The passages shown here have been chosen for their depiction of encounters at sea, be they encounters with native peoples, other explorers and colonizers, or the forces and products of nature. They represent a sampling of the accounts of explorers who endured and wrote about the uncertainty of living at sea in unknown waters. There are accounts of discoveries and sightings, battles and thievery, and the hardship and violence which was ever present in their experiences.

— Ann K.D. Myers

From chapter five, part three. Published 1593. The text is a translation of Hans Staden’s account of his travels in Brazil between 1546 and 1555. This passage relates an event which occurred on his 1546-48 voyage. On his second voyage, 1549-55, he was held as a prisoner for nine months by the Tupinamba cannibals of Brazil. His original account was published in 1557.

How we went from Prannenbucke to a country named Buttugaris, came near a French ship, and they joined with us in battle

      We went forty miles from there to a port called Buttugaris where we thought to load the ship with Brazil wood, and also to gain more food from the savages. As we came in to the port, we found a ship from France which had loaded Brazil wood. We attacked them and decided to take it, but they destroyed our mainmast with a shot, and sailed away from us. Our ship was shot up and wounded in several places. After that we were inclined to go back to Portugal, for we could not come again into the harbor, because we thought to get supplies. The wind was against us. We went with such trifling provisions to Portugal, and suffered great hunger. Now and then we ate buckskin which we had in the ship. There was a pint of water per day for everyone and a little Brazilian spice meal. We were 108 days on the sea. On the twelfth day of August we came to the island named Losa Sores, which belonged to the king of Portugal. There we anchored, rested, and fished. While there we saw a ship on the sea so we went near to see what kind of ship it might be. It was a pirate who defended himself, but we got the upper hand and took the ship from him, and they fled us with the boats to the island. The ship had much wine and bread with which we revived ourselves. After that we came near five ships which belonged to the king of Portugal. They were to wait by the islands for the ship from India, to lead it to Portugal. We stayed near there, and helped an Indian ship that arrived there by leading it to an island called Terceira, and there we stayed. Many ships had collected in the island, which had all come out of the new lands. Some wanted to return to Spain, some to Portugal. We went out from Terceira with a hundred ships in company, and arrived in Lisbon on approximately the eighth day of October of the year 1548. We had been sixteen months on the journey.

The second image from part four, published 1594. The text is from Girolamo Benzoni’s History of the New World, which he published in 1565. Benzoni was from Milan, and in 1541 set out to seek adventure and fortune in the New World. He spent fifteen years travelling around South America where he occasionally got involved in military ventures, but seems primarily to have been a wanderer.

      After he had sailed for fourteen days with a good wind, at night some flying fish about a span long fell on the ship and were caught. These birds [sic] have wings smooth and uniform like bats and they reach the air by soaring. They fly near a hundred or more paces high over the water namely so that they can escape the other fish they bear ill will to. After that they dive again, so that they are safe from the robbing sea birds which lie in wait for them.

The eleventh image from part four, published 1594. From Benzoni’s History.

      In those days a wondrous and terrible disaster occurred in this country. At sunrise such a horrible, strong wind began that the inhabitants of the island thought they had never seen or heard anything like it before. The raging storm wind (which the Spaniards call Furacanum) came with great violence, as if it wanted to split heaven and earth apart from one another, and hurl everything to the ground. All the people were so shocked by the storm of such unheard-of violence, that they believed with fear and horror that death was wholly before their eyes, that the elements would completely melt [them], and the last day was surely at hand. Just then it began to thunder and lightning frightfully, and it thundered so cruelly with cracks and crashes, and the lightning flashes came so quickly after one another that the sky seemed to be completely full of fire. Soon after that a thick and dreadful darkness came to the day which was even darker than any night could ever be, and no person could see the others for the darkness, but rather had to grope and fumble like the blind to find their way. The people were as a whole so despairing because of their great fear that they ran here and there, as if they were senseless and mad, and did not know what they did. Meanwhile the wind blew with such great and terrible force that it ripped many large trees out of the earth by the roots and threw them over. Similarly some large cliffs also fell down from the force with terrible, awful crashes and turmoil, so that many houses and villages were thrown to the ground including many people who stayed in that place. The strong and frightful wind threw some entire houses and capitals including the people from the capital, tore them apart in the air and threw them down to the ground in pieces. This awful weather did such noticeable damage in such a short time that not three ships stood secure in the sea harbor or came through the storm undamaged. For the anchors, even if they were yet strong, were broken apart through the strong force of the wind and all the masts, despite their being new, were crumpled. The ships were blown around by the wind, so that all the people in them were drowned. For the most part the Indians had crawled away and hidden themselves in holes in order to escape such disaster.

