1) The poem describes a native American man living a simple life gathering shells on a beach until he hears strange noises. 2) He sees huge ships that he perceives as "huge canoes" moving in the bay, with sails like "bellying cloths" and flags like "fluttering coloured signs." 3) The sight of the ships terrifies the man and changes his simple life, as Christopher Columbus and his men introduce a new and frightening world to the native people of America.