On
the neck of each giant sat one of the pygmies, who directed him in the
same way that a man would guide a charger. The pygmies then began to
let fly their arrows at us with great fury, by which Janstins was
wounded, and one of the men hit in the leg. We were all hard pressed,
so I ordered a volley to be fired, which killed one of the giants, so
that the others dragged the dead man into the wood, from which all
quickly disappeared. Being so far from the beach, and having a very
difficult path to travel, we determined to return to the ship and
report to Hartog what had occurred.
Hartog, upon learning what had befallen us, resolved to make no further
overtures of peace to these treacherous natives, who appeared to be
more like wild beasts than men, and who, by their conduct, had placed
themselves beyond all claim to consideration. It seemed that the
pygmies possessed a greater intelligence than the giants, whom they
used as ordinary men would use horses or beasts of burden. It was for
this reason that the little chief had attempted to drive Janstins into
the sea with his conch-shell hammer, regarding him as some smaller
species of giant whom he could easily frighten into obeying him.
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