an interpreter, concerning our wants; and understood that he
had some dealings with the Portuguese, which language the king could
speak a little. The king had determined on the 28th to have gone aboard
the Ascension, but we were told by the interpreter, that his council and
the common people would not allow him.

I went ashore on the 29th with the master, Mr Tindall and Mr Jordan, and
all the trumpeters. We were kindly received at the water-side by the
interpreter, who conducted us to the king, who was then near his
residence, and bowed very courteously on our approach. His guard
consisted of six or eight men, with sharp knives a foot long, and as
broad as hatchets, who went next his person. Besides these, several
persons went before and many behind, for his defence. The natives seem
very civil, kind, and honest; for one of our sailors having left his
sword, one of the natives found it and brought it to the king, who,
perceiving that it belonged to one of the English, told him he should be
assuredly put to death, if he had come by it otherwise than he declared.
Next day, on going ashore, the interpreter returned the sword, and told
us what the king had said on the occasion.

The natives likewise have much urbanity among themselves, as we observed
them, in the mornings when they met, shaking hands and conversing, as if
in friendly salutation. Their manners are very modest, and both men and
women are straight, well-limbed, and comely. Their religion is
Mahometism, and they go almost naked, having only turbans on their
heads, and a piece of cloth round their middles. The women have a piece
of cloth before, covering their breasts and reaching to the waist, with
another piece from thence to a little below their knees, having a kind
of apron of sedges hanging down from a girdle, very becomingly. They go
all barefooted, except the king, who wears sandals. His dress was as
follows: A white net cap on his head; a scarlet vest with sleeves, but
open before; a piece of cloth round his middle; and another which hung
from his shoulders to the ground.

When at the town, the natives brought us cocoa-nuts for sale, of various
sizes, some as big as a man's head, each having within a quantity of
liquor proportioned to its size, and as much kernel as would suffice for
a man's dinner. They brought us also goats, hens, chickens, lemons,
rice, milk, fish, and the like, which we bought very cheap for
commodities; as two hens for a penny kni