Page 434
An.1687
Their Entertainments, Trading, &c.
their houses with Bashee drink. If they had none of this Liquor themselves, they would buy a Jar of Drink of their neighbours, and sit down with us : for we could see them go and give a piece or two of their Gold for some Jars of Bashee. And indeed among Wild Indians, as these seem to be, I wonder'd to see buying and selling, which is not so usual ; nor to converse so freely, as to go aboard strangers Ships with so little caution : Yet their own small Trading may have brought them to this. At these Entertainments, they and their Family, Wife and Children, drank out of small Callabashes: and when by themselves, they drink about from one to another ; but when any of us came among them, then they would always drink to one of us.
They have no sort of Coin : but they have small crumbs of the Metal before described, which they bind up very safe in Plantain Leaves, or the like. This Metal they exchange for what they want, giving a small quantity of it, about 2 or 3 grains, for a Jar of Drink, that would hold 5 or 6 Gallons. They have no Scales, but give it by guesse. Thus much in general.
To proceed therefore with our affairs, I have said before, that we anchored here the 6th day of August. While we were furling our Sails there came near 100 Boats of the Natives aboard, with 3 or 4 Men in each ; so that our Deck was full of Men. We were at first afraid of them, and there- fore got up 20 or 30 small Arms on our Poop, and kept 3 or 4 Men as Centinels, with Guns in their hands, ready to fire on them if they had offered to moleft us. But they were pretty quiet, only they pickt up such old Iron that they found on our Deck, and they also took out our Pump Bolts, and Linch- Pins out of the Carriages of our Guns, before we perceived them. At last, one of our Men per- ceived
offer: attempt
molest: attack
perceive: notice