secretaries, who informed me that the king was gone to Cotachis, and had
ordered them to make an inventory of all our baggage, and of every thing
we had about us; after which we should be provided with a passport, to
travel free from payment of any duties through the whole country. They
proceeded accordingly in their examination and inventory with the most
rigorous exactness, even noting down the very shirts we then wore. After
this they ordered me to mount my horse, and to go along with them to the
king, leaving all my people behind. I used my best endeavours to be
excused from this; but, instead of listening to me, they loaded me with
insolence; and the only favour I could obtain, and that with the utmost
difficulty, was permission to take my interpreter along with me. We
accordingly resumed our journey, without meat or drink, and arrived much
fatigued at Cotachis towards night; where my interpreter and me were left
all night to our repose under a tree, where, indeed, they sent us some
bread and fish.

The remainder of my people were taken to a miserable village, where they
were left in charge of the priest; and our mutual anxiety may be easily
guessed.

Next morning I was carried before the king, whom I found sitting on the
ground in a hut, surrounded by several of his nobles. After paying my
respects, he asked me a great number of questions, and among the rest, how
many kings there were in the world? It came into my fancy to answer that
there were twelve. On which he signified that I was right, and that he was
one of the number; and that he was much surprised that I should come into
his dominions without bringing him a letter from my sovereign. To this I
answered, that when I left my own country, I did not expect to travel
through his dominions, otherwise my sovereign would assuredly have given
me letters in charge for his majesty; and with this answer he seemed
satisfied. He asked many other extraordinary questions, from which I
conjectured that my guide had maliciously represented me as carrying many
valuable things; and it is probable, if this had been the case, that I had
never been allowed to escape out of their hands. The royal secretaries
endeavoured to persuade me that I ought to make the king a present of any
article that might strike his fancy among my small baggage; but I got off
without making any present, except compliments, and requesting him to
appoint some one to conduct me through his dominions. Th