732 The EXPEDITION 
King perceiving I wanted to fay fomething, afked the Sa- 
bandar what it was ? who replied, he did not underftand 
me. 
Upon this I went next Day and vifited the Orankay 
Laxemane , a great Favourite of the King’s, and made him 
a Prefent of two Arquebuzes, a Piece of watered Camblet, 
a gilded Head-piece, a Looking- glafs, fix Ear-pendants, 
and two Glafs Chains. He received me very gracioufly, 
and after fome Difcourfe I mentioned to him the Story of 
the Dutchman , whom I pretended to have entertained, be- 
caufe he faid he had been formerly under the Orankay’s 
Protection but the Orankay told me, that if the Dutch- 
man faid any fuch thing, he was a Cheat and a Villain. 
Next Day, to prevent all further Correfpondence with the 
Engli/h, I hint up the Gate of our Houfe that was oppo- 
fite to theirs, for they haunted the Houfe perpetually, fo 
that I could not do or fay any thing without their Know- 
ledge ; befides, they frequently vifited my CommifTaries 
and Purlers, which made me fufpedt that they defigned 
either to do them an Injury, or to pump out of them an 
Account of my Defigns. 
2 6. On the nth, being called to fpeak with the King, 
he fhewed me the two Pike-heads I had prefented him with, 
which above the carved Work were at firft covered with 
an Enamel Colour, but the King having given them to one 
of his own Goldfmiths to be carved and gilded, the Paint 
went off as foon as the Goldfmith put them in the Fire, fo 
the King wanted to know if I could think of any body that 
could put them to rights as they were. I told him I knew 
none ; upon which he caufed the poor Fellow’s Hands to be 
cut off that had put them into the Fire. 
Then the King told me, he heard I had a Goldfmith on 
Board, and defired I would order him to enamel a large 
Gold Ring of his that weighed above an Ounce, which he 
delivered to me. This Prince was very curious in all La- 
pidary and Goldfmith’s Wares, for he had above three 
hundred Goldfmiths that wrought daily for him, and he 
fhewed me a great Number of Stones, fome fet, fome not, 
which for the mofl part were bored at the Ends, feveral 
Necklaces and Chains of large Emeralds, Caffacks or Gar- 
ments after their Fafhion, embroidered with Jewels, great 
Veffels of Gold,- covered with Jewels, a great many 
Swords, Hangers, and Daggers, covered all with Jewels, 
both upon the Hilts and Scabbards, and a vaft Number 
of Gold Clafps to put upon the Caffacks, and told me that 
he had above three Bahras of Gold in Caffacks and Clafps, 
and that fix Days would not fuffice for taking a View 
of all his Jewels and Stones. 
Whether he faid this out of Oflentation or not I cannot 
tell ; but the greateft Part of what I faw were rather Stones 
of Shew than Value : Tho* after all, I mull own, he 
fhewed me fome that were very rich, particularly three 
Diamonds that might weigh from fifteen to twenty Carats 
apiece, two very large Rubies, and an Emerald that he got 
in the Conquest of Pera , which was one of the lovelieft 
Stones I ever faw. After that I fet our Goldfmith to 
work for the King, and was forry I had one on Board, 
being apprehenfive that if the King liked his Work, he 
would retard us to get his Jewels enamelled. 
Having occafion to build a Long-boat to fupply that I 
had loft, I went to the Orankay Laxemane to defire he 
would obtain me a Licence for the cutting of Wood in the 
Iflands oppofite to the Road, and let me have his Boat, 
which carried about fifteen Tun, to bring the Wood afhore. 
He granted my Requeft, upon the Confideration of pay- 
ing him twenty Rials a Month for his Boat, which was in- 
deed extravagantly dear ; but I was obliged to give it, or 
elfe I had not had the King’s Licence fo eafily. 
The ipth the King fent a Sabandar to invite me to 
Dinner ; when I came, I found the King in a fquare Flail, 
the Floor of which was covered with a Turky Carpet, upon 
which he made me fit down ; and after he had ordered 
fome Sallad to be given me in a large golden Difh, the Co- 
ver of which was fet all over with Emeralds, and afked 
fome Queftions concerning the Grandeur and Puiffance 
of Chriftian Princes, there came about thirty Women, 
each of which had a large filver Difh in her Arms, 
which they let on the Ground on the Carpet ; - each Difh 
was covered with a Cloth of Gold, or half Silk, half 
of Commodore Beaulieu Book I. 
