Besides, We Were Purposely So
Placed At Anchor, That No Laden Ship Could Come Into The Port But Must
Ride
Under our guns; by which I reckoned we were sure of trade, either
ashore or aboard, and by thus holding
The town in awe, I might venture
our boats and people the more freely on shore, to procure any thing our
ships might need.
We were royally feasted by the governor, the dinner consisting of all
sorts of wild fowl, poultry, goat's-flesh, mutton, cream, custards,
various made dishes, and sundry confections, all served in vessels of
tin, different from our pewter, made goblet-fashion, with feet, and so
placed in piles, one above the other, that they reached a yard high, yet
each dish could be served from without removing the others. All these
meats were served up at once, before we sat down. Our drink was simple
water, or boiled with an herb called Cauhaw,[415] giving it a somewhat
bitter taste. Dinner being over, the governor led me into an inner room,
where he was attended by four little boys, who were his catamites. Being
here seated on a crimson velvet carpet, all the rest of the room covered
with rich carpets, one of these boys, having in his hand a linen napkin,
ushered in two other boys, one of whom carried a silver chaffing-dish,
with burning coals, and the other a dish with sundry rich perfumes, as
ambergris, lignum aloes, and others. The governor desired me to permit
the boy to cover my head close with the napkin, after which the other
boy held the chaffing-dish with perfumes under my head, that I might
receive the perfume, which was very pleasant. The governor, and two
principal persons who were with him, then did the like, which seemed a
ceremony much used among them.
[Footnote 415: It ought to be called Kahwah, that is, coffee, which
every one knows is a berry; but perhaps it was made of the husk, which
the French say is most delicious, and never exported. See Voy. de
l'Arabie Heureuse, p. 243, et seq. - Astl. I.461. d.]
After conversing for some time, three of the boys came in again, one
carrying a vest, or gown, of cloth of gold, wrapped in a covering of
taffety, which was dyed with saffron to preserve the colour of the gold;
another had a sash, or turban, twenty-two yards long, all striped with
gold; and the third bore a damaskeen, or Turkish sword, richly mounted
in silver gilt, both hilt and scabbard. The governor himself put the
vest, or gown, upon me, and girt the sword to my side, telling me that
they were not presents from himself, but ordered by the Grand Signior,
whose gifts they were. He then entreated me to ride about the town,
along with the cadi, or chief justice, and the captain of the gallies,
that the people might see the amity there was between us. A horse was
brought for this purpose, very richly caparisoned, all the metal of the
bridle being of silver; but I chose rather to go on foot, that I might
the better see the town, which was agreed to.
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