Scepter bearer with a composed countenance and stately carriage began a
song, and answerable thereunto, obserued a kind of measures in a dance:
whom the king with his guard and euery other sort of person following,
did in like manner sing and daunce, sauing onely the women who danced
but kept silence. As they danced they still came on: and our Generall
perceiuing their plaine and simple meaning, gaue order that they might
freely enter without interruption within our bulwarke: Where after they
had entred they yet continued their song and dance a reasonable time:
their women also following them with their wassaile boales in their
hands, their bodies bruised, their faces torne, their dugges, breasts,
and other parts bespotted with bloud, trickling downe from the wounds,
which with their nailes they had made before their comming.
After that they had satisfied or rather tired themselues in this manner,
they made signes to our Generall to haue him sit down; Vnto whom both
the king and diuers others made seuerall orations, or rather indeed if
wee had vnderstood them, supplications, that hee would take the Prouince
and kingdome into his hand, and become their king and patron: making
signes that they would resigne vnto him their right and title in the
whole land and become his vassals in themselues and their posterities:
Which that they might make vs indeed beleeue that it was their true
meaning and intent; the king himselfe with all the rest with one
consent, and with great reueuerence, ioyfully singing a song, set the
crowne vpon his head; inriched his necke with all their chaines; and
offering vnto him many other things, honoured him by the name of _Hyoh_.
Adding thereunto (as it might seeme) a song and dance of triumph;
because they were not onely visited of the gods (for so they still
iudged vs to be) but the great and chiefe god was now become their god,
their king and patron, and themselues were become the onely happie and
blessed people in all the world.
These things being so freely offered, our Generall thought not meet to
reiect or refuse the same: both for that he would not giue them any
cause of mistrust, or disliking of him (that being the onely place,
wherein at this present, we were of necessitie inforced to seeke reliefe
of many things) and chiefely, for that he knew not to what good end God
had brought this to passe, or what honour and profit it might bring to
our countrie in time to come.
Wherefore in the name and to the vse of her most excellent majesty, he
tooke the scepter crowne and dignity, of the sayd countrie into his
hand; wishing nothing more, than that it had layen so fitly for her
maiesty to enioy, as it was now her proper owne, and that the riches and
treasures thereof (wherewith in the vpland countries it abounds) might
with as great conueniency be transported, to the enriching of her
kingdome here at home, as it is in plenty to be attained there: and
especially, that so tractable and louing a people, as they shewed
themselues to be, might haue meanes to haue manifested their most
willing obedience the more vnto her, and by her meanes, as a mother and
nurse of the Church of _Christ_, might by the preaching of the Gospell,
be brought to the right knowledge, and obedience of the true and
euerliuing God.
The ceremonies of this resigning, and receiuing of the kingdome being
thus performed, the common sort both of men and women, leauing the king
and his guard about him, with our generall, dispersed themselues among
our people, taking a diligent view or suruey of euery man; and finding
such as pleased their fancies (which commonly were the youngest of vs)
they presently enclosing them about, offred their sacrifices vnto them,
crying out with lamentable shreekes and moanes, weeping, and scratching,
and tearing their very flesh off their faces with their nailes, neither
were it the women alone which did this, but euen old men, roaring and
crying out, were as violent as the women were.
We groaned in spirit to see the power of Sathan so farre preuaile, in
seducing these so harmelesse soules, and laboured by all means, both by
shewing our great dislike, and when that serued not, by violent
with-holding of their hands from that madnesse, directing them (by our
eyes and hands lift vp towards heauen) to the liuing God whom they ought
to serue; but so mad were they vpon their Idolatry, that forcible
with-holding them would not preuaile (for as soone as they could get
liberty to their hands againe, they would be as violent as they were
before) till such time, as they whom they worshipped, were conueyed from
them into the tents, whom yet as men besides themselues, they would with
fury and outrage seeke to haue againe.
After that time had a little qualified their madnes, they then began to
shew and make knowne vnto vs their griefes and diseases which they
carried about them, some of them hauing old aches, some shruncke
sinewes, some old soares and canckred vlcers, some wounds more lately
receiued, and the like, in most lamentable manner crauing helpe and cure
thereof from vs: making signes, that if we did but blow vpon their
griefes, or but touched the diseased places, they would be whole.