Gold, with Jewels, trailing upon the Ground: After thefe 
Women had flood for fome Time, the King ordered them 
to fet Dinner before me, upon which they uncovered the 
Dilhes, each of which was as big as a large Bafon, and. toge- 
ther with the Lid were about two Foot and an half deep. 
Out of each of thefe Dilhes they drew fix Plates of Gold, 
full ofComfitures, Meat, and Pafty, after their Fafliion ; 
fo that, in lefs than a Minute, I found myfelf furrounded 
with golden Difhes, fome containing Water, others Sau- 
ces, and one, which was very large, full of Rice, befides 
two other Difhes of Temhack , which they efteem more 
than Gold, containing Rice, (made ufe of for Bread all over 
the Indies) of which the King ordered me to eat, and I 
found it very good, for its Tafte refembles our March- 
pane. 
After that, by the King’s Order, an Eunuch brought 
me fome Drink in a gold Cup, fet in a large gold Bafon * 
I drank to his Highnefs’s better Health, and thought to 
have drank it up, but the Liquor was fo yery ftrong and 
fiery, that it quickly baulked my Tip, and put me into a 
great Sweat. The King told me, as I had drank to his 
Health, I fhould drink it out and that if he were to 
drink the King of France's Health he would not leave a 
Drop of it : But, upon my Requeft, they exchanged the 
Liquor for a weaker fort. They preffed me mightily to 
eat and drink; but, at laft, being quite tired by fitttng 
with my Legs a-crofs, I prayed the Sabandar to prefs me 
to eat no more ; upon which the King ordered all the 
Difhes to be removed, and bid me drink his Health onee 
more: This done, they brought a very fine Carpet, done 
upon a Ground of Gold, and laid between me and the 
King. * 
Then came fifteen or twenty Women, who ranged 
themfelves by the Wail Side, and each of them having little 
Drums in their Hands, fung, their King’s Conquefts, making 
their Voices anfwer the Drums ; after that there came in 
at a little Door two little Girls, very oddly dreffed, but very 
handfome, and" whiter than any I ever faw in fo hot a 
Country. Upon their Head they had a fort of Hat, made 
of Spangles of Gold, which glittered mightily, together 
with a Plume about a Foot and an half high, made of 
the fame Spangles. This Hat hung down upon one Ear.. 
They had large Ear-Pendants of Spangles of Gold, hang- 
ing down to their Shoulders. Their Neck was covered 
with Necklaces of Gold, and, upon their Shoulders, was 
a fort of Jacket of Gold, curioufiy engraven, under which 
was a Shift, or Waiftcoat of Cloth of Gold, with red Silk, 
covering their Bread, and a very broad Girdle, made of 
gold Spangles. Their Girdle was tied above the Haunches, 
from which there hung a Cloth of Gold, with ftraight 
Breeches underneath, which were likewife made of Cloth 
of Gold, and did not pafs the Knees, where feveral Bells 
of Gold hung upon them. 
Their Arms and Legs were naked, but, from the Wrift 
to the Elbow, were adorned with Bracelets of Gold and 
Jewels, as well as from the Ancle to the Calf of their Leg. 
At their Girdle each of them had a Sword the Hilts and 
Scabbards of which were covered with Jewels ; and in their 
Hands a large Fan of Gold, with feveral little Bells about 
it. They advanced upon the Carpet with a profound 
Gravity, and, falling' upon their Knees before the King, 
faluted him, by joining their Hands, and lifting them up 
to their Head ; then they began to dance, with one Knee 
upon the Ground, making feveral Motions with their Body 
and Arms ; after that they danced upright with a great deal 
of Agility and Cadence, fometimes putting their Hands to 
their Swords, another Time making as if they ftiot a Bow, 
and fometimes as if they had a Shield and Flanger in their 
Hands. This lafted about half an Hour ; after which 
they kneeled before the King, and, in my Opinion, were 
pretty well tired, for each of them had above forty Pound 
Weight of Gold upon her. However, they danced with a 
very good Grace, and if our French Dancing-Mafters had 
feen them, they would have owned their Performance not 
to have been what we account barbarous. 
At laft it grew late, and, upon my Requeft, the King 
fuffered me to go, having firft prefented me with two 
hundred Pieces of Gold of his Coin, which they call Mas, 
and are worth about Ten-pence a Piece \ then the Sabander 
con- 