The sixth image from part five, published 1595. From Benzoni’s History under the title: “How the Spaniards were oftentimes attacked and plundered by French pirates.” The name Hanaua in this passage refers to Havana, Cuba, which was an important Spanish base for expeditions and was also the object of numerous attacks by English, French, and Dutch pirates. Most notably it was sacked and burned in 1537, just one year after the events recounted here.

The French drive the Spaniards into flight, and ravage the city of Hanaua for a large sum of money

      In the year 1536, a small French ship came into the port Hanaua, and the French in it took the city with violence. But the Spaniards gave the French 700 ducats for the ravaging so that the city would not be devastated by fire. The French were satisfied with that and pulled away. But because it greatly vexed the Spaniards that a single French ship should have harassed them, they arranged on the second day of the occupation that three big cargo ships which had arrived at that time should empty out their gold, silver and other wares, and hunt after the French pirate-ship, which then happened. On which account they set out from the port, and each one had its life-boat hung up next to it. The chief, principal ship hurried before the others, and met the French pirate-ship behind a mountain, but could not set on it alone, but rather considered it advisable to wait for the others. Now when the French noticed that the enemy did not trust themselves, they found the heart to dare, and they let loose their shot at the Spanish first. Therefore the whole of the Spanish lost their courage, so that they did not want to put themselves to defense, and they jumped into the life-boats and wanted to flee from there. But there were too many of them, and they pressed the boat under, and those that were in it had to swim away to land to save their lives. When the others who were in the second Spanish ship saw this, namely that the soldiers had fled away from the first ship, they also turned back, and so did those in the third ship. In such a way were the French happy again, if they had been at all worried at first. They overcame these three ships and sailed straight back to the city Hanaua and ransomed the citizens again for a sum as big as before, and pulled away from there with it.

The second image from part six, published 1597. The conclusion of Benzoni’s History. This passage recounts incidents from Francisco Pizarro’s South American expeditions. In 1522, he was left for months with 13 followers (some accounts say 16) on Gallo island with no ship or stores, an experience which helped to increase his fame. In 1526-28, he sailed as far as Santa in modern Peru, stopping periodically on the shore. At the city of Tumbes he found evidence of high native civilization.

A brave sailor of Pizarro’s born out of Crete presses forward in the middle through a crowd of Indians

      It had not gone well for Pizarro and Almagro on their first journey, as they left many of their soldiers behind. Pizarro himself was wounded, and Almagro had his eye stabbed. They had allowed these wounds to be treated and healed, took on fresh soldiers again, and provided their ship with all the best necessities in order to try the sea, their healing permitting. But things went as before for them; they lost many of their soldiers and so it was necessary to betake themselves to an island, which was called Hart. There Pizarro prepared his companion Almagro for Panama, where he would enlist more soldiers. Pizarro sent him a messenger, because most of Pizarro’s soldiers were becoming rebellious and had pulled away from there, until there were 13 or 14 people, mostly sailors, who remained loyal to him. To keep their loyalty, he, with the highest thoughts, promised them great honor for their steadfastness and valued faithfulness so long as they would wait for Almagro’s return. Finally indeed Almagro sent a ship well-laden with provisions, but thereby no soldiers were to be seen. Pizarro held that as a particular good omen, as if he was warned by God himself to leave that island. Therefore he sailed with his few soldiers from there, and continued around the borders of Peru until he came to Tumbes, of which he had heard the great wealth of the Indians extolled. But none of his people could dare to go on the land, because the Indians stood crowded around on the shore. Finally there was one among them, of birth from Crete and with the name Peter, who presented himself voluntarily, and went in a skiff which led him to land. He took a huge sword in both hands, jumped with it unafraid onto the shore, and pressed in the middle through the great mass of Indians, which then moved aside not a little for the form of this bearded man. The chief of the place perceived that he was completely friendly, and showed him a lovely temple which worshipped the sun and was adorned with great riches and jewels. He now took his farewell from them again, and they wanted to honor him with some golden trinkets and jewels, but he wanted in no way to take them from them. Rather, he acted as if he completely did not regard these things, and said that he would not come from there with them for the sake of money or goods, but rather from the cause of good friendship. Finally he returned to the ship, and he told Pizarro and the others what great wealth and friendliness he had seen there.

