SEPT. 1770 DUTCH RESIDENT AT SAVU 335 



We landed and walked up to the town, which consisted 

 of a good many houses, some tolerably large, each being a 

 roof of thatch supported by pillars three or four feet from 

 the ground, and covering a boarded floor. Before we had 

 been long there it began to grow dark, and we returned on 

 board, having only just tasted their palm wine, which had 

 a very sweet taste, and suited all our palates very well, 

 giving us hopes at the same time that it might be service- 

 able to our sick, as, being the fresh and unfermented juice 

 of the tree, it promised antiscorbutic virtues. 



19^/t. We went ashore, and proceeded immediately to 

 the house of assembly, a large house which we had yesterday 

 mistaken for the king's palace ; this, as well as two or three 

 more in the town, or nigrie, as the Indians call it, have 

 been built by the Dutch East India Company. They are 

 distinguished from the rest by two pieces of wood, one at 

 each end of the ridge of the house, resembling cows' horns ; 

 undoubtedly the thing designed by the Indian, who on the 

 17th made a sign of the mark by which we were to know 

 the town by crossing his fingers, and which our Catholic 

 Portuguese interpreted into a cross, making us believe that 

 the settlement was originally Portuguese. In this house of 

 assembly we met Mynheer Lange, and the Radja, Madoclio 

 Lomi Djara, attended by many of the principal people. We 

 told them that we had in the boat an assortment of what 

 few goods we had to truck with, and desired leave to bring 

 them ashore, which was immediately granted, and orders 

 given accordingly. We then attempted to settle the price 

 of buffaloes, sheep, hogs, etc., which were to be paid in 

 money, but here Mynheer Lange left us, and told us that 

 we must settle that with the natives, who would bring 

 down large quantities to the beach. By this time the 

 morning was pretty far advanced, and we, resolving not to 

 go on board, and eat salt meat, when such a profusion of 

 flesh was continually talked of, petitioned his Majesty that 

 we might have liberty to purchase a small hog, some rice, 

 etc., and employ his subjects to cook them for dinner. He 

 answered that if we could eat victuals dressed by his 



