h this promise; although he knew, in his heart, that
these adventures fell upon Ned not from any effort of his own, but
by the effect of accident; or, as we may say, Providence.

The young men liked not their stay in San Francisco Bay. Those who
were best-looking and youngest were especially chosen out by the
women as objects of their adoration, and the lads were horrified at
the way in which these poor creatures beat and tore themselves, and
groveled upon the ground; and so, being sick at heart at these
mummeries, and at receiving a worship fit only for the Creator of
the world, they remained on board ship, as much as possible, during
the time that they tarried there.

Except for a group of islands which they passed the day after
sailing west, the Golden Hind saw no more land from the 23rd of
July until September 30th, sixty-eight days in all, when they fell
in sight of some islands, lying about eight degrees to the
northward of the line. As soon as the ship was seen a great number
of canoes came out, having in them some four, some six, some
fourteen, or even twenty men, paddling rapidly and bringing cocoas,
fish, and fruits.

The beauty and workmanship of these canoes astonished the voyagers.
They were made out of one tree of great length, hollowed with fire
and axe; and being so smooth, both without and within, that they
shone like polished wood. The bow and stern were alike in shape,
rising high and falling inwards almost in a semicircle, and being
covered with white and glistening shells, for ornament. These
canoes had upon either side outriggers--that is, pieces of cane
extending six or seven feet beyond the side, and to which were
fixed spars of very light wood, so that the boat could in no wise
overturn.

These people evinced no fear of the English, and it was clear that,
although they might not themselves have seen a ship before, the
presence of the Portuguese in these seas was known to the
islanders, and the manner of their vessels.

The nature of these people was very different from that of the
gentle savages on the western coast of America. They did not trade
honestly, as these had done; but obtained as much as they could,
and then pushed off from the side of the ship, without handing up
the goods which they had bargained to give; and behaved so rascally
that the admiral, seeing that their intentions were altogether
evil, ordered a gun to be fired, not with the intent of hurting
any, but of frighteni