120
According to cuftom he fat filent a few minutes, looking us full in the face %then thanked us for our prefent without feeing it, though I believe he was privatelyinformed what it confifted of. He bid us welcome, and faid he hoped we met withnothing but civility from his fubjects. We thanked His Majefty, and alTured him wehad no reafon to complain ; and that on our own parts we would ftudy how to keep up agood correfpondence with them. He alfo enquired whether we were Company Ihips,or feparate traders; and being anfwered the latter, he began to lay heavy complaintson our countrymen, telling us how that at their firft arrival they came like us, andcontracted with them in the fame manner, obliging themfelves to build no forts, normake foldiers ; but that under pretext of building a warehoufe, they mounted guns,and infulted him and his fubjects in a moll: bafe manner ; that he bore it patiently fora great while, till feveral of his fubjects were beaten, wounded, and fome killed bythem, as they paffed by in their boats on their lawful occalions ; that they forcedfrom them fuch duties and cuftoms as belonged only to him, and afted very contraryto reafon, or honefty, in all their proceedings. All this, fays he, I bore with greatpatience. .. Then he told us with very great concern how they fired feveral of theirgreat lhot at the Queen-Mother, which frightened her fo, that ever fince lhe continuedalmoft diftra&ed ; and that they would have taken her prifoner, for what reafon hecould not imagine : This, fays he, I had not patience to bear. He likewife told usof one Captain Cockburn, and fome others, (whofe names I have forgot) who weretaken prifoners, and there put to death, and the manner of their fuffering. But,continues he, this is not at prefent our affair. After an hour’s difcourfe, havingtold us he would fend for us again lhortly, he difmilfed us, and we went to the houfeof Cay Arrea, (who has one here as well as at Tatas) where we bought a parcel ofpepper, and hired boats to carry it down.
We continued there weighing of pepper during the four days following, when inthe afternoon the Sultan fent for us again. He then received us not in the council-houfe, but in his own palace, in a large room, where there was a multitude of people.He fat in his chair of ftate, the reft of his fubjects fitting crofs-legged on mats, and weon a large carpet. He bid us welcome in a very friendly manner, and faid he hadprovided us a dinner, which was accordingly brought in, and ferved up in bowls, fomeof gold, fome of filver, and others of brafs, laid on the carpet, without cloth ornapkins. We had above fifty feveral dilhes of broiled and boiled fowl, curree, orftrong broth, rice dyed with turmerick, hard eggs, buffalo flelh and venifon; whichlaft was very good, and dreffed in a very relilhing manner. He had no better liquorto give us than waterhowever that defect we fupplied with our own punch andwine. The King, who is a great bigot to his religion, would tafte of none ; neitherdid any of his fubjects dare to do it in his prefence, though they often ufed to drinkplentifully with us, when in private. During dinner-time we had the King’s mufic,and fometimes our trumpets, which he was mightily pleafed with. Dinner being over,the betle-tables were brought, and we fell to difcourfe of many affairs, till at laft hebrought about the ftoryof his fubjeds in rebellion. He preffed us to fpare him morearms and ammunition, to which we pleaded inability ; alledging, that we had a longvoyage of many months failing to our own country ; that feveral pirates were abroad ;and that if we fiiould fpare him any more arms or powder, we lhould not be in a con-dition to defend ourfelves. Then he defired us to lend him thirty of our men toafiift him againft the rebels : but we excufed ourfelves, telling him, that it was not inour power to oblige them to go : at which he feemed furprized, alking us, if we werenot their commanders.
Then