128

A VOYACE TO BORKEO.

morning we got to Tatas. During our ftay here, from the beginning, we had greatplenty of filh, fowl, fruit, potatoes, yams, cucumbers, deer, goats’ flefh, &c. broughtto our door every morning early in fmall boats by women, of whom we bought whatwe wanted, and that at a very reafonable rate. This was, they owned, the greateftopportunity they ever knew of getting fo much money in fo ihort a time; for whenthe Englilh fadfory was there before, there was always fuch enmity and inveteratehatred between them, that the natives declared they never carried to them the tenthpart of what they did us, being willing to have as little to do with them as poffible.They owned to us that they poifoned one Captain Barry, who was chief of the fettle-ment, and that they did it fo cunningly that the reft of the Englilh had no fufpicion ofthem. It is moft certain that they had a great hatred againft all that belonged to thatfactory, and even the whole Englilh nation for their fake, which made us meet withmore difficulties than ordinary. It was an imprudent thing of thofe gentlemen to havegiven them occafion of having fo barbarous a notion of the principles and behaviour ofall their countrymen. It is true, we took all the pains imaginable by an honeft, civil,complaifant way of behaviour and dealing, to remove this great prejudice out of theirminds; though I muft own we found it a pretty hard talk, they being fo prepolTeffedwith an opinion of our bafenefs and barbarity. I believe, indeed, that the great confi-dence we put in them, by converfing civilly and familiarly with them, eating, drinking,and fmoking frequently with them, and trufting ourfelves fo far up in the countryamong them, did not contribute a little to make them have a greater value for us thanfor other ftrangers. They are certainly the moft peaceable people in the world to oneanother, quarrelling feldom or never among themfelves, and avoiding above all thingsany occafion of giving an affront, becaufe when once it is given, it is never to be for-got ; for they exceed even the Italians in revenge. They were ftrangely furprifed tofee two of our failors fight with one another at handy-cuffs ; and when the battle wasover, and perhaps both very bloody, to fee them fit down in a friendly manner over abowl of punch, lhaking each other by the hand, as merry and as intimate as if they hadnever quarrelled. To fatisfy them on that point, we told them, that if our quarrelswere never fo great we never bore each other malice. I cannot omit mentioning aninftance of their timidity and fear of feeing their own or any other perfon’s blood :one day I being indifpofed, ordered the chirurgeon to bleed me, Cay Deponattee andfeveral others of the natives being in the room, and being ftrangers to fuch an opera-tion, were in a great amaze to know what we were about to do ; till at laft the veinbeing opened, they faw the blood gufh out, whereupon they ran immediately out ofthe room in a great fright, crying out, « Oran gela attee that is, the man’s heart ormind is foolifh; telling us, that we let out our very fouls and lives willingly, whichthey faid was very ill done; to which I arffwered, that their diet being mean, andtheir drink only water, they had no occafion for bleeding ; but that we who drank fomuch wine and punch, and fed upon fo much flelh, which rendered the blood hot andrich, had an abfolute neceftity of doing it, otherwife we fhould be fick. “ Aye, (faysCay Deonattee,) I think that {hews you to be ftill greater fools, in putting yourfelves tofuch great charges on purpofe to receive pain for it.”

To convince him that bleeding on fome occafions was abfolutely neceffary, I puthim in mind of the wonderful effeft he had formerly feen it produce ; for he, withothers, being entertained by us on board, to honour them we fired feveral great guns.There was on quarter-deck a young monkey lately caught, which was fo frightened atthe noife, and overcome by the fmell of the powder, that he fell down dead to allappearance. Mr. Henly, chirurgeon of the Borneo , being prefent, offered me to bring