Page 468
An.1688
The New-Hollanders not curious.
But it being somewhat troublesome to carry to the Canoas, we thought to have made these men to have carried it for us, and therefore we gave them fome Cloaths; to one an old pair of Breeches, to another a ragged Shirt, to a third a Jacket that was scarce worth owning; which yet would have been very acceptable at some places where we had been, and so we thought they might have been with these people. We put them on them, think- ing that this finery would have brought them to work heartily for us; and our Water being filled in small long Barrels, about 6 Gallons in each, which were made purposely to carry Water in, we brought these our new Servants to the Wells, and put a Barrel on each of their Shoulders for them to carry to the Canoa. But all the signs we could make were to no purpose, for they stood like Statues, without motion, but grinn'd like so many Monkeys, staring one upon another: For these poor Creatures seem not accuftomed to carry bur- thens; and I believe that one of our Ship-boys of 10 years old, would carry as much as one of them. So we were forced to carry our Water our selves, and they very fairly put the Cloaths off a- gain, and laid them down, as if Cloaths were on- ly to work in. I did not perceive that they had any great liking to them at first, neither did they seem to admire any thing that we had.
At another time our Canoa being among these Islands seeking for game, espy'd a drove of these men swimming from one Island to another; for they have no Boats, Canoas, or Bark-logs. They took up four of them, and brought them aboard; two of them were middle aged, the other two were young men about 18 or 20 year old. To these we gave boiled Rice, and with it Turtle and Manatee boiled. They did greedily devour what we gave them, but took no notice of the Ship, or any