The sixth image from part eight, published 1599. This version of Thomas Cavendish’s 1586-88 voyage is based on Thomas Pretty’s narrative. Cavendish (often shortened to Candish) was the third circumnavigator of the globe in an elaborate imitation of Drake’s great voyage. He sailed from Plymouth in 1586 with 123 men in three ships, only one of which returned in 1588. In Patagonia, he discovered Port Desire before passing through the Strait of Magellan and on up the west coast of South and Central America. In 1591 he planned a venture to America and the Pacific with five vessels, which was an utter failure. He died and was buried at sea on the way home.

      How Thomas Candish anchored on the island Ladrones on his Indian trip, and more than 60 canoes or skiffs came out of the island laden with all sorts of provisions and fruit, which the Indians brought to the English, and wanted to trade with them. And how they took from them as much as they needed and gave them old iron in exchange, and now thought to sail on their way, but the Indians followed after them so insistently and with such tumult and noise, that the English, who wanted to be unencumbered by others, were compelled to fire some shots among them. They plunged so quickly back over the sea, or otherwise escaped with their skiffs, that the English could not tell whether one or more of them stayed in the place or not.

The tenth image from the appendix to part eight, published 1599.

How Sir Candish came to an island in an area where there were many seals in a strange form.

      When Thomas Candish was on his course that he sailed around the entire world, he came among others to an island in which he found a great crowd of seals of an uncomfortable, horrible size. These had the head, neck, and half the body which resembled those belonging to a lion, with long curly hair. They have their children in all months, and nurse them with their milk. We could not kill them except with cudgels, with which we crushed their heads, and always had to strike them three or four times until we could overcome and kill them. They are good to eat, and their meat compares in taste almost to mutton or veal. In this area, one of our men went with a boy to a spring which we had dug ourselves to wash their shirts. But suddenly he was taken unaware by a band of Indians, who wounded and shot both with their arrows, the one indeed in the shoulders, and the other in a knee. But after they saw the English, who were soon come to help them, then the Indians did not linger there, but soon went in flight.

Image fourteen from the appendix to part eight, published 1599. An account of the journey of the Dutch Armada to Grand Canary Island in 1599, which started out with 72 ships and returned with 35.

      This is the first of several passages in this selection that deal with Dutch exploration. The late 16th century saw the Dutch entering the spice trade, which led to the formation of the East India Company in 1602. Gradually the Dutch challenged the Portuguese for control of the major spice islands, and by 1641 they had taken over their exploitation and ousted Portugal from nearly all its eastern dominions.

      The Canary Islands, the focus of the following account, are a Spanish archipelago in the Atlantic. The Romans knew of them through the king of Mauritania, and Pliny the elder reports that they are called the Canaria because of the multitude of large dogs on the islands. After a period of struggle and uncertain rule during the 15th century, a 1479 treaty recognized Spanish rule over the islands, though some of the indigenous warriors held out against them until 1483. Particularly after Columbus’ voyages, they became an indispensable sea base for the Spanish.

