After we had set sail from hence, we continued without sight of land
till the 13th day of October following, which day in the morning we fell
with certain islands eight degrees to the northward of the line, from
which islands came in a great number of _canoas_, having in some of them
four, in some six, and in some also fourteen men, bringing with them
cocos and other fruits. Their _canoas_ were hollow within and cut with
great art and cunning, being very smooth within and without, and bearing
a gloss as if it were a horn daintily burnished, having a prow and a
stern of one sort, yielding inward circle-wise, being of a great height,
and full of certain white shells for a bravery; and on each side of them
lie out two pieces of timber about a yard and a half long, more or less,
according to the smallness or bigness of the boat. These people have the
nether part of their ears cut into a round circle, hanging down very low
upon their cheeks, whereon they hang things of a reasonable weight.
The nails of their hands are an inch long, their teeth are as black as
pitch, and they renew them often, by eating of an herb with a kind
of powder, which they always carry about them in a cane for the same
purpose.
Leaving this island the night after we fell with it, the 18th of
October we lighted upon divers others, some whereof made a great show of
inhabitants. We continued our course by the islands of Tagulanda, Zelon,
and Zewarra, being friends to the Portugals, the first whereof hath
growing in it great store of cinnamon.
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