714 Fhe VOYAGE of Francis Pirard de Laval Book I. 
King without one. The Chambers and inner Apartments 
are hung with filk Tapeftry, and enriched with gold Flow- 
ers and Branches of feveral Colours. The Beds of the Pa- 
laces, and thofe of the great Men, are hung with Cords 
upon a Beam, fupported by two Pillars, and fo the Perfon 
is rocked to Sleep. It is ufual among the better Sort of 
People, to make the Servants rub and chafe their Bodies 
when they lie down, and to give them little Slaps, or gem 
tie Blows, with both their Hands, from an Apprehenfion, 
that it promotes Sleep, and expels the Spleen. 
The King is generally cloathed in a fine white Robe, 
or Coat of Cotton, reaching to the Girdle, or a little low- 
er with white and blue Edgings, and made faft before 
with maffy gold Buttons. Then he has a Piece of red 
embroidered Tapeftry reaching from the Girdle to the 
Heels, and faftned with a long large Girdle of Silk, fring- 
ed with Gold, and a great Chain of Gold before, upon 
which their hangs a large Jewel, as big as ones Fifty com- 
pofed of the fineft precious Stones •, he wears likewife a 
Knife, made after the Fafhion of the Country, and it is 
richer than ordinary. Upon his Head he has a Cloth , of 
Scarlet, that Cloth being fo much efteemed in that Coun- 
try, that none but the King prefumes to wear it. Thi3 
Cap is laced with Gold, and has on the Top of it a great 
gold Button, with a precious Stone. The Grandees and 
Soldiers wear their Hair long,* but the King has his Head 
fhaved every Week. His Legs are naked, after the Fa- 
fhion of the Country, and his Feet is covered with Slip- 
pers of gilt Copper, imported from Arabia , and made 
like Sandals, which none befides are allowed to wear, but 
the Queen and the Princes of the Royal Blood. 
25. When the King goes Abroad, the- chief Mark of 
his Dignity is a white Umbrella, which none are allowed 
to ufe but Strangers, who may have what they will. Up- 
on the fame Occafion he has three Pages near his Perfon, 
one carrying a Fan, another his Sword and Buckler, and 
a third a Box full of Betel and Arequa, which he chews 
every Hour. He is likewife attended by a Doftor of 
Law, who reads in his Prefence, and puts him in Mind of 
Religion. This King does not purfue the Diverfions of 
going Abroad, and Fifhing, as his Predeceffors were 
wont to do, but fhuts himfelf up in his Palace, and fpends 
his Time in carefiing his Queen, giving Audience to his 
Courtiers, and feeing a great many Mechanicks and Arti- 
ficers work for he keeps in his Palace Painters, Gold- 
finiths. Embroiderers,. Cutlers, Joiners, Turners, Ar- 
mourers, CL. and finds them Work •, nay, he works fre- 
quently with his own Hands, and looks on it as a Sin to 
be idle. He is a Man of a lively quick Apprehenfion, 
and very curious to learn media-nick Trades. He encou- 
rages all Strangers that pradife Arts unknown to his Peo- 
ple, and makes Enquiry after thofe that excel in their 
Way. 
On a Friday he goes in great Pomp to the Temple, be- 
ing attended by his Guards, confiding of an hundred Men, 
and his ordinary Officers, with a complete BandofMufick 
of Drums, Flutes, and Trumpets. After Service is over, 
he returns with the fame Retinue, the Soldiers leaping all 
the Way at the found of Mufick, and ftriking their Swords 
on one another’s Bucklers, and that in fuch a fucceftive 
Manner as to avoid Confufion. He is likewife attended, 
in his Return from Church, by all the People of the Ifland, 
and regales with a Dinner the Pandiare, Naybes, Catibes, 
Moudins, Gentlemen, and Soldiers. After Dinner he 
hears Caufes, and adminifters Juftice. Thefe Elands af- 
ford neither Horfe nor Beaft, and therefore the King 
walks abroad on Foot, unlefs he be carried in a Chair upon 
Slaves Shoulders, which happens but feldom, for he is a 
brawny ftrong Man, and choofes rather to go on Foot. In 
fpeaking to the King, or Queen, or Princes of the Royal 
Blood, and in fpeaking of them they have peculiar Ex- 
preffions, that they dare not apply to others ; as when 
they fay of another Man, he is afieep, in talking of the 
King, they fay, he takes his Reft. 
The Queens wear the fame forts of Habits with the 
other Maldivan Women, only their Cloaths are richer. 
