JAN. 1771 PRINCE'S ISLAND 419 



case. In about two hours we arrived at a place where were 

 four or five houses. Here we met an old man, and ventured 

 to ask him questions about the town. He said it was very 

 distant; but we, not much relying on his information, 

 proceeded on our way, as did he in our company, attempting, 

 however, several times to lead us out of the pathway which 

 we were now in. We remained firm to our purpose, and 

 soon got sight of our desired object; the old man then 

 turned our friend, and accompanied us to the houses, I 

 suppose nearly 400 in number, divided into the old and 

 new town, between which was a brackish river. In the old 

 town we met with several old acquaintances, one of whom 

 at the rate of 2d. a head undertook to transport us over the 

 river, which he did in two very small canoes, which we 

 prevented from oversetting by laying them alongside each 

 other, and holding them together. In this manner we 

 safely went through our navigation, and arrived at the new 

 town, where were the houses of the king and all the nobilities. 

 These the inhabitants very freely showed to us, though most 

 of them were shut up, the people in general at this time of 

 the year living in their rice-fields, to defend the crop from 

 monkeys, birds, etc. When our curiosity was satisfied, we 

 hired a large sailing boat, for which we gave two rupees 

 (4s.), 1 and which carried us home again in time to dine upon 

 a deer we had bought the day before. It proved very good 

 and savoury meat. 



In the evening, when we went ashore, we were acquainted 

 that an axe had been stolen from one of our people : this, as 

 the first theft, we thought it not proper to pass over, so 

 immediate application was made to the king, who after some 

 time promised that it should be returned in the morning. 



12th. The hatchet was brought down according to 

 promise ; the thief, they said, afraid of conviction, had in the 

 night conveyed it into the house of the man who brought it. 

 Myself was this day seized with a return of my Batavia 

 fever, which I attributed to having been much exposed to a 

 burning sun in trading with the natives. 



1 At Batavia the rupee was stated to be worth 2s. 6d. 



