A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels Volume Ix Part 16

to _Deabage_, a small _dea_ or village. The 25th in eight c. to _Cashecunna,_ a small castle in which the Mogul has a garrison, being the utmost boundary of his dominions westwards, and confining with Persia. The 26th we travelled seventeen c. and lodged in the open fields by the side of a river. The 27th, after four c. we came to a castle called _Greece_, the first belonging to the king of Persia. Here we delivered to the governor the letter we had got from the Persian amba.s.sador at Lah.o.r.e, and presented him a mirror and three knives. He would take nothing for our camels, while the others had to pay five _abacees_ for each camel. He promised to give us a safe conduct under an escort of horse to the next governor, but we saw none; neither were we sorry for the omission, for he was little better than a rebel, and all his people were thieves.

[Footnote 153: We here lose the almost infallible guide of Arrowsmith's excellent map of Hindoostan, and are reduced to much inferior helps in following the route through Persia.--E.]

The 28th we departed at night, going two _parasangs_, and lodged at a _dea_ or village called _Malgee_. A _farcing_ or parasang is equal to two Indian cosses and a half.[154] The 29th we went ten p. and lodged in the open fields, where we could get nothing but water. The 30th we went five p. to a small castle named _Gazikhan_. The 31st other five p. to an old ruined fort, where we could get nothing but water, and that was stinking. The 1st August we proceeded other five p. to an old fort called _Dilaram_, where we paid an _abacee_ and a half for each camel.

We staid here one day to rest our cattle, which was termed making _mochoane_; and on the 3d we went seven p. to an old castle called _Bacon_. The 4th four p. and lodged in the open fields, where we found nothing but water. The 5th four p. and the 6th five p. to _Farra_.[155]

[Footnote 154: In a side-note, Purchas says a parasang consists of sixty furlongs. This is a most egregious error, as the parasang or farsang is exactly equal to 2.78 English miles, or twenty-two two-5ths furlongs.--E.]

[Footnote 155: Farra, the capital of a district of the same name in the north of Segistan, is in lat 33 40' N. long. 62 40' E.--E.]

_Farra_ is a small town, surrounded by a high wall of bricks dried in the sun, as are all the castles and most of the buildings in this country, and is of a square form, about a mile in circuit. It has a handsome bazar or market-place, vaulted over head to keep out the rain, and in which all kinds of necessaries and commodities are sold. It is situated in a fertile soil, having plenty of water, without which nothing can be raised in this country; and it is wonderful to see with what labour and ingenious industry they bring water to every spot of good ground, which is but seldom to be found here, often carrying it three or four miles in trenches under ground. At this town, all merchants going into Persia must remain for seven, eight, or ten days; and here the king's treasurer sees all their packs weighed, estimating the value of their commodities at so much the maund, as he thinks fit, and exacts a duty of three per cent. ad valorem on that estimate. On their way into Persia, merchants are used with much favour, lest they should make complaints to the king, who will have merchants kindly treated; but on their return into India, they are treated with extreme rigour, being searched to the very skin for money, as it is death to transport any gold or silver coin from Persia, except that of the reigning king. They likewise look narrowly for horses and slaves, neither of which are allowed to be taken out of the country.

We remained here two days waiting for certain Armenians, with whom we travelled the rest of the journey, leaving our former companions. The 9th of August we went only one parasang to a river. The 10th we travelled seven p. and lodged in the open fields. The 11th, four p. to a small village, where we had plenty of provisions. The 12th, four p.

where we had to dig for water. The 13th, eight p. and the 14th five p.

to a village named _Draw,_ [Durra,] where we remained a day, as it is the custom of those who travel with camels to rest once in four or five days. The 16th, we advanced three p. The 17th, four p. The 18th, five p.

to _Zaide-basha,_ [Sarbishe,] where abundance of carpets are to be had.

The 19th we came to a village named _Mude,_ [Moti,] where also are carpets. The 20th, five p. to _Birchen,_ [Berdjan,] where are manufactured great quant.i.ties of fine felts, and carpets of camels hair, which are sold at the rates of from two to five abacees the _maund._ At this place we rested a day. The 22d, we went to _Dea-zaide,_ [Descaden,]

where all the inhabitants pretend to be very religious, and sell their carpets, of which they have great abundance, at a cheap rate. The 23d, three p. The 24th, five p. to _Choore,_ [Cors or Corra,] an old ruined town. The 25th, three p. The 26th, seven p. when we had brackish stinking water. The 27th we came to _Dehuge,_ [Teuke,] where is a considerable stream of hot water, which becomes cool and pleasant after standing some time in any vessel. The 28th we went seven p. to _Dea-curma._

