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.),! 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. 
