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fee that - we put fo much confidence in them ; affuring us that we Ihould be very civillyreceived there ; and protected, if need were, from the infults of the common people.
Having thus, as we thought, overcome all the difficulties, and fully eftablifhedour trade, we took a formal leave after dinner, and returned on board, where wearrived about eleven at night, the palfage being very pleafant. We always carried acheft of fmall arms, with powder, granadoes and match in our boats; not fo muchfor fear of the Banjareens, as of the Byajos, who trade there. On the 2 ill of Julywe took a houfe, and agreed to pay forty-five dollars for the ufe thereof whilll weIhould Hay there, having divided it into proper apartments. I refided there withthe other fupercargoes
The 2ad we fet out in our two pinnaces about eleven at night on our journey toCaytongee ; and having rowed all night, we arrived there about nine in the morning.We had a guide boat to Ihow us the way, and a guard boat, with fome great men ofthe country, to accompany us. They chufe the night to travel in for its coolnefs :but they had much the advantage of us, for both the rowers and palfengers are Ihelteredover head -with a covering made of cajan leaves, from the prodigious dews that fall inthe night; whereas the cold dew fell in fuch abundance on our ppor failors, whowere exceeding hot with rowing, that their Hurts were as wet as if dipped in the river ;which proved of fatal confequence to one of them, who died foon after. We pafiedthatnight very unpleafantly, havinglittle room, no fleep, and our cloaths very wet; neitherhad we the fatisfaciion of making any remarks on the country or river, it being dark.We only heard the noife of llrange beafts in the woods on each fide. But the mollintolerable plague was a vail number of mufchetos, or flies, which Hung and fodisfigured us, that in the morning the eyes of fome were fwelled up, others mouthsdrawn awry ; and, in fhort, our faces fo full of tumours, that when day-light came,we fcarce knew one another, but only by the voice or habit. Though the fun rifesalways at or about fix, yet we could not fee the tops of the trees till almoft nine,becaufe of the great fogs: for the greateft part of the country, from the river’s mouthfor near a hundred miles one way, and above two hundred the other, is nothing butan entire marfh or fwamp, and that full of an infinite number of trees of an incrediblefize. This fpace at low water is but mud ; and at high water it is all overflown, asI have already mentioned. This vafl body of water draining itfelf down the channelscaufe the rivers to be fo deep, and the currents, or ebbs, fo very rapid. I wasrefolved to return by day-light, that I might have the advantage of feeing the country.The houfes are built upon floats, except the King’s, Princes, and fome few grandees.It is almoft four miles long, and our men were more tired in rowing to the upper endof it than in all the reft of our journey : for the current is fo very ftrong there, andwe obliged to keep the middle by reafon of the houfes on each fide, thatfometimes in half an hour we did not go the length of a furlong. After above twohours hard labour we palfed the Sultan’s palace, to whom I ordered my trumpets tofound a levit j from hence we had orders to pafs on to the houfe of Cay Demon ourguide, where we were very civilly treated. It was no fmall refrefhment to us to haveroom to ftretch out our legs that had been almoft forty-eight hours cramped up inthe boat.
This city has much the advantage over Tatas, becaufe it is much more agreeablyfituated; and at this time of year, (which is called the fair feafon, becaufe theeafterly monfoon or wind blows) there are good dry banks on each fide of the river,firm land, and pleafant fields full of deer, goats, and other animals; when, on thecontrary, in the rainy feafon, or wefterly winds, all is overflown, and the wild beafts
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