The 29th we went five p. to _Tobaz,_[156] where we had to pay half an abacee for each camel. At this plce all caravans take four or five days rest, the better to enable them to pa.s.s the adjoining salt desert, which extends four long days journey, and in which many miscarry. We found here a small caravan of an hundred camels, which set off the next day after our arrival. Here, and in the former village, there is great store of dates; and 3000 maunds of the finest silk in Persia are made here yearly, and is carried to _Yades_, [Yezd,] a fair city, where likewise they make much raw silk, and where it is manufactured into taffaties, satins, and damasks. The king does not allow the exportation of raw silk, especially into Turkey; but the Portuguese used to carry it to Portugal. _Yades_, [Yezd,] is about twelve days journey from Ispahan, and is twelve p. out of the way from the Indian route to the capital.

[Footnote 156: Tabaskili, or Tobas Kileke, in Cohestan, is probably the place here meant, in which case the route appears to have pa.s.sed from Farra by the south of the inland sea or lake of Darrah, but which is not noticed by our travellers. Our conjectural amendments of the names of places on the route are placed within brackets.--E.]

The 30th of August we advanced nine p. into the desert, and lay on the ground, having to send our beasts three miles out of the way for water, which was very salt. The 31st, after travelling ten p. we came to water which was not at all brackish. The 1st September we went five p. and had to send two miles for water. The 2d we went nine p. to a small castle, where we procured a small quant.i.ty of provisions. The 3d, five p. and lay in the fields, having to send far for water. The 4th, ten p. to _Seagan_. The 5th, four p. The 6th, ten p. to a castle called _Irabad_, [Hirabad,] where we paid half an _abacee_ for each camel. The 7th, six p. The 8th, eight p. to _Ardecan_, where we rested till the 10th, when we went four p. to _Sellef_. The 11th, three p. to a small castle named _Agea Gaurume_. The 12th, nine p. to a spring in the fields. The 13th, three p. to _Beavas_. The 14th, four p. to _Goolabad_, whence Richard Steel rode on to Ispahan, without waiting for the caravan. The 15th we came to _Morea Shahabad_, five p. The 16th, to _Coopa_, five p. The 17th, to _Dea Sabs_, five p. The 18th, four p. and lay in the fields.

And on the 19th, after three p. we came to _Ispahan_.

Richard Steel reached this city on the 15th, at noon, and found Sir Robert s.h.i.+rley already provided with his dispatches from the king of Persia as amba.s.sador to the king of Spain. Sir Robert, attended by his lady, a bare-footed friar as his chaplain, together with fifty-five Portuguese prisoners, and his own followers, were preparing in all haste to go to Ormus, and to embark thence for Lisbon. The purpose is, that seeing the Portuguese not able to stand, the Spaniards may be brought in.[157] Six friars remain as hostages for his safe return to Ispahan, as otherwise the king has vowed to cut them all in pieces, which he is likely enough to do, having put his own son to death, and committed a thousand other severities.

[Footnote 157: The meaning of this pa.s.sage is quite obscure in the Pilgrims, and the editor does not presume upon clearing the obscurity.--E.]

On his arrival at Ispahan, Richard Steel delivered his letters to Sir Robert,[158] who durst hardly read them, except now and then, as by stealth, fearing lest the Portuguese should know of them. He afterwards said it was now too late to engage in the business of our nation, and seemed much dissatisfied with the company, and with the merchants and mariners who brought him out. But at length he said he was a true-hearted Englishman, and promised to effect our desires. On the 19th, the friars being absent, he carried both of us to the master of the ceremonies, or _Maimondare,_ and took us along with him to the Grand Vizier, _Sarek Hogea_, who immediately called his scribes or secretaries, and made draughts of what we desired: namely, three _firmauns_, one of which John Crowther has to carry to Surat, one for Richard Steel to carry to England, and the third to be sent to the governor of _Jasques_, all sealed with the great seal of the king. The same day that these firmauns were procured, being the last of September, Sir Robert s.h.i.+rley set out for s.h.i.+ras in great pomp, and very honourably attended.

