177& ROUND THE WORLD. 289 



a separate table, upon condition that they should 

 pay one rix-dollar for the dinner of every stranger, 

 and another for his supper and bed, if he should 

 sleep ashore. Under this stipulation they were to 

 be furnished with tea, coffee, punch, pipes and to- 

 bacco, for themselves and their friends, as much as 

 they could consume ; they were also to pay half a 

 rupee, or one shilling and three-pence a-day, for 

 each of their servants. 



They soon learnt that these rates were more than 

 double the common charges of board and lodging in 

 the town ; and their table, though it had the appear- 

 ance of magnificence, was wretchedly served. Their 

 dinner consisted of one course of fifteen dishes, and 

 their supper of one course of thirteen, but nine or 

 ten of them consisted of bad poultry, variously dress- 

 ed, and often served up the second, third, and even 

 the fourth time : the same duck having appeared 

 more than once roasted, found his way again to the 

 table as a fricassee, and a fourth time in the form of 

 forced meat. It was not long, however, before they 

 learned that this treatment was only by way of essay, 

 and that it was the invariable custom of the house, 

 to supply all strangers, at their first coming, with 

 such fare as could be procured for the least money, 

 and consequently w r ould produce the most gain : that 

 if, either through indolence or good nature, they 

 were content, it was continued for the benefit of the 

 host, but that, if they complained, it was gradually 

 amended till they were satisfied, which sometimes 

 happened before they had the worth of theirmoney. 

 After this discovery, they remonstrated, and their 

 fare became better : however, after a few days, Mr. 

 Banks hired a little house, the next door on the left 

 hand to the hotel, for himself and his party, for which 

 he paid after the rate of ten rix-dollars, or two pounds 

 five shillings sterling a-month ; but here they were 

 very far from having either the convenience or the 

 privacy which they expected j no person was per- 



VOL. II, u 



