3 2 9
Two hours after we faw two balanghais proceeding towards us (for thus do theycall their large boats), which were full of people. The King was in the largeft, undera fort of canopy formed of matting. When the King came near enough' to ourveflel the {lave of the captain fpoke to him, and was underftood, for the monarchsof thefe iflands fpeak feveral languages. He ordered fome of the men who accom-panied him to go on board the Ihip, but himfelf remained in his balanghay; and asfoon as his people returned he took his departure.
The captain gave a very kind reception to thofe who came on board, and made themprefents. The King, informed of this, was defirous before he parted of prefentingthe captain in return with an ingot of gold and a bafket full of ginger; but lie refufedthe prefent, expreffmg thanks for his civility. Towards the evening the fquadronanchored near the King’s houfe.
The next day the captain fent the Have on fliore, who ferved him as an interpreter,to tell the King if he would furnifh us with provifions we would pay him liberally;afluring him at the fame time that we had not come with any holtile intention againfthim, but as friends. Upon this the King himfelf came on board in our boat, with fix oreight of his chief lubjects. He embraced our captain, and prefented him with three vafesof porcelain full of rice, and covered with leaves, two pretty large dorados, and fomeother articles. The captain in turn offered him a robe a la Turque, made of red andyellow cloth, and a fine red cap. He alfo made feveral prefents to the people whoaccompanied him: to fome he gave mirrors, and to others knives. At length hecaufed breakfaft to be ferved up, and directed the Have who acted as interpreter to tellthe King he wifhed to live with him on brotherly terms, which feemed to afford himgreat pleafure.
He afterwards fpread out cloths of different colours before the King, linens, coral *,and other merchandize. He likewife {hewed him all our fire-arms, and the great guns;and even caufed feveral to be fired, the report of which created great consternation inthe inhabitants. He caufed one of us to be completely clothed in armour, and directedthree men to cut at him with fwords, and drive to ftab him, in order to (hew the Kingthat nothing could affect a man armed after this falhion; this occafioued him greatfarprize, and turning towards the interpreter he obferved that a man lb guarded^ould be able to fight with a hundred : “ Yes,” replied the interpreter, in the name°f the captain; “ and each of the three veffels has two hundred men armed in thefame manner.” He was afterwards allowed to examine feparately each diftinct piece°f armour, and all our arms; and the men went through the different exercifes withl hem before him.
After this the captain conduced him to the hind-caftle, or poop, and caufing thephart and a compafs to be brought forward, he explained to him, through the1J iterpreter, by what means he had difcovered the ftrait which led to the fea in which
were, and how many moons he had paffed at fea without fight of land.
. Hie King, aftonifhed at all he had feen and heard, took leave of the captain, befeech-^g him in return to fend two of his people to view the curiofities of his country. Forpurpofe the captain deputed me and another to accompany him on fliore.
As foon as we landed the King raffed his hands up to heaven, and afterwards turnedtowards us; we, as well as all who accompanied us, then did the fame. The King” en took me by the hand, and one of his chief people did the fame with my comrade,
kn lays knives (coltelli ), which appears more likely; but our raanufcript fays corali, and we
0w that navigators have oftentimes earried on a profitable traffic in coral.
V °L. XT. u u
in