pigafetta ’s voyage round the world. 335

breakfaft, confifting of feveral diflies, to be fet before the deputy of the captain-generaland the interpreter, all the diflies confifting of meat ferved up in porcelain.

After breakfaft our deputies returned, and reported what had taken place. TheKing of Maflana, who next to that of Zubu was the moft powerful monarch of thefeiflands, went on fhore to announce to the King the friendly intentions of our captain-general with refpeift to him.

The next day the fecretary of our fliip and the interpreter went to Zubu. TheKing advanced to meet them, accompanied by his chiefs, and after caufing them to befeated before him, told them that, convinced from what he had heard, he not onlyftefifted from exa&ing any dues, but was ready himfelf to become tributary to the Em-peror. They then anfwered that they exacted no other conceflion on his part thanthat of an exclufive commerce with the illand. To this the King agreed, and chargedthem to allure the captain that if he truly wilhed to be efteemed his friend he had onlyto draw fome little blood from his right arm and fend it him, and he would do thefame, which on either fide would be a compact of true and fubftantial friendfhip.The interpreter anfwered for this being effe&ed # . The King then added, that allfriendly captains who vifited his port made prefents to him, and received others inr eturn; and that he left to the captain the choice of being the firft to make or receivethem. On this obfervation the captain remarked, that as he feemed to lay fuch ftrefs°n this ufage, he had only to fet the example, which he confented to do.

Tuefday, in the morning, the King of Maflana came on board our veflel, in company) v ith the Moorifti merchant, and after faluting the captain on the part of the King of^ubu, told him he was authorized to communicate that the King was bufied in col-lecting all the provifions he could to make a prefent of them to him, and that in thea fternoon he would fend his nephew with fome of his minifters to confirm a treaty ofpeace. The captain thanked the deputation, and at the fame time exhibited to thema man armed cap-a-pie, obferving, in cafe of a neceflity to fight, we Ihould all of us bear med in the fame manner. The Moor was terribly frightened at fight of a manar med in this manner ; but the captain tranquillized him with the aflurance that ourar ms were as advantageous to our friends as fatal to our enemies; and that we' v _ere able as readily to difperfe all the enemies of our fovereign and our faith as toMpe the fweat from our brows. The captain made ufe of this lofty and threateningtone purpofely that the Moor might make report of it to the King.

■ As promifed, the prefumptive heir to the throne came on board us in the afternoon^ u h the King of Maflana, the Moor, the governor or minifter, the provoft-major, andei ght chiefs of the ifland, to eftablifh a treaty of peace. The captain received them' Wlt h great ftate: he was feated in a chair covered with red velvet, and other chairscovered in the fame manner were afligned to the King of Maflana and the Prince; themets were feated on chairs covered with leather, and the reft of the party on mats.

1 be captain inquired by means of the interpreter, if it was ufual with them to formea ties in public, and if the Prince and the King of Maflana were duly authorized to^°nclud e a treaty with him. The anfwer was, that they were duly authorized, andQ^at the conditions might be publicly difcufled. The captain then made them fenfiblea fl the advantages to be derived from this alliance, called on the God of Heaven tone fs it, and added many other things which infpired them with love and veneration

t° , IS pra&ice is not peculiar to the ifland of Zubu or the Philippines ; it has recently been noticedfltis r'u' m and even in Madagafcar. See Peron’s Voyage to the Southern Regions, book viii. in

v -°fledtion.

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