A VOYAGE TO BORNEO.

13°

many years before when fuch a thing would happen ; that it proceeded from a naturalcaufe, according to the courfe and motion of the fun and moon, and that the devil hadno hand in it. After the eclipfe was over, the old man being not a little rejoiced, tookme in, and after much difcourfe upon the nature of fuch a thing, I promifed to givehim an account to an hour when fuch another Ihould happen ; which I did accord-ingly forne few days after. He feemed to be doubtful of the truth, but told me, thatif what I faid fhould happen true, though not to an hour, but within twenty-fourhours of the time I had calculated it to, he would then believe his priefts no longertouching that fubjeft.

Finding that we were like to Hay here fome days before we could have admittanceto the Sultan,'we propofed in the interim to go to fee the Prince at Martapoora : as wewent, we met him hunting by the river-fide. Fie told us, that he Ihould come toCaytongee before our departure thence, wherefore we returned back. That night wehad news from the factory, that our gunting was loft in Tomborneo-road, juft a-fternof our fhip, the men having narrowly efcaped with their lives ; alfo that our houfehaving broken its moorings, drove feveral miles down the river, and might have goneto fea had it not been for the kind affiftance of our neighbours, who came w'ith theirboats and ropes, and towed it up the next flood. The next day we had admittance tothe Sultan, who received us now in a private manner, without any ftrange company orretinue as formerly. He expreffed fome concern for our departure, and, becaufe theother fhip was gone away without her loading from his port, he gave us mod preffinginvitations to return again ; affuring us that there Ihould be pepper enough prepared toload two or three fhips without lofs of time, though they fhould be much bigger thanours. We thanked His Majefty, and at firft pretended an indifferency, telling him, thatthe price was very great, that we came a vaft long w T ay, and feared that we fhould getnothing by it. He anfwered us, that ere we came again it would be much cheaper.Fie further defired me to bring him fundry things, which he made me write down,and faid that he would pay exactly for them, and that the price fhould be allowed usout of the cuftoms. He caufed three gold plates to be made of the form and fizehere marked, of which he gave one to me, another to Mr. Swartz, and the third toMr. Becher ; and told us, that was a token of his friendfhip, and a chop or grant oftrade, having the ftamp of his great feal on it; that on the producing it at our return,he would not only protect us, but grant us the liberty of trade in any part of his domi-nions ; then he wifhed us, in a hearty manner, a good voyage, and a fpeedy return. Ihave here inferted the words that are on the gold chop, as alfo the Englifh of them, asnear as I can, viz.

De ca Tawon Zcib, daen ca Boolon Dulcaidat,

Eang Sultan Derre Negrce Caytongee, dea.

Caffe enee Chop pada anacooda Beeckman.

That is,

- In the year Zeib, and the moon Dulcaidat,

The Sultan of Caytongee gave this chop to Captain Beeckman.

The prince alfo defired us to bring him feveral things, and obliged me to write themdown. After this, we took our leave, and proceeded on our return to Tatas. Thecountry was then all overflowed, and afforded a difmal profpedl: the fields where thecattle ufed to graze, when we were there laft, were now covered with water, and thepeople obliged to go from houfe to houfe in boats. Thofe mighty inland floods droveus down with great expedition by reafon of the rapidity of the currents. We fpentthe remaining part of our time in buying gold, and in clearing all matters, that we

i might