Selected quad for the lemma: woman_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A35226
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The English heroe, or, Sir Francis Drake revived being a full account of the dangerous voyages, admirable adventures, notable discoveries, and magnanimous atchievements of that valiant and renowned commander ... / by R.B.
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R. B., 1632?-1725?
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1687
(1687)
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Wing C7321A; ESTC R22545
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109,364
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221
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sight of such things as they had never before heard nor seen seeming rather to reverence them as Deities than to design War against them as Mortal Men which they discovered every day more clearly during their whole time of staying among them Being directed by signs to lay down their Bows and Arrows they immediately obeyed as well as all the rest who came continually to them so that in a little while there were a great company of Men and Women To confirm this peace which they seemed so willing to agree to the General and his men treated them very courteously bestowing on them freely what might cover their nakedness and making them sensible they were not Gods but Men and had themselves need of Garments to cover their shame and perswading them to put on Cloths eating and drinking in their presence to satisfie them that being Men they could not live without it yet all would not prevail to perswade them they were not Gods In recompence of Shirts Linnen-cloth and the like bestowed on them they gave the General and his Company Feathers Cawls of Net-work Quivers for Arrows made of Fawn-skins and the Skins of those Beasts their Women wore on their Bodies Being at length fully contented with viewing them they return'd with joy to their Houses which are dug round within the Earth and have from the surface of the ground poles of Wood set up and joined together at the top like a spired Steeple which being covered with Earth no Water can enter and are very warm the door being also the Chimney to let out the Smoak which are made slopous like the Scuttle of a Ship Their Beds are on the hard Ground strowed with Rushes with a fire in the midst round which they lye on and the roof being low round and close gives a very great reflexion of heat to their Bodys The men generally go naked but the Women combing out Bulrushes make therewith a loose Garment which tyed round their middle hangs down about their hipps and hides what nature would have concealed They wear likewise about their Shoulders a Deers-Skin with the Hair thereon they are very obedient and serviceable to their Husbands doing nothing without their command or consent Returning to their Houses they made a lamentable howling and crying which the English though three quarters of a Mile distant heard with wonder the Women especially extending their voices with doleful shreiks Notwithstanding this seeming submission and respect the General having experienc't the treachery of other Infidels provided against any alteration of their minds setting up Tents and intrenching themselves with Stone-walls which done they grew more secure Two days after this first Company were gone a great multitude of others invited by their report came to visit them who as the other brought Feathers and Bags of Tabah for Presents or rather for Sacrifices believing they were Gods Coming to the top of the Hill at the bottom whereof they had built their Fort they made a stand where their Chief Speaker wearied himself and them with a long Oration using such violent gestures and so strong a voice and speaking so fast that he was quite out of breath Having done all the rest bowed their Bodys very slowly and reverently to the ground crying Oh as consenting to all had been said then leaving their Bows with their Women and Children behind they came down with their Presents in such an awful posture as if they had indeed appeared before a Deity thinking themselves happy to be near General Drake and especially when he accepted what they so willingly offered getting as nigh him as possible imagining they approached a God Mean time the Women as if frantick used unnatural violence to themselves shreiking dreadfully and tearing their Cheeks with their Nails till the Bloud streamed down their Breasts rending their Garments from the upper parts of their Bodys and holding their Hands above their Heads thereby to expose their Breasts to danger they furiously threw themselves on the ground not regarding whether it were wet or dry but dasht their naked Bodys against Stones Hills Wood Bushes Bryers or whatever lay in their way which cruelty they repeated yea some Women with Child 15 or 16 times together till their strength failed them thereby which was more grievous to the English to see than to themselves to suffer This Bloudy Sacrifice ended the General and his Company fell to prayers and by lifting up their Hands and Eyes to Heaven signified that their God whom they ought to Worship was above in the Heavens whom they humbly besought if it were his pleasure to open their Blind Eyes that they might come to the knowledg of Jesus Christ While the English were at Prayers singing of Psalms and reading some Chapters in the Bible they sate very attentive and at the end of every pause cryed out with one voice Oh! seeming to rejoice therein Yea delighted so in their singing Psalms that after whenever they resorted to them they desired this Gnaah or that they should sing At their departure they returned all that the General had given them thinking themselves sufficiently happy in having free access to them Three days after June 26. the news having spread it self farther into the Countrey another greater number of People were assembled and among them their King himself a man of a comely presence and stature attended with a Guard of an hundred tall stout men having sent two Ambassadors before to tell the General their Hioh or King was coming one of them in delivering his Message spake low which the other repeated Verbatim with a loud voice wherein they continued about half an hour which ended they by signs desired some present to their King to assure him of coming in peace which the General willingly granted they joyfully went back to their Hioh While after their King with all his Train appeared in as much pomp as he could some loudly crying and singing before him as they came nearer they seemed more grave in their Actions In the front before him marcht a tall man of a good countenance carrying the Scepter or Mace Royal of black Wood about a yard and half long upon which hung two Crowns one less than the other with three very long Chains oft doubled and a bag of the herb Tabah the Crowns were of knitwork wrought curiously with feathers of divers Colours and of a good fashion the Chains seemed of Bone the Links being small thin and finely burnisht the number of Links in one Chain was almost innumerable and worn by very few who are stinted to the number some 10 12 or 20 and as they exceed in Chains are thereby accounted more honourable Next the Scepter-Bearer came the King himself with his Guard about him having on his head a knitwork Cawl wrought somewhat like a Crown and on his Shoulders a Coat of Rabbits-Skins reaching to his Waste The Coats of his Guard were of the same shape but other Skins having Cawls with Feathers covered
