Mahu dies.
Cordes his Voyage.
Mean while the Admiral Mahu died, and his Body put into a Chest fill’d up with Stones, was thrown over-board; so that Simon des Cordes carrying the Flag, steer’d his Course to Guinee, there to refresh himself; for most of his Men were so weakned by the Scurvey, that they were scarce able to hand the Sails.
Strange King in Guinee.
Arriving at their intended Port, the Sick were carried ashore; and the Vice-Admiral Beuningen, being conducted by a French Guide, went to the Vice-Roy of that Countrey, who sat on a low Bench, with a Sheeps-skin under his Feet, in a Violet-colour’d Cloth Suit, without any Linnen, Shirt, Shoes, or Stockins; on his Head a Cap made of yellow, red, and blue Eastern Cloth; his Face whitened with Ashes, shew’d in several places its natural blackness, appearing through the Colours; about his Neck a Collar or Chain of Glass Beads: Behind him sat his Nobles, with Cocks Feathers on their Heads, and their Skins painted Red.
Beuningen plac’d by the King on a Mat, complain’d to him, That the Guineans fled from him where-ever he came, though in Friendship, to barter European Commodities with them, against Fruits, Poultrey, Sheep, and other Provisions: Whereupon the King promis’d to furnish him therewith, and invited Beuningen to Dinner. After some stay, the Kings Wives entred the Palace, a very mean and ill-favour’d Building, more like a great Barn than a Kings House, and plac’d a kind of nasty Trough on the Ground, in which lay nothing but some wild Herbs, and a piece of a smoak’d Sea-Calf; and though he was a Person of the largest size, and corpulent, yet he eat sparingly. Beuningen, though exceeding hungry, found little rellish in such kind of Meats; wherefore spreading a Napkin, his Attendants brought him some Bisket and Spanish Wine, whereof after the King had tasted, he lik’d so well the rellish, that it rock’d him asleep, whilst Beuningen walk’d to the Sea-side to refresh himself; but the Guineans coming about him, he was forc’d to return to the King, who waking at the noise, appear’d highly incens’d at his People, and took Beuningen into his House: However the Subjects, notwithstanding the Kings Commands, when Beuningen was sent into a neighboring Hut, kept Watch about it all Night: The next Morning early an old Woman entred, muttering to her self, and went out and in to Beuningen three times one after another, knocking on a Box not unlike a Pair of Bellows, out of which flew abundance of Dust about Beuningen, which caus’d a great Laughter amongst the Guineans. The King also coming to him, presented him with two Goats, and four Hens, and so conducted him back to the Ships.
Bloody Sea, very strange.
Salvages in the Straights of Magellan.
Beuningen seeing that there was no good to be done, set sail from thence, and coming before the River La Plata in America, it appear’d Blood-red. Out of the Water which was taken up in Buckets, started a sort of Insects like Fleas, which caus’d a strange and sad Distemper amongst the Sea-men, that when any Meat was offer’d to them, so soon as ever they put it to their Mouths, they would fall down backwards in a swoon, foaming and frothing at the Mouth, and turning up the White of their Eyes, die distracted. Suffering under this Disaster, they hasted from thence with all speed, and sailing into the Straights of Magellan they kill’d above fourteen hundred Penguyins, which is a Bird that preys on Fish, and lives in Holes under Ground; they somewhat resemble a Goose, onely they stand more upright, and are double-crested, with two plumy Combs. Coming to an Anchor in the Green-Bay, there arose a great Storm, which continued several days, so that they were forc’d to moor their Vessels with four Anchors, extremely afflicted both with Hunger and Cold, preserving themselves alive by eating young Grout, at that time not above a span high from the Ground; but this course Food bred an incurable Dropsie, that posted them on to a sudden death. Afterwards, when the Weather grew more pleasant, the Inhabitants being Gyants, most of them eleven Foot high, grew more troublesom, oftentimes assailing them, and throwing Darts pointed like Harping-Irons, at which they were very expert. Their Salvage Natures may appear by their Dealings with the dead Hollanders, cutting off their Heads, and bruising them to pieces, sticking Darts through their Hearts, and cutting off their Privities.
A wild Woman.