Bloody Point and the Two Captives

But they having quickly descried our companie, launched one great and another small boate, being about 16 or 18 persons, and very narrowly escaping, put themselves to sea. Whereupon our souldiers discharged their calivers and followed them, thinking the noise therof being hearde to our boats at sea, our men there woulde make what speede they might to that place. And therupon, indeede, our men whiche were in the boats (crossing uppon them in the mouth of the sounde, whereby their passage was let from getting sea roome, wherein it had bin impossible for us to overtake them by rowing) forced them to put themselves ashore upon a point of lande within the said sound (which upon the occasion of the slaughter there was since named the Bloudie Point) whereunto our men so speedily followed, that they hadde little leysure lefte them to make any escape.

But they quickly spotted our company, launched one great and another small boat, being about 16 or 18 persons, and, very narrowly escaping, put themselves to sea. Our soldiers then fired their calivers1 and followed them. They thought that if the noise were heard by our boats at sea, our men there would make what speed they might to that place. And so indeed our men who were in the boats crossed upon them in the mouth of the sound, so that they were stopped from getting sea room, where it would have been impossible for us to overtake them by rowing. They forced them to put themselves ashore upon a point of land within the sound, which, because of the slaughter there, was afterward named the Bloody Point.2 Our men followed them there so quickly that they had little time left them to make any escape.

1. Light firearms, a kind of musket.
2. The English named the place for the fight. It lay in a sound on the south side of the bay, which they called Yorke's Sound after Gilbert Yorke, captain of the Michael.

But so soone as they landed, eche of them brake his oare, thinking by that meanes to prevent us in carying awaye their boates for want of oares. And desperately retorning upon our men, resisted them manfullye in their landing, so long as theyr arrows and dartes lasted; and, after gathering up those arrows which our men shot at them, yea, and plucking our arrowes out of their bodies, encountred afresh againe, and maintained their cause, until both weapons and life utterly failed them. And when they founde they were mortally wounded, being ignorant what mercy meaneth, with deadly furie they cast themselves headlong from off the rocks into the sea, least perhaps their enemies shoulde receive glory or praye of their dead carcasses; for they supposed us be like to be canibales, or eaters of mans flesh. In this conflict one of our men was dangerouslie hurt in the bellie with one of their arrowes, and of them were slayne five or sixe.

But as soon as they landed, each of them broke his oar, thinking by that means to prevent us from carrying away their boats for want of oars. And, desperately turning back upon our men, they resisted them manfully in their landing, as long as their arrows and darts lasted. After gathering up the arrows which our men shot at them, yes, and plucking our arrows out of their bodies, they fought afresh, and maintained their cause until both weapons and life utterly failed them. And when they found they were mortally wounded, being ignorant of what mercy means, with deadly fury they threw themselves headlong off the rocks into the sea, lest perhaps their enemies should receive glory or prey from their dead bodies. For they supposed us likely to be cannibals, or eaters of man's flesh.3 In this fight one of our men was dangerously hurt in the belly with one of their arrows, and of them five or six were slain.

3. Best's guess at the Inuit's reasons. He could not ask them.

The rest by flight escaped among the rockes, saving two women, whereof the one being old and ougly, our men thought she had bin a divell or some witch, and therefore let her go: the other being yong, and combred with a sucking childe at hir backe, hiding herselfe behinde the rocks, was espied by one of oure men, who, supposing she had bin a man, shot through the heare of hir head, and pierced through the child's arme, whereupon she cried out, and was taken, and our surgeon, meaning to heale hir child's arme, applyed salves therunto. But, she not acquainted with such kinde of surgerie, plucked those salves away, and, by continuall licking with hir own tongue, not much unlike our dogges, healed uppe the child's arme.

The rest escaped by flight among the rocks, except two women. One of them was old and ugly, and our men thought she was a devil or some witch, and therefore let her go. The other was young, and burdened with a nursing child at her back. Hiding herself behind the rocks, she was spotted by one of our men, who, supposing she was a man, shot through the hair of her head and pierced the child's arm. At this she cried out, and was taken. Our surgeon, meaning to heal her child's arm, put salves on it. But she, not being used to such surgery, plucked the salves away, and by continual licking with her own tongue, not much unlike our dogs, healed up the child's arm.

