Thursday 20^th We stay'd at the Kings Pallace all the After noon, and at last were obliged to return on board without doing any thing, any farther than a promise of having some Buffaloes in the Morning, which we now had no great re_^^ason to rely on —

In the Morning I went a shore again and was shew'd one _^^small Buffaloe which they ask'd five Guines for,   I offer'd three which the Man told me he would glad_^^ly take and sent a message to the King to let him know what I had offerd    the mesenger soon return'd and let me know that I could not have it under five guines and this I refuse'd to give knowing that it was not worth one fifth part of the mony, but this my refusal had like to have over set all we had before done for soon after about a 100 Men, some arm'd with Musquets other with Lances came down to the Landing place; besides the officer that commanded this party there came along with them an Man who spoke Portuguese and was I beleive born of Portugue Parents, this man is here / as we afterwards understood / as an Assistant to the Dutch factor, he deliver'd to me the Kings order, or rather those of the Dutch Factor, the purport of which was that we were to stay no longer than this day, pretending that the people would not trade with us, because we wanted their provisions for nothing &C^a whereas the Natives shewed the greatest inclination imaginable to supply us with what ever they had and were far more desirous of goods than Mony and were before this man came selling us Fowls and Syrrup as fast as they could bring these things down. from this and other circumstances we were well assure'd that this was all the Dutchmans doing in order to extort from us a sum of Mony to put into his own pockets. There happen'd to be an old Raja at this time upon the beach whose In trest I had secure'd in the Morning by presenting him with a Spy glass, this man I _^^now took by the hand and presented him with an old broad sword, this effectually secure'd him in our Intrest for the Moment he got it he began to flourish it over the old Portuguese and made him _^^{and the officer that commanded the party to} set down at his backside. Emmidiatly after this trade was restored again for fowls &C^a with more spirit than ever, but before I could begin a Trade for Buffaloes which was what we most wanted, I was obliged to give 10 guines for two one of which weigh'd only 160 pounds - After this I bought 7 More at a More reasonable price one of which we lost after he was paid for. I might now have purchas'd as Many Buffaloes as I pleas'd for they now drove them down to the water side by Herds, but having now got as many as I well know'd what to do with, and likewise a number of Fowles and a Large quantity of Syrrup, I resolved to make no longer stay. accordingly in the Morn-g ^{on Friday 21st}

Voyaging Accounts