of the women's came
to me, and made sign to me that the queen would speak with me again. I
made signs back that I would come and dine with her majesty; and
accordingly I ordered that her servants should prepare her dinner, and
carry it in, and then call me. They provided her repast after the usual
manner, and when she saw it brought in she appeared pleased, and more
when she saw me come in after it; for she was exceedingly pleased that I
had caused a guard to keep the rest of my men from her; and she had, it
seems, been told how rude they had been to some of the women that
belonged to her.

When I came in, she rose up, and paid me such respect as I did not well
know how to receive, and not in the least how to return. If she had
understood English, I could have said plainly, and in good rough words,
"Madam, be easy; we are rude, rough-hewn fellows, but none of our men
should hurt you, or touch you; I will be your guard and protection; we
are for money indeed, and we shall take what you have, but we will do
you no other harm." But as I could not talk thus to her, I scarce knew
what to say; but I sat down, and made signs to have her sit down and
eat, which she did, but with so much ceremony that I did not know well
what to do with it.

After we had eaten, she rose up again, and drinking some water out of a
china cup, sat her down on the side of the couch as before. When she saw
I had done eating, she went then to another cabinet, and pulling out a
drawer, she brought it to me; it was full of small pieces of gold coin
of Pegu, about as big as an English half-guinea, and I think there were
three thousand of them. She opened several other drawers, and showed me
the wealth that was in them, and then gave me the key of the whole.

We had revelled thus all day, and part of the next day, in a bottomless
sea of riches, when my lieutenant began to tell me, we must consider
what to do with our prisoners and the ships, for that there was no
subsisting in that manner. Upon this we called a short council, and
concluded to carry the great ship away with us, but to put all the
prisoners--queen, ladies, and all the rest--into the lesser vessels, and
let them go; and so far was I from ravishing this lady, as I hear is
reported of me, that though I might rifle her of everything else, yet, I
assure you, I let her go untouched for me, or, as I am satisfied, for
any one of my men; nay, when we dismissed them, we gave her leave to
take a gre