A true depiction of the way the Dutch conquered the Grand Canary island

      When the Dutch Armada anchored before the island, they betook themselves in their skiffs, and had to row to land. But the Spanish had seven squadrons on the shore in the area that the Dutch had to approach, and they shot at them bravely with large artillery, muskets, and rifles until the Dutch were forced to jump out of their skiffs into waist high water. Making a fierce resistance to make themselves master of the shore, finally the Spanish were very injured, took flight to the city, and carried their Governor with them, whose leg had been shot off from his body. But the Dutch immediately besieged the city and conquered it with trifling resistance, together with the great fort Gratiosa, from which at first the Dutch ships were caused pretty considerable damage.

The first image from part nine, published 1601. The text is a translation of Zacharias Heyns’ account of the voyage of Sebald de Weert, who set out from Rotterdam with five ships in 1598, with Simon de Cordes as captain. They planned to travel through the Strait of Magellan to the Moluccas (the spice islands), but a storm in the strait separated the ships, and de Weert found himself alone with only one anchor and very few provisions. He was forced to return to Holland going back the way he had come, and he landed again in 1600, the only ship of the expedition to return.

      The Indians in the West Indies have this way of fishing, when they set after the big whales. They travel with their small boats on the sea, an Indian alone in a boat, and when he catches sight of a whale, he goes over to him and immediately gets out of the boat and onto the fish’s back, takes two wooden posts cut to a point, and hits him in the nostrils, or more often in the ears, after which the fish sprays water, and although the fish plunges under and over the water in this situation, the Indian does not assail him, but rather stays sitting the whole time on there, until he has hit in these posts. Then he jumps back into his boat and drags the fish after him with a rope which is made fast on the posts. The fish becomes powerless because the air which he drew through his nostrils has been taken away, and when they have him on his back, they cut him to pieces and separate them. They have also another way to fish with nets, namely they make a bundle of hemp rush and sit on it like a rider on a horse. They take two chips or wood splinters and row themselves where they want to be, and then they throw out their net. When they have fished enough, they go again on land, and carry their little boat out of the water to spread it out until it becomes dry again, as was painted in the history from life.

Image seventeen from part nine, published in 1601. The Admiral James Mahu mentioned in this passage took a small fleet from Rotterdam in 1599 to sail west across the Pacific. Mahu died off the Cape Verde islands, but his ships continued through the Strait of Magellan.

What the Dutch encountered on the island Braua, and how their Admiral died

      From St. Iago the Dutch sailed to the island Braua, and when they landed on it, they tried to get some provisions in exchange for money from the Portuguese on the island, which is shown by a high mountain. But they apologized as if they had nothing, and hid themselves again. The Dutch searched so long that they found some old fallen apart cottages which were empty, but there was one below there with the doors shut up with stone, and when the Dutch opened this, they found it full of maize, or Turkish corn, all of which they took with them to their ship.

      Their highest Admiral, Jacob Mahu, died at this island, and they laid him in a coffin, also loaded with stones so that it would go to ground better. It was carried from the back to the front of the ship by the captains, and then dropped overboard near the ship by the sailors. Three hours later Daniel Resteau also died, and he was buried at sea in the same manner.

Image 25 from part nine, published 1601.

The form of the penguins of which the Dutch captured a great quantity

      Now when the Dutch decided, namely, that this ship shown here as it was painted in the history, would not carry their voyage through to their goal, they set out again to journey home. But first they wanted to supply themselves with provisions, as much as was possible for them. On that account while they were still in the Magellan Strait, they betook themselves to some islands which they named the Penguin Islands, because of the great crowd of these birds which they found there called penguins. There were so many that another 25 ships could have had enough to load there, and they captured about 900 of them, but through the impatience of the weather they could not have long to stay.

      These birds are formed as shown here, are the size of a goose, very fat, and weigh from 8 to 16 pounds. The back is black and the stomach white, and they have black feet. They are almost formed like a goose, but they have no wings, only fin feathers, and they are swift with swimming. They walk upright, as shown here, and as will be further explained in the history.