The Noblemens Ladies and Daughters are obliged to wait 
upon them every Evening: And when the Queens go abroad 
(which happens but very feldom) ail the Women in the 
Eland run to meet them in their refpeftive Diftridls, with 
Prefents of Flowers and Fruits, the She-Slaves giving 
Notice, at a great Diftance before them, for all Men to 
get out of the Way upon that Occafion. Four great La- 
dies carry over the Queen’s Head a Veil of white Silk, 
reaching to the Ground, fo that ftie is not feen. The 
Queens bathe frequently in the Sea, as well as other Wo- 
men, fuch being the Cuftom of the Country, which they 
reckon very conducive to Health. For this End they 
have an Inclofure in the Sea, covered with Cotton-Cloth, 
and upon the Shore a little Floufe,, with a Frefh-w.ater 
Bath, which they ufe as they come out of the Sea. Day- 
light is never feen in the Queen’s Chambers, or thofe of 
the Ladies of Quality, for their only Light is Lamps 
burning continually j and the Place of the Room where 
they ufually retire is blocked up with four or five Rows of 
Tapeftry, the innermoft of which neither Man or Wo- 
man dares to pull up without coughing or hemming firffo 
and telling who they are. W hen they undrefs, they puli 
off only their Robe, for neither Men nor Women in the: 
Maldives dare to throw off the Cloth: that is tied round their 
Middle. 
2 6. As for the King’s Revenue, he has many Elands, which, 
are Crown -Lands, befides a fifth Part of all the Grain and 
Fruits of the Country, and a Tax on dried Fifh, Shells 
called Bely, and Cords of Cocoas, which he lays upon 
them according to their Qrcumftances, for he has no- 
Taxes paid him in Money, abating what is paid as a Pur- 
chafe for Titles and Offices, or for Licences to wear fine 
Apparel. He obliges his People to make him every Year 
as much Cotton-Cloth as cloaths his Soldiers, for he gives- 
them Cloaths as well as Pay. This Revenue is further en- 
larged by his Claim to' the Goods imported by Shipping, 
for a Ship no fooner arrives, than the Owners repair to 
him, and give him an Account of their Cargo, out of 
which he takes what he pleafes, at low Rates, and obliges 
his Subjects to take them of him again at what Price he 
pleafes, by way of Exchange, for fuch Things as he wants, 
and often fits out Ships laden with the Commodities of his 
own Country. 
All Wrecks found on the Sea-Shore are immediately 
brought to the King, for no Subject dares keep them 5 
that fame is done with Ambeigreece, called by the Mal- 
dives Gomen, which is more plentiful here than in any 
Part of the Indies , and which is fo narrowly looked after* 
that whoever appropriates it to his own Ufe lofes a Fland. 
In a Word, whatever the Sea cafts upon the Shore is the 
King’s, particularly a fort of Sea-nuts, called Tanacarre, as- 
big as a Man’s Head, which they fancy to grow on Trees 
under Water. The Fortugueze call them Cocoas of the 
Maldives. They are ufed in Phyfick, and very dear. Their 
Money is Silver only, and but of one fort, called Larins ; 
however, all Gold and Silver is current here by Weight, as 
it is all over the Indies. Before they take it, it is tried in 
the Fire, and every Man keeps Weights for that Purpofe. 
There is a fort of Metal called Cabin, refembling Tin, 
much efteemed in the Indies , but not current there. Iron- 
money paffes no where in the Indies but in the Dominions 
of the Prince that coined it, having but one fort of Coin 5. 
they are forced to cut it, by which they lofe a twelfth 
Part. Inftead of fmall Coins they ufe fometimes Shells, 
12000 of which make a Larin, and a Larin is worth 
about eight Sols, being long, like one’s Finger, and 
folded \ the King’s Name is let upon thofe Folds in Arabick 
Letters. Their Gold and Silver is all imported from 
abroad, but in their own Markets they often barter one 
Thing for another. The Maldives are well frequented 
with Merchants, and the Commodities they fend abroad 
are chiefly the Cocoas, with which they load above one 
hundred Ships yearly. Of this the Cordage is made that 
ferves all the Ships of Arabia , Malabar , and all the Indies, 
They make alfo Oil and Honey of that Tree, and by 
weaving the Leaves of the Tree make Sails. They vend 
alfo little Shells* that contain a Creature in them of the 
Bignef$ of the End of one’s little Finger, white, very 
fmooth, and glittering. They fifh for them but twice a 
Month, three Days before and three Days after the new 7 
Moon, and fo before and after the Full-Moon. The Wo- 
men gather them in the Sands and Flats of the Sea, ft and- 
