Captain Middleton Then Requested To See Some Of The
Pearls; But He Said He Had Not Brought Any With Him,
Meaning only a
jaunt of pleasure, but if we would come to Booton, which was only a day
and night's
Sail from thence, we should see great store of pearls, and
such other things as he had for sale. The captain and factor,
considering that this was very little out of the way to Bantam, thought
best to agree to this offer, and presented the king with a musket, a
sword, and a pintado, thanking him for his kindness. The king replied,
that he had not now any thing worth giving, but promised to repay these
civilities before we left Booton, giving at the same time two pieces of
their country cloth.
[Footnote 268: Something has probably been here omitted by Purchas, as
we hear nothing of their transactions between the 24th March and 19th
April. - E.]
About three p.m. the king took his leave, promising to send a pilot in
all speed to carry us to the town of Booton, and by the time we weighed
anchor the pilot came on board. At night the king sent one of his
caracols to us, to see if we wanted any thing, and to accompany us to
Booton; sending at the same time a goat to the captain. We stood for
Booton with a small gale, which at night died away, so that we had to
drop anchor in 22 fathoms, not willing to drift to leeward with the
current; and next morning we again weighed and stood for Booton.
The 22d, about ten a.m. our purser came on board, having been sent on
shore the night before, and brought with him some cocks and hens. He
told us that the Indians had carried him to a king, who was glad to see
him, having never before seen any Englishmen.[269] At his first coming
to the king's house, he was carousing and drinking with his nobles, all
round where he sat being hung with human heads, whom he had recently
slain in war. After some little stay, the purser took his leave, and lay
all night on board the caracol. This night we anchored in 20 fathoms,
in a strait or passage not half a mile wide. The 23d, in the morning,
we again weighed, and, having very little wind, our long-boat towed us
through the straits, and as the tide was with us we went a-head a-main;
so that by eleven o'clock a.m. we were in sight of the town of Booton,
and came to anchor in 25 fathoms, about a mile and a half from the town,
where we waited for the king to come on board, but he came not that
night. We sent, however, our boat on shore, and bought fresh fish for
our company.
[Footnote 269: There is some strange obscurity in the text about this
new king, called in the margin by Purchas the king of Cobina.
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