[Footnote 158: Of the landing of Sir Robert s.h.i.+rley, see Peyton's first voyage before; and of the rest of his journey see the second voyage of Peyton, in the sequel.--_Purch._]

_Copy of the Firmaun granted by the King of Persia._

"Firmaun or command given unto all our subjects, from the highest to the lowest, and directed to the _Souf-basha_, or constable of our country, kindly to receive and entertain the _English Franks_[159] or nation, when any of their s.h.i.+ps may arrive at Jasques, or any other of the ports in our kingdom, to conduct them and their merchandize to what place or places they may desire, and to see them safely defended upon our coasts from any other Franks whomsoever. This I will and command you to do, as you shall answer in the contrary. Given at our royal city, this 12th of _Rama.s.san_, in the year of our _Tareag_, 1024. [October, 1615.]"

The chief commodities of Persia are raw silks, of which it yields, according to the king's books, 7700 _batmans_ yearly. Rhubarb grows in Chora.s.san, where also worm-seed grows.

[Footnote 159: Frank is a name given in the East to all western Christians, ever since the expedition to the Holy Land, because the French were the chief nation on that occasion, and because the French council at Clermont was the cause of that event.--Purch.]

Carpets of all sorts, some of silk and gold, silk and silver, half silk, half cotton, &c. The silver monies of Persia are the _abacee, mahamoody, shakee_, and _biftee_, the rest being of copper, like the _tangas_ and _pisos_ of India. The _abacee_ weighs two _meticals_, the _mahmoody_ is half an abacee, and the _shahee_ is half a _mahamoody_. In the dollar or rial of eight there are thirteen shahees.[160] In a shahee there are two _biftees_ and a half, or ten cashbegs, one _biftee_ being four _cashbegs_, or two _tangs_. The weights differ in different places; two _mahans_ of Tauris being only one of Ispahan, and so of the _batman_.

The measure of length, for silks and other stuffs, is the same with the pike of Aleppo, which we judge to be twenty-seven English inches.

[Footnote 160: a.s.suming the Spanish dollar at 4s. 6d. sterling, the shahee ought therefore to be worth about 4d. 1-6, the mahamoody,8d. 1-3, and the abecee, 1s. 4d. 2-3.--E.]

John Crowther returned into India, and Richard Steel went to England by way of Turkey, by the following route. Leaving Ispahan on the 2d December, 1615, he went five p. to a serail. The 3d, eight p. to another serail. The 4th, six p. to a village. The 5th, seven p. to _Dreag_. The 6th, seven p. to a serail. The 7th, eight p. to _Golpigan_, [Chulpaigan.] The 8th, seven p. to _Curouan_. The 9th, seven p. to _Showgot_. The 10th, six p. to _Saro_, [Sari.] The 11th, eight p. to _Dissabad_. The 12th, twelve p. to a fair town called _Tossarkhan_, where he rested some days, because the country was covered deep with snow. The 15th, six p. to _Kindaner_. The 16th, eight p. to _Sano_. The 17th to _Shar nuovo_, where I was stopped by the _daiga_; but on shewing him letters from the vizier, he bade me depart in the name of G.o.d and of Ali. The 18th we pa.s.sed a bridge where all travellers have to give an account of themselves, and to pay a tax of two _shakees_ for each camel.

The 19th we came to _Ka.s.sam-Khan_, the last place under the Persian government, and made a present to the governor, that he might give me a guard to protect me from the Turkomans, which he not only did, but gave me a licence to procure provisions free at his villages without payment, which yet I did not avail myself of.

The 21st of December I began to pa.s.s over a range of high mountains which separate the two empires of Persia and Turkey, which are very dangerous; and, on the 22d, at the end of eight p. I arrived at a village. The 23d, after travelling seven p. I lay under a rock. The 24th I came to _Mando_, eight p. a town belonging to the Turks. The 25th, eight p. to _Emomester_. The 26th, eight p. to _Boroh_, pa.s.sed over a river in a boat, and came that night to Bagdat. I was here strictly examined and searched for letters, which I hid under my saddle; but observing one trying there also, I gave him a sign, on which he desisted, and followed me to my lodging for his expected reward. I fared better than an old Spaniard, only a fortnight before, who was imprisoned in chains in the castle, and his letters read by a Maltese renegado. I found here a Portuguese, who had arrived from Ormus only two days before me. The pacha made us wait here twenty days for a sabandar of his.

The 16th of January, 1616, we pa.s.sed the river Tigris, and lay on the skirt of the desert. The 17th we travelled five _agatzas_, being leagues or parasangs. The 18th we came to the Euphrates at _Tulquy_, where merchandize disembarked for Bagdat, after paying a duty of five per cent. pa.s.ses to the Tigris, and thence to the Persian gulf. After a tedious journey, partly by the river Euphrates, and partly through the desert, and then by sea, we arrived at Ma.r.s.eilles, in France, on the 15th April, and on the 10th May at Dover.

