Anglo-American Relations Before 1580 61
Leaving this spot and sailing some hundred miles up the
coast, tending toward the east, they stopped at another
place, attracted by the multitudinous camp-fires on the
shore, although there was no fit harbor; they were then
approximately in the vicinity of Cape Lookout. Here oc-
curred an incident that did much to endear the natives of
the place to the visiting Europeans, and to overcome the
voyagers’ initial fear of the aborigines. Verrazano wished to
make friends with them, and determined that the way to do
so was to send some gifts to them. “Wee sent a young man
one of our Marriners a shore, who swimming towards them,
and being within 3. or 4. yeards off the shore, not trusting
them, cast the thinges upon the shore; seeking afterwardes
to returne, hee was with such violence of the waves beaten
upon the shore, that he was so bruised that hee lay there
almost dead, which the Indians perceiving, ranne to catche
him, and drawing him out they carried him a little way
of[f] from the sea: The young man perceiving they caried
him, beeing at the first dismaide, began then greatly to
feare and cried out pitiously; likewise did the Indians which
did accompanie him, going about to cheere him and give
him courage, and then setting him on the grounde at the
foote of a Uttle hill against the sunne, beganne to beholde
him with great admiration marveiling at the whitenesse of
his fleshe: And putting off his clothes they made him warme
at a great fire, not without our great feare which remained
in the boate, that they would have rosted him at that fire
and have eaten him. . . . The young man having recovered
his strength, and having stayed a while with them, shewed
them by signes that hee was desirous to returne to the
shippe... .”8 Doubtless!
One of the most important early sources of information
about the developing Engfish understanding of primitive