danger they met with in their whole Voyage though not the last as by the sequel appears For a month after they were in continual fear of these Shoals and Islands among which they were tost and which lye in vast numbers round the South of the Celebes Jan. 12. not being able to bear their Sails for fear of Tempests and Sands they anchored upon a Shoal and two days after on an Island where they staid a day Wooding and Watering After which they met with foul weather Westerly Winds and dangerous Shoals for many days so that being weary of this Coast they sailed for Timor But could not so easily clear themselves of the Celebes which lye in five degrees South Latitude for Jan. 20. being forced toward a small Island not far thence and sending their Boat a good distance before to search out a place where to Anchor there suddenly rose a most violent Storm out of the Southwest driving them among the perilous and hidden Shoals so that they again counted themselves lost or that they must spend their days among Infidels if they should escape with their lives but that God who had hitherto preserved them was pleased once again to deliver them by unexpectedly stilling the tempest whereby both their Men and Boat were likewise restored to them Getting off hence as well as they could they continued their course till Jan. 26. when they were again assaulted with a very strong West Wind so that they could use no Sail till the end of that month Feb. 1. they saw a very high Land which seemed well inhabited and would fain have got to it to procure some relief but the weather being so bad that they could discover no Harbor they were fearful of venturing too near the shoar Two days after they saw another little Island but could not reach it Feb. 6. they had sight of 6 Islands one East and the other 5 Westward of â—â—em at the largest of which they Anchored Watered and Wooded next day Going thence Feb. 8. two Canoo's came up and talked with them alluring and conducting them to their Town not far off named Barativa in 7 degrees 13 Minutes South Latitude The People are Gentiles or Heathens very comely of body and civil just and courteous to strangers seeming very glad of their coming and readily releiving their wants with whatever their Countrey afforded The men go naked except their Heads and Secrets every one having some thing hanging at their Ears the Women are clothed from the Wast to the Feet wearing abundance of Bracelets some nine and more upon their naked arms made of horn of brass the lightest weighing near two Ounces They much value Linnen cloth to make Rolls for their Heads and Girdles about their middles and delight in Stones and the like trifles Their Island is rich in Gold Silver Copper Tin and Sulphur which they work very artificially into divers forms and shapes They have plenty of Nutmegs Ginger long Pepper Lemmons Cucumbers Coco's Figo's Sagu and several other Fruits whereof they provided themselves of one like a Bay berry but pleasant in tast and being boyld is very soft and nourishing meat They continued here two days not having found more comfort and refreshment in all their Voyage except at Terenate as in this place Feb. 12. Coming to the height of eight degrees four minutes they spied a green Island to the South and soon after two more that way with a large one toward the North appearing well inhabited but they had no occasion to visit them and therefore past them by together with several others Feb. 18. they Anchored under a little Island but found nothing but Wood and two Turtles After which they Sailed on Westward without stay or any thing observable till March 9. when they spied Land and Anchored that night Next Morning they bore farther North and came to an Anchor the second time near the shoar March 11. they took in Water and sending their Boat again ashoar they traded with the People and coming nearer the Town the General sent his man ashoar next day to present the King with some Silks and Cloth both Woollen and Linnen which he thankfully received returning Rice Cocoes Hens and other Provisions in recompence They found it to be Java Island in 7 degrees 30 minutes South Latitude March 13. the General with many of his Gentlemen went ashoar and presented the King with their Musick by whom they were very generously entertained They shewed him the English Military Discipline training their Pikes and Muskets before him They were treated according to their desire and at length dismist with a promise to have more Victuals sent them In this Island there is one Principal but many petty Kings whom they call Raja's that live in much friendship with each other March 14. they received Victuals from two of them and next day three of these Kings came aboard in Person to visit the General and to view their Ship and Amunition being much pleased with their entertainment and what they saw After they had been with them and related what they found Raja Donan the Chief Monarch of the whole Isle came aboard them next day bringing Victuals for their relief And few days past but one or other of them came whom the General treated with the best cheer he could make and shewed them all the rarities of their Ship with their great Guns Arms and all the furniture thereto belonging and how they were used Never failing to give them Musick wherewith they were equally filled with delight and admiration March 1. Raja Donan coming again aboard in requital of theirs presented the General with his Countrey Musick which though strange yet seemed very pleasant The same day he sent an Ox to the Water side which he was willing to exchange for divers sorts of costly Silks which he much esteemed Their Kings as well as the People are kind true and exact in their dealings they traffickt with them for Hens Goats Cocoes Plantanes and other Provisions whereof they offered them such plenty that if there had been occasion they might have laden their Ship with them Though these Visits and Entertainments were some hindrance to them yet having at length washt and trim'd their Ship and freed her from a kind of Shell Fish sticking fast wherewith she was overgrown in this large Voyage and much hindred her Sailing they took their leaves and departed from Java March 26. sailing West South West directly for the Cape of Good Hope or Bon Esperance and continued without seeing any thing but Air and Water till May 21. when they had sight of the Main Land of Africa very high in some places under 31 degrees and an half Latitude They coasted along till June 15. when having very fair Weather and the Wind at South East they past the said Cape so near that they could easily have shot to Land July 15. they saw Rio de Cesto and many Negroes fishing in their Boats two of which came