SECTION IV.

_Voyage of Captain Walter Peyton to India, in 1615._[161]

This voyage seems to have been under the command of Captain Newport, who sailed as general in the Lion; but is called, in the Pilgrims, The _Second_ Voyage of Captain Peyton to the East Indies, because the former voyage of Newport was written by Peyton, who, though he occasionally mentions the general, never once names him. In this voyage Peyton sailed in the Expedition; the fleet consisting of three other s.h.i.+ps, the Dragon, Lion, and Pepper-corn. The journal appears to have been abbreviated by Purchas, as he tells us it was _gathered out of his larger journal_. This voyage is chiefly remarkable as introductory to the emba.s.sy of Sir Thomas Roe to India, contained in the subsequent section, as Sir Thomas and his suite embarked in this fleet. Instead of giving the remarks of Sir Thomas Roe in his own journal, so far as they apply to the voyage between England and Surat, these have been added in the text of the present voyage, distinguis.h.i.+ng those observations by T.R. the initials of his name, and placing them all in separate paragraphs.

[Footnote 161: Purch. Pilgr. I. 528.]

We learn by a subsequent article in the Pilgrims, I. 603, That Captain William Keeling was general, or chief commander of this fleet, and sailed in the Dragon, Robert Bonner master. The other two s.h.i.+ps were the Pepper-corn, Captain Christopher Harris, and the Expedition, Captain William Peyton.--E.

--1. _Occurrences during the Voyage from England to Surat_.

We sailed from Gravesend on the 24th January, 1615, and on the 2d February Sir Thomas Roe, amba.s.sador from his majesty to the Great Mogul, repaired on board the Lion, with fifteen attendants. At the same time, Mr Humphry Boughton embarked in the Pepper-corn, being recommended by the king to the company for a pa.s.sage to India. We carried out in the fleet eleven j.a.panese, who were brought to England in the Clove, divided proportionally among the s.h.i.+ps; likewise fourteen Guzerates, brought home in the Dragon, together with nineteen condemned persons from Newgate, to be left for the discovery of unknown places, the company having obtained their pardons from the king for this purpose. On the 20th, some of the Dragon's men, among whom were the _Newgate birds_, attempted to run away with the pinnace, but were prevented: Yet next night one of these condemned men, and two of the crew of the Pepper-corn, carried away her pinnace. Two of my men conspired to carry away my boat that same night, but were discovered.

The 23d February we set sail from the Downs, and on the 6th March we lost sight of the Lizard. The 26th we saw land, supposed to be the western part of Fuerteventura, but it proved to be part of Barbary. One of the points of land at the mouth of the river _Marhequena_, we found to be laid down wrong, a whole degree more northerly than it ought to be; as likewise cape Bajadore is misplaced a whole degree, which we found by experience, escaping great danger caused by that error in our charts. The 26th of April we got into the trade wind; and on the 10th May, being by estimation 620 leagues west of the Cape of Good Hope, we saw many _pintadoes, mangareludas_, and other fowls.

The 5th June we came to anchor in Saldanha bay, having only buried three or four men since leaving England, out of our whole fleet, and had now about thirty sick, for whom we erected five tents ash.o.r.e. _Corey_[162]

came down and welcomed us after his manner, by whose means the savages were not so fearful or thievish as at other times. They brought us cattle in great abundance, which we bought for shreds of copper. Corey shewed his house and his wife and children to some of our people, his dwelling being at a town or _craal_ of about an hundred houses, five English miles from the landing place. Most of these savages can say _Sir Thomas Smith's English s.h.i.+ps_, which they often repeat with much pride.

Their wives and children came often down to see us, whom we gratified with bugles, or such trifles; and two or three of them expressed a desire to go with us to England, seeing that Corey had sped so well, and returned so rich, with his copper suit, which he preserves at his house with much care. Corey also proposed to return with us, accompanied by one of his sons, when our s.h.i.+ps are homeward-bound. On the east side of the _Table_ mountain there is another village of ten small houses, built round like bee-hives, and covered with mats woven of bent gra.s.s.