The fifth image from the appendix to part nine, published 1602. The text for the passages in this appendix comes from an account of the voyage of Olivier van Noort, which was the first Dutch circumnavigation of the globe. He left Rotterdam in 1598 with four ships, and returned in 1601 with one ship, after having roughly followed the course of Magellan around the globe.

      On this island the Dutch placed their sick, and waited constantly for fourteen days in set-up huts for them. All reached good health again, except for five, who had become very fatigued through protracted illness and died. In that island they were unable to get anything more than some kale and two plum trees, with which they could refresh themselves somewhat. But so that the sick would not be surprised and overtaken by the native islanders, they had to be strongly guarded through diligent watch. Not very far from the above shown place lay a small island, where they caught a great mess of fish. They also emptied the goods out of one of their ships, and because it was very damaged, and as nothing further was to be brought forth, they set it on fire.

The tenth image from the appendix to part nine, published 1602. The Ladrones (Thieves) islands are mentioned several times in these passages. They stretch from Guam to Japan, and were discovered in 1521 by Magellan. In 1668 their name was changed to the Mariana Islands to honor the regent of Spain. It is interesting to note that Thomas Candish also had violent trade dealings with the natives of Ladrones, as recounted in part eight, number six above.

      In the Ladrones islands nearly 200 boats came to the Dutch ship, in each of which were 2 or 3 people at the least. They needed this information for the carrying out of trade. The Dutch bound a piece of iron on a rope which the Indian took off eagerly, and attached on a little sack with native rice which the Dutch drew up, but they found that it was a big cheat and fraud by the people. For they had filled the top of the sack with rice, and put leaves or other similar useless things they had underneath. And when some of them came onto the ship, one was delighted by the rapier of one of the Dutch, took it unseen and plunged with it into the sea, then swam to the island. The Admiral shot among them, but most of them sprang into the sea and hid themselves for a while under the water. Even when they would overturn the boats, they did not regard it highly, but swam near them and put the boats upright again, and held them as before. The boats are long and narrow so that they can sail very fast both backwards and forwards without overturning.

Image thirteen from the appendix to part nine, published 1602. Manille here probably refers to Manila in the Philippines, which was placed under the viceroy of New Spain in Mexico City in 1571. During the 17th century as Spain warred with the Dutch and the Moros, Manila was menaced repeatedly.

      When the Dutch lay before Manille, the Spanish had a huge warship so well supplied with soldiers that they had seven against each Dutch soldier, sent out to conquer the strange ship. Now the blows were hard, and the Spaniards fought already against the Dutch, but the Dutch received and attacked the Spaniards through the nets which were pulled over with such courage and agility that they gradually softened again, and had to negotiate in their safety. But when the Admiral ship of the Spaniards (which was heavily damaged by the powerful and draining shots of the Dutch) was returning home, it sank suddenly to the ground, so that all the Spaniards had to be wretchedly drowned before their enemy’s eyes. But the Dutch Vice-admiral ship was followed by the Spaniard Vice-admiral ship, and was finally captured. Here is also portrayed a ship from Japan, including its sail made from mats, and a wooden anchor.

The third image from part ten, published 1618. This passage is part of an account of the voyages carried out by Amerigo Vespucci for King Ferdinand in Castile. He traveled in 1499 via the Canary islands to the Pearl coast, and explored the Brazilian coast. Though his place in history is primarily due to an error and accounts of his voyages are tainted by fraud and falsehood, it is certain that he was the first to recognize that the New World was a true continent, and to refer to it as a new world.

How the Indians intended to trick the Spaniards with women, from which then a skirmish arose

