A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 10 eBook

Robert Kerr (writer)
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 762 pages of information about A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 10.

A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 10 eBook

Robert Kerr (writer)
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 762 pages of information about A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 10.

On the 19th the Spanish governor of the island came to a point of land not far from the ship, whence he sent his boat on board with three copies of the same letter, in Spanish, French, and Dutch, desiring to know who they were, whence they came, and whither they were bound.  Captain Eaton answered in French, saying that they had been fitted out by some gentlemen in France to make discoveries, and were come in quest of provisions.  In reply the governor invited Captain Eaton on shore, who landed with a guard of twenty men doubly armed, and was politely received.  On the 18th the governor sent ten hogs on board, together with a prodigious quantity of potatoes, plantains, oranges, papaws, and red pepper, in return for which Captain Eaton sent a diamond ring to the governor worth twenty pounds, and gave swords to several Spanish gentlemen who came off with the provisions.  Next day the governor sent to procure some powder, of which he was in want, as the natives were in rebellion, and Captain Eaton gave him two barrels, for which to the value of 1400 dollars were offered in gold and silver, but Eaton refused to accept the money, in consequence of which the governor sent him a diamond ring, worth fifty pounds.  Every day after this the governor sent them some kind of provisions, and about the end of March, when about to sail, the governor sent them thirty hogs for sea store, with a large supply of rice and potatoes.

On one occasion the Indians attacked a party of the English, who were on shore to draw the sein, but were beaten off with much loss; yet they afterwards endeavoured to prevail on Captain Eaton to join them in driving out the Spaniards, which he positively refused.  On the 1st April, leaving the bay in which they had hitherto remained, the Nicholas anchored before the Spanish fort; and after several civilities on both sides, set sail in the afternoon of the 3d April with a fair wind.

This island of Guam is about fourteen leagues long by six broad, and contains several very pleasant vallies, interspersed with fine fertile meadows, watered by many rivulets from the hills.  The soil in these vallies is black and very rich, producing plenty of cocoas, potatoes, yams, papaws, plantains, monanoes, sour-sops, oranges, and lemons, together with some honey.  The climate is naturally very hot, yet is wholesome, as constantly refreshed by the trade-wind.  The Indian natives are large made, well proportioned, active and vigorous, some being seven feet and a half high, and go mostly naked, both men and women.  They never bury their dead, but lay them in the sun to putrefy.  Their only arms are slings and lances, the heads of these being made of human bones; and on the decease of any one his bones make eight lances, four from his legs and thighs, and as many from his arms.  These lance heads are formed like a scoop, and jagged at the edges like a saw or eel-spear; so that a person wounded by them dies, if not cured in seven days.

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A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 10 from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.