If I was a Native American, what did I saw when John was coming to our land?

We were heading to shore to catch some fish for dinner, but when we got there, I giant brown thing was still in the sea. People were shouting and the brown thing started moving again and was also getting closer. What was that? We could see people in that thing, they were wearing some kind of bright clothes. Were did they got that, and that movable thing? Who were they?