The Captivity of Hans Stade: among the wild tribes of eastern Brazil by Stade Hans

Author:Stade, Hans [Stade, Hans]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: RCMP
Published: 2014-11-15T16:00:00+00:00

CAPUT XXXVIII.

How a ship was again sent after me by the Portuguese.

Now during the fifth month of my stay with them, there arrived another ship from the island of S. Vincent, for the Portuguese are accustomed to sail well armed to their enemy's country, and to barter with them, giving them knives and reaping hooks (hepen) for mandioca meal, of which the same savages there have much in various places, and the Portuguese, who have many slaves for sugar cultivation, procure this meal, wherewith to feed these same. And when the ships barter in such manner with these savages, two or three of the latter arrive in a canoe, and deliver the goods to them at the greatest possible distance. Then they declare what they want to have in return, which is given to them by the Portuguese. But whilst the two are near the ship, a number of full canoes keep in the offing to look on, and when the trading is completed, the savages oftentimes approach alongside, and skirmish with the Portuguese and shoot arrows at them, after which they again paddle away.

The before-mentioned ship's crew fired off a gun, so the wild men might hear that a ship was there, and they sailed thither. Then it appears that they had asked after me, if I still lived. They, my captors, had answered "Yes." The Portuguese had thereupon demanded to see me, for they had a chest full of goods, brought by my brother, also a Frenchman, who was with them in the ship.

Now there was with the Portuguese in the ship a Frenchman called Claudio Mirando, who had formerly been my companion; this same I called my brother. He said, "I will, perhaps, be in the vessel and inquire after you", for he had already been on one voyage there.

And they returned again from the ship to shore, and told me that my brother had once more come, and had brought me a chest full of wares, and wished much to see me. Then I said, "Lead me to within a certain distance of them; I will speak with my brother—the Portuguese understand us not—and I will tell him that he advise our father when he returns home to come with a ship and bring plenty of goods with him, and fetch me." This plan appeared satisfactory to them; but they feared that the Portuguese might understand us, for they had in prospect a great war, which they intended carrying out in the month of August, in the country of Brikioka, where I was captured. I well knew all their plans; therefore they feared lest I should tell something thereof. But I said, "No; the Portuguese do not understand mine and my brother's language." Then they carried me to within about a stone's throw of the ship, naked, as I always went among them. I addressed those in the ship, and said "God, the Lord, be with you, my dear brothers. Let one alone speak to me, and let them hear not otherwise than that I am a Frenchmen.

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