The King of Saw entertains Capt. Coor. ih 
Commodities which we propofed to purchafe, and for which 
we were to pay in money ; but as foon as this was mentioned 
Mr. Lange left us, telling us that thefe preliminaries mud be 
fettled with the natives : he faid, however, that he had re- 
ceived a letter from the Governor of Concordia in Timor, the 
purport of which he would communicate to us when he re- 
turned. 
As the morning was now far advanced, and we were very 
unwilling to return on board and eat fait provifions, when 
fo many delicacies furrounde'd us alhore, we petitioned his 
Majefty for liberty to purchafe a fmall hog and fome rice, and 
to employ his fubjedls to drefs them for us. Heanfwered very 
graciotrfly, that if we could eat victuals drefled by his fubjedbs-, 
which he could fcarcely fuppofe, he would do himfelf the ho- 
nour of entertaining us. We exprefled our gratitude, and im- 
mediately fent on board for liquors* 
About five o’clock, dinner was ready ; it was ferved in fix 
and thirty dilhes, or rather balkets, containing alternately 
rice and pork ; and three bowls of earthen v/are, filled with 
the liquor in which the pork had been boiled : thefe were 
ranged upon the floor, and mats laid round them for us to fit 
Upon. We were then conducted by turns to a hole in the 
floor, near which flood a man with water in a v|fiel, made of 
the leaves of the fan-palm, who afiifled us in walhing our 
hands. When this was done, we placed ourfelves round the 
victuals, and waited for the King. As he did not come, we 
enquired for Ijfpi, and were told that the cuftom of the country 
did not perm per fon who gave the entertainment to fit 
down with hir^Rfls ; but that, if we fufpeCted the victuals 
to be poifoned, ha^ould come and tafte it. We immediately 
declared that we had no fuch fufpicion, and defired that none 
of the rituals of hofpitality might be violated on our account. 
The prime minifter and Mr. Lange were of our party, and we 
made a molt luxurious meal : we thought the pork and rice ex- 
cellent, and the broth not to be defpifed ; but the fpoons, 
which were made of leaves, were fo fmall that few of us had 
patience to ufe them. After dinner, our wine pafied brifidy 
about, and we again enquired for our royal hoft, thinking 
that though the cuftom of this country would not allow him to 
eat with us, he might at lead ftiare in the jollity of our bottle ; 
but he again excufed himfelf, faying, that the mafter of a 
fealt ihould never be drunk, which there was no certain way to 
avoid but by not tailing the liquor. We did not however drink 
our wine where we had eaten out victuals ; but as foon as we 
had dined made room for the feamen and fervants, who imme- 
diately took our places : they could not difpatch all that we 
had left, but the women who catne to clear away the bowls 
and balkets, obliged them to carry away with them what they 
