I Received your Letter of this second instant, wherein you desire me
to give you a further account concerning the Land of Pines, on which we
were driven by distress of Weather the last Summer, I also perused the
Printed Book thereof you sent me, the Copy of which was surreptiously
taken out of my hands, else should I have given you a more fuller
account upon what occasion we came thither, how we were entertained,
with some other circumstances {{2 }}of note wherein that relation is
defective. To satisfie therefore your desires, I shall briefly yet sully
give you a particular account thereof, with a true Copy of the Relation
itself; desiring you to bear with my blunt Phrases, as being more a
Seaman then a Scholler.
April the 26th 1667. We set sail from Amsterdam, intending for the
East-Indies; our ship had to name the place from whence we came, the
Amsterdam burthen 350. Tun, and having a fair gale of Wind, on the 27 of
May following we had a sight of the high Peak Tenriffe belonging to the
Canaries, we have touched at the Island Palma, but having endeavoured it
twice, and finding the winds contrary, we steered on our course by the
Isles of Cape Ferd, or Insula Capitis Viridis, where at St. James's we
[56]took in fresh water, with some few Goats, and Hens, wherewith that
Island doth plentifully abound.
June the 14. we had a sight of Madagascar, or the Island of St Laurence,
an Island of 4000 miles in compass, and scituate under the Southern
Tropick; thither we steered our course, and trafficked with the
inhabitants for Knives, Beads, Glasses and the like, having in exchange
thereof Cloves and Silver. Departing from thence we were incountred
with a violent storm, and the winds holding contrary, for the space of
a fortnight, brought us back almost as far as the Isle Del Principe;
during which time many of our men fell sick, and some dyed, but at
the end of that time it pleased God the wind favoured us again, and
we steered on our course merrily, for the space of ten days: when on a
sudden we were encountered with such a violent storm, as if all the four
winds together had conspired for our destruction, so that the stoutest
spirit of us all quailed, expecting every hour to be devoured by that
merciless element of water, sixteen dayes together {{3 }} did this storm
continue, though not with such violence as at the first, the Weather
being so dark all the while, and the Sea so rough, that we knew not in
what place we were, at length all on a sudden the Wind ceased, and
the Air cleared, the Clouds were all dispersed, and a very serene Sky
followed, for which we gave hearty thanks to the Almighty, it being
beyond our expectation that we should have escaped the violence of that
storm.
At length one of our men mounting the Main-mast espyed fire, an
evident sign of some Countrey near adjoyning, which presently after we
apparently discovered, and steering our course [57]more nigher, we
saw several persons promiscuously running about the shore, as it were
wondering and admiring at what they saw: Being now near to the Land, we
manned out our long Boat with ten persons, who approaching the shore,
asked them in our Dutch Tongue What Eyland is dit? to which they
returned this Answer in English, "that they knew not what we said." One
of our Company named Jeremiah Hanzen who understood English very well,
hearing their words discourst to them in their own Language; so that
in fine we were very kindly invited on shore, great numbers of them
flocking about us, admiring at our Cloaths which we did wear, as we on
the other side did to find in such a strange place, so many that could
speak English and yet to go naked.
Four of our men returning back in the long Boat to our Ships company,
could hardly make them believe the truth of what they had seen and
heard, but when we had brought our ship into harbour, you would have
blest your self to see how the naked Islanders flocked unto us, so
wondering at our ship, as if it had been the greatest miracle of Nature
in whole World. {{4 }}
We were very courteously entertained by them, presenting us with such
food as that Countrey afforded, which indeed was not to be despised;
we eat of the Flesh both of Beasts, and Fowls, which they had cleanly
drest, though with no great curiosity, as wanting materials, wherewithal
to do it; and for bread we had the inside or Kernel of a great Nut as
big as an Apple, which was very wholsome, and found for the body, and
tasted to the Pallat very delicious.
