Nelson, Horatio, 1758-1805 / 2008-07-31 00:00:00

We put
them on them, thinking that this finery would have brought them to work
heartily for us; and our water being filled in small long barrels, about
six gallons 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 canoe. But all the signs we
could make were to no purpose, for they stood like statues, without
motion, but grinned like so many monkeys, staring one upon another, for
these poor creatures seem not accustomed to carry burdens; and I believe
that one of our ships-boys of ten years old, would carry as much as one
of them; so we were forced to carry our water ourselves, and they very
fairly put the cloathes off again, and laid them down as if cloathes
were only to work in. I did not perceive that they had any great liking
to them at first, neither did they seem to admire anything that we had.
At our first coming, before we were acquainted with them, or they with
us, a company of them who lived on the main, came just against our ship,
and standing on a pretty bank, threatened us with their swords and
lances, by shaking them at us; at last the captain ordered the drum to
be beaten, which was done of a sudden with much vigour, purposely to
scare the poor creatures.
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