Their Prows
And Sterns Were All Turned Circularly Inwards; And On Each Side There
Lay Out Two Pieces Of Timber, Or Out-Riggers, A Yard And A Half Long,
More Or Less, According The Size Of The Canoes.
They were of
considerable height in the gunwales; and their insides were ornamented
with white shells.
The islanders in these canoes had large holes in the
lower parts of their ears, which reached down a considerable way, by the
weight of certain ornaments. Their teeth were as black as jet,
occasioned by chewing a certain herb with a sort of powder, which they
always carry with them for that purpose.[35]
[Footnote 34: These probably were some of the Caralines, being in the
direct route from Port Sir Francis Drake to the Moluccas. - E.]
[Footnote 35: Areka nut and betel leaf, with pounded shell-lime. - E.]
The 18th October they came to other islands, some of which appeared to
be very populous, and continued their course past the islands of
Tagulada, Zelon, and Zewarra. The first of these produces great
store of cinnamon; and the inhabitants are in friendship with the
Portuguese. Without making any stop at these islands, the admiral
continued his course, and fell in with the Moluccas on the 14th
November. Intending to steer for Tidore, and coasting along the island
of Motir, which belongs to the king of Ternate, they met the viceroy of
that king, who came fearlessly on board the admiral's ship. He advised
the admiral by no means to prosecute his voyage to Tidore, but to sail
directly for Ternate, as the king, his master, was a great enemy to the
Portuguese, and would have no intercourse with him, if at all connected
with Tidore or the Portuguese. Upon this, the admiral resolved on going
to Tidore, and came to anchor before the town early next morning.
He immediately sent a messenger to the king, with a present of a velvet
cloak, and to assure him that his only purpose in coming to his island
was to trade in a friendly manner. By this time the viceroy had been to
the king, whom he had disposed to entertain a favourable opinion of the
English, so that the king returned a very civil and obliging answer,
assuring the admiral that a friendly intercourse with the English was
highly pleasing to him, his whole kingdom, and all that it contained,
being at his service; and that he was ready to lay himself and his
dominions at the feet of the glorious queen of England, and to
acknowledge her as his sovereign. In token of all this, he sent his
signet to the admiral, delivering it with much respect to the messenger,
who was treated with great pomp and ceremony at court.
Having a mind to visit the admiral on board ship, the king sent before
hand four large canoes, filled with his most dignified attendants, all
in white dresses, and having large awnings of perfumed mats borne over
their heads on a frame of canes or bamboos.
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