[Footnote 162: Corey, or Coree, was a savage, or Hottentot chief; who had been in England.--_Purch._]

"The land at the Cape of Good Hope, near Saldanha bay, [Table bay] is fertile, but divided by high and inaccessible rocky mountains, covered with snow, the river Dulce falling into the bay on the east side. The natives are the most barbarous people in the world, eating carrion, wearing the guts of sheep about their necks, and rubbing their heads, the hair on which is curled like the negroes, with the dung of beasts and other dirt. They have no clothing, except skins wrapped about their shoulders, wearing the fleshy side next them in summer, and the hairy side in winter. Their houses are only made of mats, rounded at the top like an oven, and open on one side, which they turn as the wind changes, having no door to keep out the weather. They have left off their former custom of stealing, but are quite ignorant of G.o.d, and seem to have no religion. The air and water here are both excellent, and the country is very healthy. The country abounds in cattle, sheep, antilopes, baboons, pheasants, partridges, larks, wild-geese, ducks, and many other kinds of fowls. On the Penguin isle [Da.s.sen or Robber's island,] there is a bird called penguin, which walks upright, having no feathers on its wings, which hang down like sleeves faced with white.

These birds cannot fly, but walk about in flocks, being a kind of mixture, or intermediate link, between beast, bird, and fish, yet mostly bird. The commodities here are cattle and _ningin_ roots; and I believe there is a rock yielding quicksilver.[163]The Table mountain is 11,853 feet high.[164] The bay is full of whales and seals, and is in lat. 33 45' S."--T.R.

[Footnote 163: Ningin, or Ginseng, is mentioned afterwards. The quicksilver rock has not been found.--E.]

[Footnote 164: This height is probably an exaggeration, or was measured up its slope or talus, not ascertained perpendicularly.--E.]

On the 16th of June, after a consultation, we set ash.o.r.e ten of our condemned persons to remain at the Cape. These were John Crosse, Henry c.o.c.ket, Clerke, Brand, Booth, Hunyard, Brigs, Pets, Metcalf, and Skilligall. These men agreed that Crosse should be their chief, and we gave them weapons for their defence against men and wild beasts, together with provisions and clothes. The natives at this place are especially desirous of bra.s.s, and care not much for copper, chiefly wis.h.i.+ng to have pieces of a foot square. They care little for iron hoops. We caught seven or eight hundred fishes in the river, at one haul of our seyne. The country people brought us for sale a root called _Ningin_,[165] of which we bought a handful for a small piece of copper an inch and half long. Our men got some of this, but not so good, this not being the season when it is ripe; for, when in full perfection, it is as tender and sweet as anise-seeds.

[Footnote 165: A medicinal root, much prized at j.a.pan, somewhat like a _skerrit_.--_Purch._ Probably that named Ginseng, in high repute in China and j.a.pan for its fancied restorative and provocative powers, like the mandrake of holy writ, but deservedly despised in the Materia Medica of Europe. Its whole virtues lay in some supposed resemblance to the human figure, founded on the childish doctrine of signatures; whence, at one time, every thing yellow was considered specific against jaundice, with many other and similar absurd notions.--E.]

We sailed from Saldanha on the 20th June, and on the the 21st we had sight of land in 34 28' S. being the land to the west of cape _de Arecife_, laid down 28' more northwardly than it ought in the charts of _Daniel_. On the 6th July we ought to have seen the coast of Madagascar, by most of our computations, and according to Daniel's charts, upon Mercator's projection, which proved false by seventy leagues in distance of longitude between the coast of Ethiopia at cape Bona Speranza and the isle of St Lawrence, as is evident from the charts projected _in plano_ by _Tottens_. The 22d all the four s.h.i.+ps anch.o.r.ed at _Mohelia_, where we had water from wells dug a little above high-water mark, eight or nine feet deep, close by the roots of trees. _Doman_ is the chief town of this island, where the sultan resides, to whom we gave a double-locked piece and a sword. For very little money we were plentifully supplied with provisions, as poultry, goats, bullocks, lemons, oranges, limes, tamarinds, cocoa-nuts, pines, sugar-canes, and other fruits. Among the inhabitants of this island there are Arabs, Turks, and Moors, many of whom speak tolerable Portuguese. From them I had a curious account of the current at this place, which they said ran alternately fifteen days westerly, fifteen days easterly, and fifteen days not at all; and which I partly observed to be true: For, at our first coming, the current set westerly, and on the 28th it set easterly, and so continued during our stay, which was six days, but we went away before trial could be perfectly made of this report.

