494 Matching Annotations
  1. Sep 2015
    1. It must needs be their great disorder, for they spent excesseivly whilst they had, or could get it; and, it may be, wasted parte away among ye Indeans (for he yt was their cheef [157]was taxed by some amongst them for keeping Indean women, how truly I know not).

      I'm having a hard time making intelligent and thoughtful comments, when I can barley discern most of this.

    1. This last was unnecessary, the Indians being ever diligent to bring us all they could.

      This makes me feel uncomfortable. Why the undying service when it was so undeserved?

    1. they must be won by kindness, which is a way certain, and no other is.

      See this is actually what Christianity preaches. It's been convoluted by judgmental folks these days, but this is the core of Christianity, win by love and kindness. As they are all self proclaimed Christians, it's refreshing to see him take this approach.

    2. "We questioned him further, as to who had brought them thence : they all responded, that certain men who wore beards like us, had come from heaven and arrived at that river; bringing horses, lances, and swords, and that they had lanced two Indians. In a manner of the utmost indifference we could feign, we asked them what had become of those men : they answered us that they had gone to sea, putting their lances beneath the water, and going themselves also under the water; afterwards that they were seen on the surface going towards the sunset.

      I wonder who these men were?! Vikings? Who were they?

    1. the Indians leave him to perish, unless it be a son or a brother; him they will assist, even to carrying on their back.

      So the elderly or people without immediate family are left behind?

    2. The children are suckled until the age of twelve years, when they are old enough to get sup- port for themselves

      I didn't know women could maintain this for so long. But what do I know.

    1. They said that up to that time they had struggled with great hunger, which was the cause of their not having sought me

      They struggled with hunger because they didn't look for him? How does this work? Or am I misunderstanding

    2. I carried some marks on my hair of the danger to which I was exposed

      cutting it close. At least he was alright. Not often is this type of shelter used anymore.

    1. It was strange to see these men, wild and untaught, howling like brutes over our misfortunes.

      Must have been an extremely strange but powerful experience. These Indians acted in a way not typical of the Europeans.

    2. in a plight so different from what it was before, and so extraordinary, they were alarmed and turned back.

      Interesting, you'd think that seeing them in need would give them all the more reason to want to help

    1. After the provisions and clothes had been taken in, not over a span of the gunwales remained above water ; and more than this, the boats were so crowded that we could not move : so much can necessity do, which drove us to hazard our hves in this manner, running into a turbu- lent sea, not a single one who went, having a know- ledge of navigation.

      Wow, how did they plan on fitting everyone before so many people had died? It was so tight already

    2. This ap- peared impossible to every one : we knew not how to construct, nor were there tools, nor iron, nor forge, nor tow, nor resin, nor rigging; finally, no one thing of so many that are necessary, nor any man who had a knowledge of their manufacture; and, above all, there -was nothing to eat, while building, for those who should labor...

      I agree, this does seem like a pretty unrealistic plan

    1. To me, one only duty remains, to present a relation of what was seen and heard in the ten years I wandered lost and in privation through many and remote lands

      He report what he saw/experienced.

    2. but coming in the providence of God and solely by His will.

      Claiming that sometimes have good fortune simply because God willed it. Interesting. I wonder if he is going to attribute his own success or failure to God's will.

    3. I think no prince can be found whose service has been attended with the ardor and emulation shown for that of your Highness at this time

      Sucking up

    1. making it a point to keep them from knowing how far they had sailed; in this manner two reckonings were kept, the shorter one falsified, and the other being the true account.

      What deception! Geez seems like a lot of effort

    2. 19 September. Continued on, and sailed, day and night, twenty- five leagues, experiencing a calm. Wrote down twenty-two. This day at ten o’clock a pelican came on board, and in the evening another; these birds are not accustomed to go twenty leagues from land. It drizzled without wind, which is a sure sign of land. The Admiral was unwilling to remain here, beating about in search of land, but he held it for certain that there were islands to the north and south, which in fact was the case and he was sailing in the midst of them. His wish was to proceed on to the Indies, having such fair weather, for if it please God, as the Admiral says, we shall examine these parts upon our return. Here the pilots found their places upon the chart: the reckoning of the Nina made her four hundred and forty leagues distant from the Canaries, that of the Pinta four hundred and twenty, that of the Admiral four hundred.

      He took good notes, but these are so dry

    3. Reckoned only forty-eight leagues, that the men might not be terrified if they should be long upon the voyage.

      Interesting, to lead in a way that tells the men it won't be scared of a longer voyage. But how long did they really think it would be? How much supplies did they bring? For how long?

    4. disliked the voyage

      Really? Going to pin it on some sailors? I wonder what really happened, and also what Columbus did to the sailors he thought responsible

    5. iceroy and Governor in all the islands and continents which I might discover and acquire, or which may hereafter he discovered and acquired in the ocean; and that this dignity should be inherited by my eldest son, and thus descend from degree to degree forever.

      sounds like he is pretty excited to be in such a position of power

    1. the first light appeared in the first point of the East, where the most elevated point of the globe is.

      Interesting, but it is not supported by evidence. He really is just making lots of guesses

    1. The medicine had accomplished this.

      odd. it seems that the medicine did not cure him. I think the medicine is covering the issue, pushing secretly into a dark corner. So long as he has the medicine, he is okay. What would happen if he were to stop taking it?

    2. She knew that I used it, but nevertheless she was afraid of it

      she must know that there is something questionable about it. If her own husband not only recommended it, but also had experience with it healing him, and she was still afraid, she must know its bad stuff.

    1. who were friendly to man

      I wonder if the reason that plants are friendly to man has anything to do with the fact that they are in reality not thinking, self-aware organisms.

    2. He fairly shook with joy at the thought, so that he fell over backward and could not get on his feet again

      there is a very distinct action/reaction nature every time the animals curse one of the humans.

    1. seven

      Seven is a common number in this story. Seven hand breaths, seven nights to keep watch, seven days after being struck with a fish the girl gave birth, and did so every seven days after.

    2. Men came after the animals and plants.

      This is an important detail and seemed important enough to get its own sentence. However it still does not speak of the nature of mans origin.

    3. only the cedar, the pine, the spruce, the holly, and the laurel were awake to the end, and to them it was given to be always green and to be greatest for medicine, but to the others it was said: "Because you have not endured to the end you shall lose your, hair every winter.

      This whole explanation is wonderfully interesting. It is like watching history in reverse.

    4. we do not know by whom

      This is a very big gap in their beliefs. This gap doesn't seem to be any sort of issue for them, it seems to be of little relevance.

    5. seven handbreadths high and just under the sky arch.

      Whoever the conjurers are, they have very large hands. They are thus far the biggest and most omnipotent character in the story.

    1. Early-arriving Euro- peans were hosted and fed and sheltered and studied; they were regarded as neither gods nor demons, and their appearance probably did not seem more than a mildly interesting event to the ordinary Native American citizen.

      This is very interesting information. I was never taught this. I think it is also a slight blow to the pompous American ego, to think that our arrival was not met with as much fanfare as we'd like to think. Or further yet, to think that we were not hailed as "gods" or superior creatures as we'd like to think.

    2. there is no such thing

      The first sentence in states that the Native American people have produced literature. It then follows by saying that there is no such thing as Native American literature. Perhaps the text will justify this, but on the surface this seems like an impossible claim.