ANTHONY INGRAM ad. 



1589. 



company to bring us up to the Citie, and with 200 

 Negroes to carrie our commodities: hereupon the 23 

 day we delivered our marchandize to the kings Factor, 

 & the 25 day we came to the great Citie of Benin, The great 

 where we were well intertained : The sixe & twenty cttte °f Benln - 

 day we went to the Court to have spoken with the 

 king, which (by reason of a solemne feast then kept 

 amongst them) we could not doe : but yet we spake 

 with his Veadore, or chiefe man, that hath the dealing 

 with the Christians : and we conferred with him con- 

 cerning our trading, who answered us, that we should 

 have all things to our desire, both in pepper and 

 Elephants teeth. 



The first of March we were admitted to the kings 

 presence, and he made us the like courteous answere 

 for our traffike : the next day we went againe to the 

 Court, where the foresaid Veadore shewed us one 

 basket of greene pepper, and another of dry in the 

 stalkes : wee desired to have it plucked from the stalks 

 and made cleane, who answered, that it would aske 

 time, but yet it should be done : and that against 

 another yeere it should be in better readines, & the 

 reason why we found it so unprepared was, because in 

 this kings time no Christians had ever resorted thither, . 

 to lade pepper. The next day there were sent us 12 

 baskets, and so a litle every day untill the 9 of March 

 at which time we had made upon 64 serons of pepper, 

 and 28 Elephants teeth. In this time of our being at 

 Benin (our natures at this first time not so well ac- 

 quainted with that climate) we fell all of us into the 

 disease of the fever, whereupon the Captaine sent me 

 downe with those goods which we alreadie had received, 

 to the rest of our men at Goto : where being arrived, 

 I found all the men of our pinnesse sicke also, and 

 by reason of their weaknes not able to convey the 

 pinnesse and goods downe to the place where our ship [II. ii. 130.] 

 road : but by good hap within two houres after my 

 comming to Goto, the boate came up from the ship, 



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