_ 22 _ the natives by signs to stand back and to approach in ones and twos. To those who came, the captain gave bells and red caps, and they gave us some ivory bracelets that they wore on their arms. As far as we know, there are a lot of elephants in this country, as we found their dung in clear sight at the watering hole where they came to drink. On Saturday some two hundred negroes, both young and old, appeared, and they brought about a dozen cattle oxen and cows, and four or five sheep. When we saw them we immediately went ashore. They then began to play on four or five flutes, some producing high notes and others low, harmonizing well considering the fact that they were negroes, from whom you do not expect good music, and they danced in the negro style. The captain-major gave orders to play the trumpets. Those of us who were in the longboats danced and the captain-major jigged with us. When the party was over, we stepped ashore in the place where we had landed previously, and there we bought an ox in exchange for three bracelets. This we had for Sunday lunch. It was very fat and its flesh was very tasty like that of Portugal. Several others came on Sunday, and they brought their wives and little boys with them. The women stayed at the
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTg0NzAy