272 L I E U T E N A N T C O O K ’S V O Y A G E
«770. of the leaves of the fan-palm, who affifted us in. waffling
'Septem er.^ our hands. When this was done, we placed ourfelves round
We net. 19. vj<q..uaiS) and waited for the king. As he did not come,
we enquired for him, and were told that the cuftom of the
country did not permit the perfon Who gave the ehtertain-
ment to fit down with his guefts ; but that, if we fufpedted
the vidtuals to be poifoned, he would come and taile it. We
immediately declared that we had no fucli fufpicion, and
•defined that none óf the rituals of hofpitality might be violated
on our account. The prime minifler and Mr. Lange
were of our party, and we made a moft luxurious meal: we
thought the pork and rice excellent, and the broth not to be
defpifed; but the fpoons, which were made of leaves, were fo
fmall that few o f us had patience to life them. After dinner,
our wine paflèd brifkly about, and we again enquired for
our royal hoft, thinking that though the cuftom of his country
would not allow him to eat with us, he might at leaft
fhare in the jollity of our bottle ; but he again excufed him-
■ felf, faying, that the matter of a fpaft fhould never be drunk,
which there was no certain way to avoid but by not tailing
the liquor. We did not however drink our winè where we
had eaten our viétual.s; but as loon as we had dined made
room for the Teamen and fervants, who immediately took
our places: they could not difpatch all that we had left, but
the women who came to clear away the bowls and bafkeijs,
obliged them to carry away with them what they had not eaten.
As wine generally warms and opens the heart, we toök an
opportunity, when, we thought its influence began to be felt,
to revive the fubjedt of the buffaloes and fheep, of 'Which
we had not in all this time heard a fyllable, though they
were to have been brought down early in the morning. But
our Saxon Dutchman, with great phlegm, began to communicate
to us the contents of the letter which he pretended to
R O U N D T H E W O H L D. 2.7ft
have received from the Governor o,f Gpncqrcjia. Re faitj,
that after acquainting, him, that a vefiel had, fleered ^rotp
thence towards the ifland where we Yfepe now 3&hflfce,, i t required
him, if fuch flop fhould apply for provifions m dif-
trefs, to relieve her ; but not to fuller her tp ftay longer than
was abfplutely neceffayy, nor to na^e any large prefents fo
the inferior people, or to leaye; any yyith thofe of fuperipr
rank tp. be afterwards diftribute^ among them: but he waj
grapigufly pleafpd m add, that we were at liberty to give beads
and qther trifles; in exchange for petty civilities, and palm-
■ wine.
«77PSeptember.
Wednef. ig .‘
It was the general opinion that this letter was a fiction;
that the prohibitory orders were feigned with a view to get
mppey from us for breaking them; and that by precluding
pur liberality to the natives, this man hoped WPre cafily to
turn it into another channel.
In the evening,, we received intelligence from our trading-
place that no buffaloes or hogs had been brought down, and
only a few fheep, which had been taken away before our
people, who had fent for money, could, procure it. Some
fowls however had been bought, and a large quantity of a
kind of fyrup made of the juice of the palm-tree, which,
thoUgh infinitely fuperior to molafles or treacle, fold at a
very low price. We complained of our difappointment to
Mr. Lange, who had now another fubterfuge; he faid, that
if we had gone down to the beach ourfelves, we might have
purchal'ed what we pleafed; but that the natives were afraid
to take money of our people, left it fhould be counterfeit.
We could not but feel fome indignation againft a man who
had concealed this, being true; or alleged it, being falfe.
I ftarted up, however, and went immediately to the beach,
but no cattle or fheep were to he feen, nor were any at hand
Vu l . III. M m to
M l