3 62
him without permiffion from the King of Tadore, who was his enemy, and in whofeport we were: we confequently fent to learn his pleafure. His anl'wer was that wehad full liberty to do as we pleafed. In the mean time Chechilideroix, feeing us hefi-tate, became fufpi,cious, and kept a greater diftance, on which we were induced ta fenda boat to him, with a piece of Indian cloth as a prefent, fome mirrors, lciflars, andknives, which he accepted with reJu&ance, and afterwards failed away.
He had with him an Indian who had turned Chriftian, and was called Manuel; thisman was fervant to Alphonfo de Lorofa, who on the death of Serano had come fromBandan to Tarenate; he underftood the Portuguefe, and with the boat we fent cameon board our veffel, and informed us that the fons of the King of Tarenate, though atenmity with the King of Tadore, were well inclined to abandon the King of Portugal for the monarch of Spain . By his means we conveyed a letter to Lorofa inviting himon board, and alluring him of our friendly intentions. In the fequel we fhall fee thathe attended to our invitation.
On enquiry into the cuftoms of the country, I learnt that the King may have asmany women as he pleafes, but that only one of them is regarded as his queen, theothers being reckoned flaves. Without the town he had a large houfe, in which weretwo hundred of his moft handfome women, with an equal number to wait upon them.The King always eats by himfelf, or with his queen, on a fort of elevated platform,which commands a view of all his women, who are feated round him; and after dinnerhe felefts which of them pleafes him belt for his companion for the night. After theKing has dined, provided he allows of it, his women all eat together; otherwife eachdines in her chamber by herfelf. No one is allowed to fee the King’s women but byexprefs permiffion from him ; and were any daring individual to approach the placeof their abode, whether by day or by night, he would inftantly be put to death. Inorder that the King’s feraglio may be well fupplied, each family is obliged to furnifhhim with one or two girls. The Rajah Sooltaun Manzoor had twenty-fix children ;of which number eight were boys and eighteen girls *. In the ifland of Tadore there isa kind of biffiopf, who had forty women and a vaft number of children.
On Tuefday, 12th November, the King caufed a ffied to be raifed for receiving ourmerchandize, which was completed in a fingle day. Thither we carried all we defignedto barter, and three of our men were fet to guard the fame. The value fixed on themerchandize we meant to exchange for cloves was thus fixed: for ten yards of redcloth of a fine quality, a bahar of cloves was to be received. The bahar is fourquintals and fix pounds J, each quintal being one hundred pounds. We likewifewere to have in barter the fame quantity of cloves for fifteen yards of inferior cloth,for fifteen axes, or thirty-five glafs goblets. After this ratio we difpofed of all ourglafs to the King. Moreover, a bahar of cloves was the price given for feventeen cathilsof cinnabar, for a fimilar weight of quickfilver, for twenty-fix yards of linen, or twenty-five of a finer quality, for a hundred and fifty pair of fcilfars, or as many knives, for tenyards of Guzzerat cloth §■, for three gongs, or a hundred weight of copper. We ffiould
* Forfter (Cook’s Third Voyage) obferves that wherever men or even animals have many females, moreof the feminine are born than of the mafculine gender; a circumftance eafy of explanation on the principleof the organic moleculse of Buffon. The family of the King of Tidor is in proof of this alTertion.
f That is to fay a mufti.
j It is not clear wh.at pounds Pigafetta alludes to, whether Spanilh or Portuguefe ; if the pound ofSeville, the bahar of Molucca will be equivalent to four hundred and twelve j if of Lifbon to four hundredand ten pounds avoirdupois.
J The Guzzerat was a kingdom in India , fubjeft to the King of Cambaya, of which Barbofa, a com-panion of Pigafetta , makes mention in Ramulio, tome i, p. 295.
have