Having visited our prises, and finding nothing in them but fish, we
tooke a small portion for our victualing, and gave the bigger shippe to
the Spaniards againe, and the lesser wee kept, with purpose to make her
our pinnas. The Indians which wee tooke in her, would by no meanes
depart from us, but desired to goe with us to England, [The
amity of the Indians.] saying that the Indian and English were brothers;
and in all places where wee came, they shewed themselves much
affectionated unto us: these were natives of Moremoreno, and the most
brutish of all that ever I had seene; and except it were in forme of men
and speech, they seemed altogether voyde of that which appertained to
reasonable men. They were expert swimmers; but after the manner of
spaniels, they dive and abide under water a long time, and swallow the
water of the sea as if it were of a fresh river. Except a man see them,
he would hardly beleeve how they continue in the sea, as if they were
mer-maides, and the water their naturall element.
Their countrey is most barren, and poore of foode. If they take a fish
alive out of the sea, or meete with a peece of salted fish, they will
devoure it without any dressing, as savourely as if had beene most
curiously sodden or dressed, all which makes me beleeve that they
sustaine themselves of that which they catch in the sea.
The Spaniards profit themselves of their labour and travell, and
recompense them badly: they are in worse condition then their slaves,
for to those they give sustenance, house-roome, and clothing, and teach
them the knowledge of God: but the other they use as beastes, to doe
their labour without wages, or care of their bodies or soules.