After this Pinzon discover’d a wide, but shallow River; where Landing, on a Hill he met a great company of Americans: He, to invite them to Trade, threw them a Shell; in return for which they cast him a lump of Gold; which when the Spaniard went to take up they all fell upon him; and indeed he could not have defended himself long, had not some of his Company quickly come in to his speedy rescue, which occasion’d a bloody Conflict, wherein several Spaniards were wounded, eight kill’d, and one of their small Boats sunk; for the Americans fought so valiantly, that they pursu’d the Spanish Ships into the Sea. Pinzon being at last freed of these Assailants, got into a fresh-water Sea, caus’d by the confluence of many Rivers falling in there: from hence he got sight of the Parian Coast, and with admiration beheld a Tree which sixteen Men could not compass: Between these Trees he saw as strange a Monster, the foremost part resembling a Fox, the hinder a Monkey, the Feet were like a Mans, with Ears like an Owl; under whose Belly hung a great Bag, in which it carry’d the Young, which they drop not, nor forsake till they can feed themselves. Pinzon caught one of them with three Young, which died in the Voyage, but the Dam he presented alive in Granada to the King.
Great Storm.
This Captain having Sail’d six hundred Leagues along the Parian Coast, in a great Tempest two of his Carvils in his view were overset, their Keels turn’d upward; the third driven from her Anchor, and the fourth so shaken, and full of Leaks, that ready to sink they ran her ashore to save their lives; and though he escaped himself the danger of drowning, then being ashore, yet he was no ways freed from far greater inconveniences; for he saw nothing but death either for want of Provisions, or barbarousness of the Inhabitants: whereupon they resolv’d to free themselves of their miseries by self-slaughter, killing one another; but some better advised to spend their Lives like Christians upon the unbelieving Salvages: Whilst they were in this desperate condition, the Storm ceased, and Providence presented their safety, the Ship driving in before the Wind; at which every one taking fresh courage, they mended the two shatter’d Ships as well as they could; wherein venturing to Sea, and setting Sail, they came on the last of September, Anno 1500. into the Spanish Haven Palos.
Sect. VI.
The Expedition of Americus Vesputius.
Americus Vesputius a Florentine, Commanded four Ships, fitted out at King Ferdinand’s Charge, set Sail the twentieth of May, Anno 1497. and refreshing at the Canaries, from thence he steer’d to Paria; where he so much gain’d upon the Inhabitants, that for Pins, Bells, Looking-glasses, and other Trifles, they daily brought aboard in Barter great store of Gold, the best of Merchandise.
The manner of the Inhabitants in Paria.
Their strange Customs.
These People, both Men and Women go stark naked, not so much as covering their Pudenda; their Complexion swarthy; they shave off all their Hair, onely some Women leave a Tuft on their Heads. From their Faces, being broad and flat, one may judge them to be deriv’d from Tartary; they much exceed the Europeans in Running and Swimming, insomuch that the Women oftentimes without any Boats, or floating pieces of Timber, venture two or three Leagues into the Sea; they have so great skill in Shooting, that they exceed almost all other Nations, having Arrows headed with sharp Fish-bones; they also use Lances and Clubs. The Women follow the Men in the Wars, and serve in stead of Horses to carry Ammunition and other Necessaries; to which Labor they are so us’d, that they will bear on their Shoulders forty, nay fifty Leagues together, such Luggage, as three Spaniards are scarce able to lift from the Ground. They acknowledge no Commander or Superior either in Wars or Government; they keep up old Feuds, fighting with an inveterate hatred against their Neighbors, upon antient scores and revenges, still kept in memory of their Relations slain in former Battels, and also still creating fresh animosities upon their Losses in later Engagements. Their Language is smooth and pleasing, being spoken with a kind of lisping, and absolutely different from the neighboring Nations. When they eat they sit upon the Ground, and sleeping lie in Hammocks, each end whereof being fastned to a Post; underneath they kindle a Fire; over them they hang Fish-nets and Hooks, Fish-baskets and Calabashes. When they have occasion to ease Nature by evacuation, they retire into some private Place; but the Women think it no immodesty to make Water, even in the presence of strange Men. They observe not single Matrimony; for every Man takes as many Women as he pleases, under bonds of Wedlock such and so sleight, that he turns them off at his pleasure: and Women take the same liberty in casheering their Husbands when not pleasing them. They bring forth Children with little or no pain, and wash them in a River so soon as born; which done they return to their usual work and business. When they are incens’d against their Husbands, they revenge themselves by poysoning their Children. Their Houses are built in the fashion of a House-clock, with a Roof rais’d from the Wall upon four Pillars like the Bell, and cover’d with Palm-Leaves; some of which are so big, that they afford room for six hundred Men: every seventh or eighth year they remove, because (as they say) the Air is oftentimes infected by Mens Breaths, by their long continuance in one place. Their Riches consist in Feathers of divers colours, Strings of Fish-bones intermingled with green and white Beads, with which they adorn their Heads, Arms, Legs, Ears, and Cheeks: Gold and Pearls they make little account of; and as to Trade and Commerce with other People, they know not what belongs to it. Their greatest Friendship consists in prostituting their Daughters or Wives to one another. Their Dead they bury in moist Grounds, and put with them both Meat and Drink into the Graves: When any Person grows very weak by lingring Sickness, they carry the Diseased into a neighboring Wood, where they lay him in a Silk Hammock, tied between two Trees; then dancing the whole day about him, at night they set Bread and Water enough by him to last four days, and then departing look no more after him, who thus neglected seldom escape: but if so it happen that one recover, all his Relations for the future honour him as a god. When any one falls into a Fever, his Friends immediately bathe him in cold Water, and afterwards set him before a great Fire, then drive him before them till he falls down almost breathless, and at last put him to Bed. They neither Let blood in the Arms nor Feet, but in their Sides and Calves of their Legs. Sometime they fast four days together, which they suppose a great means to preserve their Health. Their Bread consists of a sort of Fruit call’d Jucha, Chambi, or Igname. Lastly, no Lyon devours his Prey with more voracious eagerness, than they their taken Enemies.
A very strange Village built on Poles.