      When the Spaniards traveled further toward the land, they came upon a place which was built on the water with wooden walls of posts like Venice. It had about 20 living quarters shaped like bells, from which went bridges which connected them together here and there. Now as soon as these savages caught sight of the Spaniards they were quite frightened, and began to lift their bridges, which astonished the Spaniards not a little. For they were also aware that twelve boats made out of entire trees came toward them on the sea to look at them. They understood their several peace signs to entice them there, and so also came toward them, but this was not what they expected. Instead, they betook themselves presently to land on a mountain, but gave a sign that they would come again presently, which they also did, and brought 16 maidens with them. They set four of them in one of the Spanish boats, and they wondered not without cause what this could mean. [The Indians] mingled with their little ships among and between the Spanish boats, and placed themselves as if they were their best friends. Meanwhile some old women made a great outcry at their doors, and because of the strain of great fear and need, they tore their hair out, which then caused a suspicion of great disaster by the Spaniards. Here the maidens leapt out of the boats into the sea and led the others also further from the Spaniards, and they began with all violence to shoot at them. They were also aware that the others swam out of their houses to the ship, holding their spears hidden under the water. That was sufficient to realize their treachery, so from that point the Spaniards put themselves on the defense. They shot a lot of their boats to ground, killed about 20, and many more were also wounded. The rest jumped into the sea and so swam with great damage and injury onto land.

Image twelve from part ten, published 1618. The following passage is taken from Captain John Smith’s own description of how he was captured by the French. As is well known, Smith was among those who founded the Jamestown colony. After that venture, he undertook some voyages to New England on behalf of a group of London merchants to explore the coast and bring back goods. On the second of these voyages in 1615, he was captured by French pirates and shipwrecked off the coast of France. There is a reference in this passage to a “caravel,” which is a 15th to 17th century term rarely seen after 1650, used as the name of a small, light, fast ship.

How Captain John Smith was imprisoned on his second voyage to Virginia by the French and was miraculously released again

      The English captain John Smith, knight, was captured on his second voyage to Virginia by the French, and so that he would not assail other ships for help, they told him that with enough payment after the performed voyage, they would let him go free. But when they approached near Rochel they held him imprisoned in the caravel, and accused him of being the one who had burned up their colonies in New France. They wanted to compel him to give satisfaction, or to hold him in prison to await something even worse. This misfortune was now to be tried, and after a huge storm ended during which they had all hidden under the covering, he took his chance and crept stealthily with a clear lance shaft in the night to their boat, intending to come on land with it. But he was seized by a strong current, so that he came onto the high sea and had to remain the entire night for 12 hours in rain and violent storm. Many ships were thrown onto land, and several were broken. He struck at last on the island Charower, and there the fowlers caught him up near the place. He was nearly drowned, and half dead from fear, cold, and hunger, but they brought him back to health.

The fifth image from part eleven, published 1619. This passage is taken from an account of Wilhelm Schouten’s 1615-16 journey with Jacob le Maire in search of a new route to the east. They had been commissioned for this venture by a group of independent Dutch merchants, of whom le Maire was the representative. They wished to find an alternate route in order to evade the restrictions placed on the Strait of Magellan and the Cape of Good Hope by the Dutch East India Company’s monopoly. In the course of their journey, they discovered Cape Horn, which they named for their hometown of Hoorn. After stopping at Port Desire, they discovered the Le Maire Strait, which lies between Staten Island and Tierra del Fuego. They discovered a number of islands in the Pacific, including the Cocos and Verraders (Traitors) islands, which lie between Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa. Though le Maire died on their way home, Schouten returned to Holland in 1617, where the ship and its cargo were impounded by the East India Company.

      How the Dutch sailed further and came to two other islands, one of which they named the Cocos Island because many coconuts grew there. The inhabitants came advancing in their canoes to them, swam to the ship, and boarded with such crowding that the Dutch soon did not know which way to turn. As soon as they had sold their wares, they sprang into the water with the traded and probably also stolen goods, and swam away. But when the Dutch sailed their boats to the other island, they were fallen upon cruelly by 12 canoes of the savages, so that they had to defend themselves wretchedly. Finally the savages pulled back as they saw that some of them had been wounded and killed by the muskets. Although the king of this island had been completely friendly to the Dutch at first, in the end he decided to overcome them with all his power, and to rob their ship. Then he destroyed their little ship with a great advance, and set on them with violence. But because the Dutch discharged their great artillery among them with a vengeance, he had to pull his men away with great shame and injury. Because he had dealt with them so treacherously, they named this island Verraders Island.

