1770^ to 1)C produced. While I was gone; Lange, who knew well
, September.^ that i fhould fucceed no better than my people, told
WcdneC 19, Banks that the natives were difpleafed at our not having
offered them gold for their flock; and that if gold was not
offered, nothing would be bought. Mr. Banks did1 not think
it worth his while to reply, buffoon after rofe up, and w-e
all returned on board, very much diffatisfied with the iffue
o f our négociations. During thé ’courfe of the day, the
King had promifed that fotne cattle and fheep fhould be
brought down in the morning, and had given a reafon for
our difappointment fomewhat more plaufible ; he faid that
the buffaloes were-far up the: country, and that there had.
not been time to bring them dawn., ta the beach.
Thurfday 20; The next morning we went afhore again : Dr.Solanderwent
up to the town to-fpeakto Lahge, and I remained upon the
beach, to fee what could be done-in the purchafe of provi-
fionSv I found here an old Indian-, who, as he appeared to
have fome authority,, we had among ourfelves called the
Prime Minifter ;. to engage this man in our intereft I pre-
fented him with a fpying-glafs, but I faw nothing at market
except one fmall buffalo. I enquired the price, of it, and
was told five guineas : this was twice as- much, as it was
worth ; however, I. offered three, which I could perceive the
mail who treated with me thought a good price -but he faid
that he muff acquaint the King with what I had offered before
he could, take it. A meffenger was immediately dif-
patched to his Majefty, who foon returned, and faid, that the
buffalo would not be fold for any thing lefs than five guineas.
This price I abfolutely refufed to give ; and another meffenger
was fent away with an account of my refufal-: this meffenger
was loDger abfent than the other, and while I was
waiting for his return I faw, to my great aflonifliment, Dr.
Sol ander
«77-°-
September.
Solander coming from the.town, followed by above a hun-
dred men, fome armed with mufquets and fome with lances.
When I enquired the meaning of this, hoftilq appear-
ance, the Dodtor told me, that Mr. Lange had interpreted to
him a meffage from the King, purporting that the people
would not trade with us, becaufe wp had refufed tp give
them more than half the value of what they had to fell-; and
that we fhould not be permitted to trade upon: any terms
longer than this day. Befides the officers who commanded
the party, there came with it a man who was, born at Timor,
of Portuguefe parents, and who, as we afterwards difeo-
vered, was a kind of colleague to the Dutch factor; by this
man what they pretended to be the King’s order was delivered
to me, of the fame purport with that which Dr. So-r
lander had received from Lange. We were, all clearly of
opinion that this was a mere artifice of the fadfors to extort
money from us, for which we had been prepared by the
account of a letter from Concordia ; and while we were he-
fitating what flep to take, the Portuguefe, that he might the
fooner accomplifh his purpofe, began to drive away the
people who had brought down poultry and fyrup, and others
that were now coming in with buffaloes and fheep. At this
time, I glanced my eye upon the old man whom I had complimented
in the morning with the fpying-glafs, and I
thought, by his looks, that he did not heartily approve of
what was doing; I therefore took him by the hand, and pre-
fented him with an old broad fword. This inflantly turned
the fcale in our favour ; he received the fword with a tran-
fport of joy, and flourifhing it over the bufy Portuguefe,
who crouched like a fox to a lion, he made him, and the
officer who commanded the party, fit down upon the ground
behind him: the people, who, whatever were the crafty
pretences of thefe iniquitous factors for a Dutch company,
M m 2 were Ml
II
IS