I learned here that the king of _Juanni_ [Joanna or Hinzuan] was sovereign of this island, but entrusted its government to the sultan, who resides here. The 29th, a vessel arrived at _Doman_ from _Gangamora_, in the island of Madagascar, and I was desired by the general to examine what were its commodities, which I found to consist of rice, and a kind of cloth manufactured of the barks of trees, which makes very cool garments. I enquired from the pilot, who spoke good Portuguese, respecting Captain Rowles and the other Englishmen who were betrayed on that island. He knew nothing of all this, but said that two or three years before, an English boy was at Gangamora along with the Portuguese, whom he now thought dead, but knew not how he came there.

This town of _Doman_ contains about an hundred houses, strongly built of stone and lime, and its inhabitants are orderly and civil. They carry on trade with the coasts of Melinda, Magadoxa, Mombaza, Arabia, and Madagascar, carrying slaves taken in their wars, which they sell for nine or ten dollars each, and which are sold afterwards in Portugal for 100 dollars a-head. At Mombaza and Magadoxa, they have considerable trade in elephants teeth and drugs; and it was therefore agreed to advise the honourable company of this, that they might consider of sending a pinnace yearly to make trial of this trade. In Mohelia, we bought two or three bullocks for a bar of iron of between twenty and twenty-five pounds weight. We bought in all 200 head of cattle, and forty goats, besides poultry, fruits, &c.

"_Malalia_ [Mohelia] is one of the Commora islands, the other three being _Angazesia_, [Comoro] _Juanny_, [Joanna or Hinzuan] and Mayotta, stretching almost east and west from each other. _Angazesia_ [Comoro]

bears N. by W. from Mohelia, and is the highest land I ever saw. It is inhabited by Moors trading with the main and the other three eastern islands, bartering their cattle and fruits for calicoes and other cloths for garments. It is governed by ten petty kings, and has abundance of cattle, goats, oranges, and lemons. The people are reckoned false and treacherous. _Hinzuan_ lies east from Mohelia and Mayotta. All these three islands are well stored with refreshments, but chiefly Mohelia, and next to it Hinzuan. Here lived an old woman who was sultaness of all these islands, and under her there were three deputies in Mohelia, who were all her sons. The sultan in whose quarter we anch.o.r.ed is so absolute, that none of his people dared to sell a single cocoa-nut without his leave. Four boats were sent to his town to desire this liberty, which was granted. Captain Newport went ash.o.r.e with forty men, and found the governor sitting on a mat, under the side of a junk which was then building, and attended by fifty men. He was dressed in a mantle of blue and red calico, wrapped about him to his knees, his legs and feet bare, and his head covered by a close cap of checquer work. Being presented with a gun and sword, he returned four cows, and proclaimed liberty for the people to trade with us. He gave the English cocoa-nuts to eat, while he chewed betel and areka-nut, tempered with lime of burnt oister sh.e.l.ls. It has a hot biting taste, voids rheum, cools the head, and is all their physic. It makes those giddy who are not accustomed to its use, producing red spittles, and in time colours the teeth black, which they esteem handsome, and they use this continually. From the governor they were conducted to the carpenter's house, who was a chief man in the town. His house was built of stone and lime, low and little, plaistered with white lime, roofed with rafters, which were covered with leaves of the cocoa-nut tree, the outsides wattled with canes.

"Their houses are kept clean and neat, with good household stuff, having gardens inclosed with canes, in which they grow tobacco and plantains.

For dinner, a board was set upon tressels, on which was spread a fine new mat, and stone benches stood around, on which the guests sat. First, water was brought to each in a cocoa-sh.e.l.l, and poured into a wooden platter, and the rinds of cocoa-nuts were used instead of towels. There was then set before the company boiled rice, roasted plantains, quarters of hens, and pieces of goat's flesh broiled. After grace said, they fell to their meat, using bread made of cocoa-nut kernels, beaten up with honey, and fried. The drink was palamito wine, and the milk of the cocoa-nuts. Those who went to see the sultan, named _Amir Adell_, found all things much in the same manner, only that his behaviour was more light, and he made haste to get drunk with some wine carried to him by the English. The people of these islands are strict Mahomedans, and very jealous of letting their women or mosques be seen. For, on some of the English coming near a village, they shut them up, and threatened to kill them if they came nearer. Many of them speak and write Arabic, and some few of them Portuguese, as they trade with Mosambique in junks of forty tons burden, built, caulked, and rigged all out of the cocoa-nut tree.

Here we bought oxen and cows, fat but small, Arabian sheep, hens, oranges, lemons, and limes in abundance, paying for them in calicoes, hollands, sword-blades, dollars, gla.s.ses, and other trifles."--T.R.