heir king being no better provided than the rest. At this
island the Dutch found good convenience for watering; and on the 26th
they sent three of their principal people on shore as hostages, or
pledges, of friendship with the islanders, retaining six of them aboard
in the same capacity. The Dutch pledges were treated on shore with great
respect by the king, who presented them with four hogs; and gave strict
orders that none of his people should give the smallest disturbance to
the boat while watering. The natives stood in great awe of their king,
and were very fearful of having any of their crimes made known to him.
One of them having stolen a cutlass, and complaint being made to one of
the king's officers, the thief was pursued and soundly drubbed, besides
being forced to make restitution; on which occasion the officer
signified, that it was well for the culprit that the king knew not of
his crime, otherwise his life would certainly have been forfeited.

These islanders were extremely frightened at the report of a gun, which
would set them all running like so many madmen. Yet on one occasion the
king desired to hear one of the great guns let off, and being set for
that purpose under a canopy, with all his courtiers about him, in great
state, the gun was no sooner fired than he ran off into the woods as
fast as possible, followed by his attendants, and no persuasions of the
Dutch could stop them. The 25th and 26th the Dutch went ashore to
endeavour to procure hogs, but were unable to get any, as the islanders
had now only a few left, and would only part with cocoas, bananas, and
ubes-roots; yet the king continued his wonted kindness and respect, and
he and his lieutenant took the crowns from their own heads, and set them
on the heads of two of the company. These crowns were composed of the
white, red, and green feathers of parrots and doves. The doves of this
island are white on the back, and black every where else except the
breast; and each of the king's counsellors has one of these birds
sitting beside him on a stick.

The ship being completely supplied with fresh water on the 28th,
Schouten and Le Maire went ashore with the trumpets, with which music
the king was highly gratified. He told them of his wars with the
inhabitants of the other island, and shewed several caves and thickets
where they were in use to place ambuscades. It plainly appeared that he
was fearful of the Dutch having some design of seizing his co