The people of the
country, as our men afterwards found, were small, black, ill-favoured
savages, clothed in the skins of beasts, somewhat like French cloaks,
having curious wrought wooden cases for their privities; and in speaking
they seemed always, sighing. These natives were armed with oak staves,
hardened in the fire, pointed with the horns of beasts, somewhat burnt or
hardened with fire, which served them for swords. They lived on the roots
of herbs, and on sea wolves and whales, which are very numerous in this
country, likewise on sea crows and gulls. They also eat of certain beasts,
which they call Gazelas, and other beasts and birds which the land
produces; and they have dogs which bark like those of Portugal. The
general, after the squadron was brought to anchor, sent Coello in a boat
along the shore, in search of water, which he found four leagues from the
anchoring ground, at a place which he named St. Jago,[6] whence all the
ships provided themselves with fresh water.

Next day, the general with the other captains, escorted by some of the
people, went on shore to view the natives, and to endeavour to learn what
distance the Cape of Good Hope was from thence; for the chief pilot, who
had been on the voyage with Diaz, had departed thence on returning, in
the morning, into the open sea, with a fair wind, and had passed it
during the night, and had not come near the shore when outward bound;
wherefore he did not certainly know its situation, nor was he acquainted
with its appearance, but conjectured it might be thirty leagues from
where they then were at the utmost. When the general was on shore, he
overtook one of the natives, who was going to gather honey at the foot of
a bush, where it is deposited by the bees without any hive. With this
person, he returned to the ship, thinking to have got an interpreter, but
no one on board the squadron could understand his language. The general
commanded this man to have meat and drink, and set him on shore next day
well dressed, that he might return satisfied to his countrymen.
Accordingly, the day following, this man came down to the shore abreast
of the ships, with about fifteen more natives, and the general went
ashore, carrying with him spices, gold, and pearls, to try if these
people had any knowledge of these things. But from the little estimation
with which these articles were viewed, it was concluded that the natives
had no knowledge of them. The general distribut