ed if the chief men belonging
to the ship were ashore, and where they were. Edward Churchman told them
that the master and one of the merchants were ashore, and he would bring
us to them if they pleased. At our meeting they saluted us after the
Portuguese fashion, and told us that we were welcome, and that every
thing in the island was at our command: But all these sugared words were
only a cloak to their treacherous designs. We asked who the chief person
among them was, and were told he was the king's brother; who immediately
produced a plate of silver, on which were engraven the names of all the
villages and houses in the island, telling us that he was governor of
all these. On asking if there were any Portuguese on the island, they
said no, for they were all banished, because they would have
refreshments there by force, and endeavoured to make slaves of the
people; wherefore they had made war upon them ever since their first
appearance.

In the mean time our pinnace joined us, having been sent to another part
of the island for cattle according to appointment, but the people had
postponed supplying them, till they could find an opportunity of
executing their intended treachery. The people of the pinnace told us,
they had been informed that fifteen sail of Hollanders had lately taken
Mozambique, and put all the Portuguese to the sword. At this news, which
came from Zanjibar, the head Moors seemed overjoyed, being another
subtle contrivance to lead us on to our ruin. On the approach of night,
we entreated them to go on board with us, which they declined, but
promised they would next day. Accordingly, he who called himself the
king's brother came with two others on board, having Thomas Cave,
Gabriel Brooke, and Lawrence Pigot, our surgeon, as their pledges. They
were handsomely entertained, and next morning our general gave the chief
two goats and a cartridge of gunpowder, with some trifles to the two
others. Messrs Revet, Jordan, Glascock, and I, went ashore with them for
the pledges, and on landing went unadvisedly along with them to some
houses, where we found the pledges guarded by some fifty or sixty men,
armed with bows and arrows, swords, bucklers, and darts; yet were they
delivered to us. We then returned to the pinnace, accompanied by the
king's brother, most of the Moors following us, and six or seven of them
going up to the pinnace to examine it, after which they returned to the
rest. We went all into the boat