Their griefes we could not but take pitty on them, and to our power
desire to helpe them: but that (if it pleased God to open their eyes)
they might vnderstand we were but men and no gods, we vsed ordinary
meanes, as, lotions, emplaisters, and vnguents most fitly (as farre as
our skills could guesse) agreeing to the natures of their griefes,
beseeching God, if it made for his glory, to giue cure to their diseases
by these meanes. The like we did from time to time as they resorted to
vs.
Few were the dayes, wherein they were absent from vs, during the whole
time of our abode in that place: and ordinarily euery third day, they
brought their sacrifices, till such time, as they certainely vnderstood
our meaning, that we tooke no pleasure, but were displeased with them:
whereupon their zeale abated, and their sacrificing, for a season, to
our good liking ceased; notwithstanding they continued still to make
their resort vnto vs in great abunddance, and in such sort, that they
oft-times forgate, to prouide meate for their owne sustenance: so that
our generall (of whom they made account as of a father) was faine to
performe the office of a father to them, relieuing them with such
victualls, as we had prouided for our selues, as, Muscels, Seales, and
such like, wherein they tooke exceeding much content; and seeing that
their sacrifices were displeasing to vs, yet (hating ingratitude) they
sought to recompence vs, with such things as they had, which they
willingly inforced vpon vs, though it were neuer so necessarie or
needfull for themselues to keepe.
They are a people of a tractable, free, and louing nature, without guile
or treachery; their bowes and arrowes (their only weapons, and almost
all their wealth) they vse very skillfully, but yet not to do any great
harme with them, being by reason of their weakenesse, more fit for
children then for men, sending the arrow neither farre off, nor with any
great force: and yet are the men commonly so strong of body, that that,
which 2. or 3. of our men could hardly beare, one of them would take
vpon his backe, and without grudging carrie it easily away, vp hill and
downe hill an English mile together: they are also exceeding swift in
running, and of long continuance; the vse whereof is so familiar with
them, that they seldom goe, but for the most part runne. One thing we
obserued in them with admiration: that if at any time, they chanced to
see a fish, so neere the shoare, that they might reach the place without
swimming, they would neuer, or very seldome misse to take it.
After that our necessary businesses were well dispatched, our generall
with his gentlemen, and many of his company, made a journy vp into the
land, to see the manner of their dwelling, and to be the better
acquainted, with the nature and commodities of the country. Their houses
were all such as wee haue formerly described, and being many of them in
one place, made seuerall villages here and there. The inland we found to
be farre different from the shoare, a goodly country, and fruitful
soyle, stored with many blessings fit for the vse of man: infinite was
the company of very large and fat Deere, which there we sawe by
thousands, as we supposed, in a heard: besides a multitude of a strange
kind of Conies, by farre exceeding them in number: their heads and
bodies, in which they resemble other Conies, are but small; his tayle
like the tayle of a Rat, exceeding long; and his feet like the pawes of
a Want or Moale; vnder his chinne, on either side, he hath a bagge, into
which he gathereth his meate, when he hath filled his belly abroade,
that he may with it, either feed his young, or feed himselfe, when he
lifts not to trauaile from his burrough: the people eate their bodies,
and make great account of their skinnes, for their kings holidaies coate
was made of them.
This country our generall named _Albion_, and that for two causes; the
one in respect of the white bancks and cliffes, which lie toward the
sea: the other, that it might haue some affinity, euen in name also,
with our owne country, which was sometime so called.
Before we went from thence, our generall caused to be set vp, a monument
of our being there; as also of her maiesties, and successors right and
title to that kingdome, namely; a plate of brasse, fast nailed to a
great and firme post; whereon is engrauen her graces name, and the day
and yeare of our arriuall there, and of the free giuing vp, of the
prouince and kingdome, both by the king and people, into her maiesties
hands: together with her highnesse picture, and armes in a piece of
sixpence currant English monie, shewing it selfe by a hole made of
purpose through the plate: vnderneath was likewise engrauen the name of
our generall &c.
The Spaniards neuer had any dealing, or so much as set a foote in this
country; the vtmost of their discoueries, reaching onely to many degrees
Southward of this place.
