board, expecting to make no sales; but towards evening a great number of people came to the shore and waved a white flag, as inviting us to land, after which their chief or captain came down with many men along with him, and sat down under a tree near the shore.  On seeing this I took some things with me in the boat to present to him, and at length he sent off a boat to us which would not come near, but made signs for us to return next day.  At length, by offering things for their captain, I enticed them into our boat, and gave them two ells of cloth, a latten basin, a white basin, a bottle, a large piece of beef, and six biscuits, which they received and made signs for us to come back next day, saying that their chief was grand captain, which indeed appeared by his numerous attendants, who were armed with darts, targets, and other weapons.  This town is very large, and stands upon a hill among trees, so that it cannot well be seen except when one is near.  To the eastwards of it there are two very high trees on a hill close to the town[27]; and under the town is another and lower hill washed by the sea, where it is all composed of great black rocks.  Beyond this town there is another considerably smaller on a bay.

[252][Footnote 252:  27 It is added, which is a good mark to know the town.  But at this distance of time, above 250 years, such marks cannot be supposed to remain.—­E.]

In the morning of the 13th we took our boat and went close to the shore, where we remained till ten o’clock, but no one came near us.  We prepared therefore to return on board, on seeing which some negroes came running down and waved us back with a white flag, so we anchored again and they made us to understand by signs that the chief would soon come down.  In the meantime we saw a sail pass by us, but being small we regarded it not.  As the sun was high, we made a tilt with our oars and sails.  There now came off to us a canoe with five men, who brought back our bottle, and gave me a hen, making signs by the sun that within two hours the merchants of the country would come and buy all we had.  I gave them six manillios to present to their captain; and as they signified by signs that they would leave a man with us if we gave them a pledge, we put one of our men into their boat; but as they would not give us one of their men, we took back our man again, and remained in expectation of the merchants.  Shortly afterwards there came down one of the natives to the shore, arrayed like their captain, attended by a numerous train, who saluted us in a friendly manner, and then sat down under a tree where the captain used to sit in the former year.  Soon afterwards we perceived a great number of natives standing at the end of a hollow way, and behind them the Portuguese had planted a base, which they suddenly discharged, but its ball overshot us, though we were very near.  Before we could ship our oars to get away, they shot at us again, but did us no harm; the negroes came to the rocks close beside us, whence they discharged calivers at us, and the Portuguese shot off their base twice more.  On this our ship made some shots at them, but they were protected by the rocks and hills.