|
A feeling of good-will having been thus
established, the two parties joined and tried to
hold converse by means of signs. Three of the
Indians agreed to accompany them back to the ship,
and when they got on board one of the wild visitors
began to go through some extraordinary antics. When
he was taken to any new part of the ship, or when
he was shown any new thing, he shouted with all his
force for some minutes, without directing his voice
either to the people of the ship or to his
companions. Some beef and bread being given to
them, they ate it, but did not seem to relish it
much. Nevertheless, such of it as they did not eat
they took away with them. But they would not
swallow a drop either of wine or spirits. They put
the glass to their lips, but, having tasted the
liquor, they returned it with looks of disgust.
Cook says he was much surprised at the want of
curiosity in these savages of the Cape, and seems
to have formed a very low opinion of them. They
were conducted all over the ship, yet, although
they saw a vast number of beautiful and curious
things that must have been quite new to them, they
did not give vent to any expression of wonder or
pleasure - for the howling above spoken of did not
seem to be either, - and when they returned to land
they did not seem anxious to tell what they had
seen, neither did their comrades appear desirous of
hearing anything about their visit to the ship.
Altogether, they seemed a much lower race of people
than the inhabitants of the South-Sea Islands whom
Cook afterwards visited.
Source: http://www.blackmask.com
|