- 
dian, allowing him, however, to keep what he had got, 
in order to encourage others ; but, what is really furprifing, 
the poor Creature had no mind to go. He looked at them 
with Regret he held up both his Elands towards his na- 
tive Bland, and cried out in a very audible and diftinft 
Voice, Odorrcga! odorroga! odorrogai They had much- 
ado to get him into his Canoe ; and he made them clearly 
comprehend, by his Signs, that he had much rather they 
would have carried him in their Shio. 
They imagined he called upon his God, becaufe, when 
they landed, they law abundance of Idols erected on the 
Ceaff. The next Morning by Day-break, they entered a 
Giilph on the South-eaft Side of the Iiland ; and many thou- 
fitnds of the Inhabitants, as our Author fays, came down 
to meet them, bringing with them vaft Quantities of Fowls 
and Roots. Many came on board them with thefe Provi- 
fions. As for the reft, they ran to and fro from Place to 
Place, like wild Bealls. As the Ships drew nearer, they 
crouded down to the Shore, in order to have the better 
View of them ; and at the fame time lighted Fire, and of- 
fered to their Idols, probably to implore their Protection 
againft thefe Strangers. Ail that Day the Dutch (pent in 
mooring their Ships. The next Morning very early, they 
obferved the People proilrated before their Idols towards 
the riling Sun, and offering them Burnt-offerings. All the 
neceffary Preparations were made for a Defcent, when the 
friendly Indian , who had been with th. m before, came 
on boards fecond time, and brought with him abundance 
©f liis Countrymen, who, to make themieives welcome, 
AGES of Book I. 
took care to load their Canoes with plenty of living Fowls, 
and of Roots dreffed after their Manner. There was, amongft 
this 1 roop of Indians , one Man perfectly white, in whefe 
Ears hung round white Pendants, as big as one’s Fill. He 
had an Air extremely devout, and feemed to be one of their 
Pi iefts. One of the l Handers was, feme way or other, 
(thefe are our Author’s Words) fhot dead in his Canoe by 
a Mufquet. This unlucky Accident threw them into fuch 
a Conflernation, that the beft Part of them flung themfelves 
at once into the Sea, in order to get the fooner afhore. 
The reft, who remained in their Canoes, rowed with all 
their Force, in order once more to attain a Place of Safety. 
The Dutch prefently followed them, and made the fo 
long wnhed-ror Defcent with 150 Soldiers and Seamen. 
Among thefe were the Commodore in Eerfon, and the 
Author, who commanded the Land Forces. The People 
crouded fo hard upon them, that they thought themfelves 
obliged to make way by .Force, cfpcciaiiy as feme of them 
were fo bold, as to lay hold of their Anns. The Dutch- 
men fired therefore, which difperfed them, '-and flighted 
them aimed out of their Wits,. and yet, in a few Moments, 
they rallied again. They did not, however, advance quite 
fo far to their new Guefts as before, but kept at the Di- 
ftance of about ten Yards, fuppofing that there they 
might be fafe from the Mufquets. It happened, fays our 
Author, unfortunately, by this fingle Diicharge a great 
many were killed, and, among them, the poor Indian , 
that had been twice on board ; which gave them great 
Concern : Yfot thefe good People, continues he, brought 
us, in Return for the dead Bodies we had given them, vaft 
plenty of Provifions of all Kinds. Their Confternation, 
however, was very great, and they howled, and made dif- 
mal Lamentation. That they might leave, however, no 
Means untried to pacify thefe Invaders, they all, Men, 
Women, and Children, prefented themfelves before them, 
with the Branches of Palm, in Token of Peace. In fhort, 
they endeavoured to teftify, by the moft humble Poflures, 
howdefirous they were to mollify and make Friends of thefe 
Strangers. They even fhewed them their Women, gave 
them to underiland, that they were totally at their Difpo- 
fal, and that they might carry as many of them on board 
their Ships as they pleafed. 
The Dutch , foftened with fuch Tokens of Humility, and 
deep Submiffion, did them no further Harm ; but, on the 
contrary, made them a Prefent of a Piece of painted Cloth 
fixty Yards long. They gave them likewife a good Quan- 
tity of Coral-beads, and fmall Looking-glafTes, with which 
they were extremely well pleafed. As they now faw, and 
were fully convinced, that the Dutch intended to treat them 
like Friends, they brought them at once 500 live Fowls, 
which, by the way, differed nothing from the Barn-door 
Fowls of Europe , accompanied with a great Quantity of 
red and white Roots, and Potatoes; which thefe Flanders 
ufe inftead of Bread. They gave them likewife fome hun- 
dreds of Sugar-canes, and a great Quantity of Pilans. 
Thefe are a fort of Indian Figs, as big as a Gourd, and co- 
vered with a green Rind. The Pulp of thefe Figs is as 
fweet as Honey : There grow fometimes 100 of thefe Figs 
upon a fingle Bough. The Leaves of this Tree are fix or 
eight Feet long, and about three Feet broad. It is laid, 
that of thefe Leaves our Firft Parents made the Coverings 
they ufed after their Fall ; but this our Author takes to be 
a mere Conjecture, without any other Foundation than this, 
that thefe Leaves are the largefc and ftrongelt of any hitherto 
found, either in the Eaft, or in the Weft. They faw in 
thefe Blands no other Animals, than Birds of all Sorts ; 
but they thought it probable, that, in the Pleart of their 
Country, there might be Cattle, and other Bealls, becaufe, 
when they fhewed the Indians fome Hogs aboard their 
Ships, they gave them to underiland by Signs, that they 
had feen fuch ^mimals before. They make ufe of earthen 
Pots to drefs their Meat in, as the Europeans do. It ap- 
peared to the Dutch , that every Family or Tribe amongft 
them had its feparate Village. The Huts or Cabins, of 
which thefe Villages are com poled, may be from forty to 
fixty Feet long, and fix or eight Feet broad. They are 
made by a certain Number of Poles, ftuck upright, and the 
Spaces between them filled up with a kind of Loom, or fat 
Earth, covered .at Top with Palm-leaves. As lor their 
Diet 