And now, as the time of our departure was perceiued by them to draw
nigh, so did the sorrowes and miseries of this people, seeme to
themselues to increase vpon them; and the more certaine they were of our
going away, the more doubtfull they shewed themselues, what they might
doe; so that we might easily iudge that that ioy (being exceeding great)
wherewith they receiued vs at our first arriuall, was cleane drowned in
their excessiue sorrow for our departing: For they did not onely loose
on a sudden all mirth, ioy, glad countenance, pleasant speeches, agility
of body, familiar reioycing one with another, and all pleasure what euer
flesh and bloud might bee delighted in, but with sighes and sorrowings,
with heauy hearts and grieued minds, they powred out wofull complaints
and moanes, with bitter teares and wringing of their hands, tormenting
themselues. And as men refusing all comfort, they onely accounted
themselues as cast-awayes, and those whom the gods were about to
forsake: So that nothing we could say or do, was able to ease them of
their so heauy a burthen, or to deliuer them from so desperate a
straite, as our leauing of them did seeme to them that it would cast
them into.
Howbeit seeing they could not still enjoy our presence, they (supposing
vs to be gods indeed) thought it their duties to intreate vs that being
absent, we would yet be mindfull of them, and making signes of their
desires, that in time to come wee would see them againe, they stole vpon
vs a sacrifice, and set it on fire erre we were aware; burning therein a
chaine and a bunch of feathers. We laboured by all meanes possible to
withhold or withdraw them but could not preuaile, till at last we fell
to prayers and singing of Psalmes, whereby they were allured
immediately to forget their folly, and leaue their sacrifice vnconsumed,
suffering the fire to go out, and imitating vs in all our actions; they
fell a lifting vp their eyes and hands to heauen as they saw vs do.
The 23. of Iuly they tooke a sorrowfull farewell of vs, but being loath
to leaue vs, they presently ranne to the tops of the hils to keepe vs in
their sight as long as they could, making fires before and behind, and
on each side of them, burning therein (as is to be supposed) sacrifices
at our departure.
Not farre without this harborough did lye certain Ilands (we called them
the Ilands of Saint Iames) hauing on them plentifull and great store of
Seales and birds, with one of which wee fell Iuly 24. whereon we found
such prousion as might serue our turne for a while.
FOOTNOTES:
[B-1] As printed in _Drake's Plate of Brass_, California Historical
Society, Special Publication No. 13 (San Francisco, 1937) pp. 32-46.
PLATES
PLATE 18
[Illustration _a_: Three California Indians from San Francisco pictured
by Chamisso, 1822.]
[Illustration _b_: "Feather bundle" of the Pomo Indians, similar to that
described by Fletcher on June 17, 1579.]
[Illustration _c_: Strings of clamshell disk beads identifiable as the
"chaines" of Fletcher.]
PLATE 19
[Illustration: Pomo Indian feathered baskets decorated with clamshell
disk beads and abalone shell pendants.]
PLATE 20
[Illustration: Air photo of the east cape of Point Reyes. The white dot
marks the point selected by George Davidson as the spot where Drake
careened the _Golden Hinde_. The shore line of the bay follows the
course of the curved arrow.]
PLATE 21
[Illustration: Air photo of the small valley at Drake's Bay, showing the
location (marked near center by white dot) where the Drake plate was
found by William Caldeira in 1934.]
* * * * *
Transcriber's Notes:
Passages in italics are indicated by _underscores_.
Small caps have been replaced by ALL CAPS.
Both "Bruno de Hezeta" and "Bruno Heceta" used in text. Both forms
have been retained.
Footnote numbers to the appendices are prefixed with "A-" for App. I
or "B-" for App. II.
Archaic spelling and punctuation retained in quoted texts, except for
rejoining end-of-line hyphenations. Spelling of "betsowed" (page 284)
and "cheife" (page 285) in quoted text retained as printed.
Verso, "Mardh" changed to "March" (Issued March 20, 1947)
Page 265 (footnote 67), a superfluous closing parenthesis was
removed (169, 170, 181; Loeb,)
Page 269 (footnote 84), a full stop has been changed to a comma
(Pomo, element)
Page 269 (footnote 85), "tto" changed to "to" (reference to the
seeds)
Page 270 (footnote 87), "Eth." changed to "Ethn." (and Ethn., Vol. VII)
Page 270 (footnote 90), the note number is missing (element no. 807,
p. 197, n.)
Page 271, "native's" changed to "natives'" (the natives' actions)
Page 273, a superfluous comma was removed (Miwok,[101] and)
Page 275 (E. M. Loeb ... songs), a line break has been added to Line 2;
the comma appears in the original
Page 275 (Other Pomo songs...):
Line 1, Both "U" and "u" at the beginning of the line have a macron
over them. (U u hulai)
Line 3, the word "o" has a macron above it. (gagoya he he)