Having now got a woman captive for the comfort of our man, we brought them both togither, and every man with silence desired to beholde the manner of their meeting and entertainment, the whiche was more worth the beholding than can be well expressed by writing. At theyr first encountering, they behelde eache the other very wistly a good space, withoute speeche or worde uttered, with greate change of coloure and countenance, as though it seemed the greefe and disdeyne of their captivitie had taken away the use of their tongues and utterance: the woman at the first verie suddaynely, as though she disdeyned or regarded not the man, turned away and beganne to sing, as though she minded another matter: but being agayne broughte togyther, the man brake up the silence first, and with sterne and stayed countenance beganne to tell a long solemne tale to the woman, whereunto she gave good hearing, and interrupted him nothing till he had finished, and, afterwards being growen into more familiar acquaintance by speech, were turned togither, so that (I think) the one would hardly have lived without the comfort of the other.

Having now got a woman captive for the comfort of our man,4 we brought them both together. Every man silently wanted to see the manner of their meeting and greeting, which was more worth seeing than can well be expressed in writing. At their first meeting, they looked at each other very intently for a good while, without speech or word uttered. Their color and expression changed greatly, as though the grief and scorn of their captivity had taken away the use of their tongues and speech. At first the woman very suddenly turned away, as though she scorned or did not notice the man, and began to sing, as though her mind were on something else. But when they were brought together again, the man broke the silence first, and with a stern and steady face began to tell a long, solemn tale to the woman. She listened well, and did not interrupt him at all till he had finished. And afterward, having grown more familiar by talking, they were drawn together, so that (I think) the one would hardly have lived without the comfort of the other.

4. A man the English had seized earlier on this voyage. All three captives were taken to England, where they died about a month after arriving.

On Monday, the sixth of August, the lieutenante, wyth all the souldyers, for the better garde of the myners, and the other things a shoare, pitched their tents in the Countesses Ilande, and fortified the place for their better defence as well as they could, and were to the number of forty persons: when being all at labour they might perceyve uppon the toppe of a hill over against them a number of the countrey people wafting with a flagge and making great outcries unto them, and were of the same companie whiche had encountred lately our men upon the same shoare, being come to complayne their late losses and to entreate (as it seemed) for restitution of the woman and chylde, whyche our men in the late conflict had taken and brought away: whereuppon the generall taking the savage captive with him, and setting the woman where they mighte best perceyve hir, in the highest place of the ilande, wente over to talk with them. Thys captive at the fyrste encountrie of hys friends, fell so out into teares, that he could not speake a worde in a greate space; but, after a while, overcomming his kyndnesse, hee talked at full wyth hys companyons, and bestowed friendly uppon them suche toyes and trifles as we had gyven him, whereby we noted that they are verie kynde one to the other, and greatly sorrowfull for the loss of their friendes.

On Monday, August 6, the lieutenant, with all the soldiers, to better guard the miners and the other things ashore, pitched their tents on the Countess's Island5 and fortified the place for their defense as well as they could. They were forty persons in all. While they were all at work, they saw on the top of a hill across from them a number of the country people waving a flag and calling out loudly to them. They were of the same company that had lately fought our men on that shore. They had come to complain of their recent losses, and to plead (as it seemed) for the return of the woman and child whom our men had taken and brought away in the recent fight. So the general took the savage captive with him and set the woman where they could best see her, in the highest place on the island, and went over to talk with them. At the first meeting with his friends, this captive burst into tears, so that he could not speak a word for a long while. But after a while, overcoming his emotion, he talked at length with his companions, and gave them in friendship such toys and trifles as we had given him. By this we noted that they are very kind to one another, and greatly sorrowful for the loss of their friends.

5. The Countess of Warwick's Island, where the English dug for ore. The lieutenant was Best himself.