The eighth image in the supplement to part eleven, published 1619. An account of the voyage of Admiral Joris van Speilbergen (also spelled Georgius von Spielbergen, or Spilbergen), who traveled through the Strait of Magellan for the Dutch East India Company from 1614 to 1618. Some accounts say that Schouten and Le Maire were sent home from Jakarta almost as prisoners in his fleet. The battle by night described here was followed by a battle by day in which two Spanish ships were sunk and the Spanish eventually fled.

      The Admiral held two violent battles with the powerful Spanish Armada led by Rodaricus Mendoza. One occurred in the night, began around 10:00, and lasted through the entire night. The letter A is the Spanish Admiral, and B is the Admiral von Spielbergen, who fought with him. C is the Spanish Vice-Admiral, D is the hurtful rampart of the Spaniards, E another Spanish ship. F is the Vice-Admiral of the Dutch, and G is the Dutch Morgenstern [morning star]. H is the Dutch Aeolus, which was hindered by the raging of the sea, and through the whole night had not been able to reach the Armada. I is a Spanish ship which fought with the Vice-Admiral of the Dutch. K shows two Spanish ships, which shot their pieces at the Dutch. L is the Jäger [hunter], which sank a Spanish ship, and M is a Spanish ship which was shot through by the Dutch, and finally went under.

Image twenty in the supplement to part eleven, published 1619. The following is a description of Schouten’s stop at Port Desire on the coast of Patagonia.

A picture of Port Desire, which is yet appertaining to the history of Schouten

      In this figure, the letter A represents the port into which they were driven by mistake, and were in great danger bringing in the ships. B is the place where they pushed onto land, and could walk under the ship with dry feet. C is the bird island on which they got many young birds. D is the lion island, and E is the right island, behind which the ships lay at anchor. F is the place where one of their ships stood and burned. G is a place where they got fresh water, and brought it to the ships in little barrels. H shows graves in which such big people were buried that their skeletons were 10 or 12 feet long, and the heads were so big that the Dutch could put them on like head pieces. I and K are sea lions and lionesses, several of which they captured and ate. L is a kind of animal nearly like stags. They have necks as long as their entire body, they can run quite swiftly, and could be seen in large groups on the mountains. M are ostriches, of which a great crowd was present. N is a stone fort formed by nature, as if it was made with all industry.

From the second chapter of part thirteen, published 1628. The text is taken from “an unusual and thorough description of New England.”

Of the inhabitants’ household furniture, and of the sea-monster or Siren

      I cannot pass over with silence here the curious creature, which I myself saw in the year 1610. For once when I stood very early in the morning on the shore near the sea-port St. Johannis, a sea-monster came swimming along with great swiftness. But it was very beautiful, and looked just like a maiden in face, eyes, nose, ears, chin, mouth, throat and brow, and also had hair which looked bluish and hung over its shoulders. And as I thought, it was real hair, for I looked at this sea-monster long and well with my servant, who still lives. But when it was still a long spear-length away from us, I was so very frightened that I shrank back. When this creature saw that, it went under the water and soon came forth again, and betook itself to the place where I had come upon the land. Then I looked at it from a distance for a little longer, and thought to myself that it looked just like a person from the top down to the navel, but like a fish from the navel on under. But how it looked on the other side or from behind from neck to navel, I did not see. This monster shortly even came to the ship where Wilhelm Hacobridge was, my servant at the time and now a captain in the East Indies. And when it came to the ship, it tried with all force to board the ship. This greatly terrified the others who were in the ship, and they hit at the sea-monster with cudgels so that it returned once more to the water. This sea-monster also came to two other ships, which shocked the sailors so much that they left the ship and went to land. Because many sea-monsters and several Sirens have been described now, I wanted to show and report this here since I myself saw it along with many others. But whether this sea-monster might have been a Siren or something else, I will let others dispute about.

Credits
Text was prepared by Ann Myers
Photography: Ahn Na Brodie
Photo editing: Brian Hanson and Brockman Schumacher III
Page design and layout: Brian Hanson
Project supervised by Carol Urness, Curator and Professor