Having refreshed our selves, they invited us to the Pallace [58]of their
Prince or chief Ruler, some two miles distant off from the place where
we landed; which we found to be about the bigness of one of our ordinary
village houses, it was supported with rough unhewn pieces of Timber,
and covered very artificially with boughs, so that it would keep out the
greatest showers of Rain, the sides thereof were adorned with several
forts of Flowers, which the fragrant fields there do yield in great
variety. The Prince himself (whose name was William Pine the Grandchild
of George Pine that was first on shore in this Island) came to his
Pallace door and saluted us very courteously, for though he had nothing
of Majesty in him, yet had he a courteous noble and deboneyre spirit,
wherewith your English Nation (especially those of the Gentry) are very
much indued.
Scarce had he done saluting us when his Lady or Wife, came likewise
forth of their House or Pallace, attended on by two Maid-servants, the
was a woman of an exquisite beauty, and had on her head as it were
a Chaplet of Flowers, which being intermixt with several variety of
colours became her admirably. Her privities were hid with some pieces
of old Garments, the Relicts of those Cloaths (I suppose) of them which
first came hither, and yet being adorned with Flowers those very rags
seemeth beautiful; and {{5 }} indeed modesty so far prevaileth over all
the Female Sex of that Island, that with grass and flowers interwoven
and made strong by the peelings of young Elms (which grow there in great
plenty) they do plant together so many of them as serve to cover those
parts which nature would have hidden.
We carried him as a present some few Knives, of which we [59]thought
they had great need, an Ax or Hatchet to fell Wood, which was very
acceptable unto him, the Old one which was cast on shore at the first,
and the only one that they ever had, being now so quite blunt and
dulled, that it would not cut at all, some few other things we also gave
him, which he very thankfully accepted, inviting us into his House or
Pallace, and causing us to sit down with him, where we refreshed our
selves again, with some more Countrey viands which were no other then
such we tasted of before; Prince and peasant here faring alike, nor is
there any difference betwixt their drink, being only fresh sweet water,
which the rivers yield them in great abundance.
After some little pause, our Companion (who could speak English) by our
request desired to know of him something concerning their Original and
how that people speaking the Language of such a remote Countrey, should
come to inhabit there, having not, as we could see, any ships or Boats
amongst them the means to bring them thither, and which was more,
altogether ignorant and meer strangers to ships, or shipping, the main
thing conducible to that means, to which request of ours, the courteous
Prince thus replyed.
Friends (for so your actions declare you to be, and shall by ours
find no less) know that we are inhabitants of this Island of no great
standing, my Grandfather being the first that ever set foot on this
shore, whose native Countrey was {{6 }} a place called England, far
distant from this our Land, as he let us to understand; He came from
that place upon the Waters, in a thing called a Ship, of which no
question but you may have heard; several other persons were in his
company, not intending to have come [60]hither (as he said) but to a
place called India, when tempestuous weather brought him and his company
upon this Coast, where falling among the Rocks his ship split all in
pieces; the whole company perishing in the Waters, saving only him and
four women, which by means of a broken piece of that Ship, by Divine
assistance got on Land.
What after passed (said he) during my Grandfathers life, I shall show
you in a Relation thereof written by his own hand, which he delivered
to my Father being his eldest Son, charging him to have a special care
thereof, and ashuring him that time would bring some people or other
thither to whom he would have him to impart it, that the truth of our
first planting here might not be quite lost, which his commands my
Father dutifully obeyed; but no one coming, he at his death delivered
the same with the like charge to me, and you being the first people,
which (besides our selves) ever set footing in this Island, I shall
therefore in obedience to my Grandfathers and Fathers commands,
willingly impart the same unto you.
Then stepping into a kind of inner room, which as we conceived was his
lodging Chamber, he brought forth two sheets of paper fairly written
in Englishy (being the same Relation which you had Printed with you
at London) and very distinctly read the same over unto us, which we
hearkened unto with great delight and admiration, freely proffering us
a Copy of the same, which we afterward took and brought away along with
us; which Copy hereafter followeth.{1}