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Richard Hakluyt - Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation, 10
Meane time the Pinnace was sent out to looke for fresh water, which hauing found, the boat returned to
bring vs newes, and therewith the fleete sayled thither, and the 10. of October the shippes ankered before
the Riuer, and went on shore, where we found good prouision of all necessaries, the inhabitants being
very willing thereunto, bringing vs of al things that we needed, where for a Pewter Spoone wee had an
Oxe, or three sheepe. [How the wilde men assailed them, and forced them to insconce themselues.] The
11. of October we went on shore with a boat full of sicke men and the next day we were assayled by a
company of wild men, against whom our weapons little preuayled, for they hurt one of our men and
tooke all that we had from vs, whereby vpon the thirteenth of the same Month, wee were forced to
insconse our selues with pieces of wood and braunches of trees, making Cabins within our Sconse, for
that the 15. of October they came againe, but then we tooke one, and slew another of them. The 19. of
Nouember our Pilot Claes Ianson was intrapped and murthered by the wild people, although we vsed all
the means we could to helpe him, but they feared no weapons, about ten or twelue dayes after we tooke
one of them that paide for his death. [The maner and custome of the wild people.] The first of December
our men hauing for the most part recouered their healthes, were all carryed aborde the ships: in that parte
of Madagascar the people are of good condition, and goe naked, onely with a Cotton cloth before their
priuie members, and some from their breasts downward: Their ornaments are Copper ringes about their
armes, but Tin rings are more esteemed with them, and therefore tinne with them is good marchaundise.
Their Oxen haue great lumpes of fat vpon their backes: Their sheepes tayles way at the least twelue
pound, being of an elle long, and two and twentie inches thick. They gaue vs six of those sheepe for a
tinne Spoone: They dwel in cottages and liue very poorely: they feare the noyse of a peece, for with one
Caliuer you shall make an hundred of them runne away: Wee coulde not perceyue any religion they had,
but after wee were informed that they helde the law of Mahomet, for the two boyes that wee tooke from
of the land, shewed vs their circumcision: There we found no fruit of Tambaxiumes, but great numbers
of Parrats, Medicats, and Turtle Doues, whereof we killed and eat many. The second of December we
burned our sconse, and fourteene of our men going further into the Islande brought certaine of the
countreymen prisoners, and being abord our ships taught them what they shoulde doe. The thirteenth of
December wee hoysed anker, minding to holde on our course for the Islands of Iaua, and for that by
reason of the pleasantnesse of the ayre we had in a manner all recouered our healthes, we set our course
East and by North, and East Northeast. The nineteenth of the same Month wee were separated by foule
weather, and the 22. with great ioy we met againe. The tenth of Ianuarie Vechter Willemson dyed, being
a verie honest man, and Pilot in Molenaers shippe, for whome we were much grieued, and the same day
we determined to put backe againe for the Islande of S. Laurence, for as then wee began againe to haue a
great scouring among our men, and many of them fell sicke: [The wilde men brought things aborde to
comfort them.] But presently therevpon we espied the Islande of Saint Mary, and the next day being
arriued there, some of the inhabitants came abord our shippes with a basket of Ryce, Sugar canes,
Citrons, Lemons, and Hens, whereof we were very glad, as being phisicke for vs.
The 13. 14. 15. 16. and 17. dayes we were on land, where we bought Ryce, Hens, Sugar-canes, Citrons
and Lemons in great aboundance, and other kinde of fruites to vs vnknowne, also good fish, and greene
Ginger: There we tooke a Fish, which thirteen men could hardly pull into our shippe, and because the
Island was little, and we had many men, wee entred into the Bay of the firme land with our Pinnace,
where for a string of Beades of small value we had a tunne of Ryce: [The description of one of their
kings.] The King came abord our Pinnace to see it, and was as blacke as a Deuill, with two hornes made
fast vpon his heade, and all his body naked like the rest of the countrey people.
This Island lyeth about a small mile from Madagascar, about 19 degrees Southward from the Equinoctiall
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