17?0. ROUND THE WORLD. 253 



subjects to dress them for us. He answered very 

 graciously, that if we could eat victuals dressed 

 by his subjects, which he could scarcely suppose, he 

 would do himself the honour of entertaining us. We 

 expressed our gratitude, and immediately sent on 

 board for liquors. 



About five o'clock, dinner was ready ; it was 

 served in six-and-thirty dishes, or rather baskets, con- 

 taining alternately rice and pork ; and three bowls of 

 earthen ware, filled with the liquor in which the pork 

 had been boiled : these were ranged upon the floor, 

 and mats laid round them for us to sit upon. We 

 were then conducted by turns to a hole in the floor, 

 near which stood a man with water in a vessel, made 

 of the leaves of the fan-palm, who assisted us in 

 washing our hands. When this was done, we placed 

 ourselves round the victuals, and waited for the King. 

 As he did not come, we inquired for him, and were 

 told that the custom of the country did not permit 

 the person who gave the entertainment to sit down 

 with his guests ; but that, if we suspected the victuals 

 to be poisoned, he would come and taste it. We im- 

 mediately declared that we had no such suspicion, 

 and desired that none of the rituals of hospitality 

 might be violated on our account. The prime mi- 

 nister and Mr. Lange were of our party, and we 

 made a most luxurious meal : we thought the pork 

 and rice excellent, and the broth not to be despised ; 

 but the spoons, which were made of leaves, were so 

 small, that few of us had patience to use them. 

 After dinner, our wine passed briskly about, and we 

 again inquired for our royal host, thinking that 

 though the custom of his country would not allow 

 him to eat with us, he might at least share in the jol- 

 lity of our bottle ; but he again excused himself^ say- 

 ing, that the master of a feast should never be drunk, 

 which there was no certain way to avoid but by not 

 tasting the liquor. We did not, however, drink our 

 wine where we had eaten our victuals \ but as soon 



