Page:History of India Vol 9.djvu/268

 222 VASCO DA GAMA AT CALICUT pleasure about it. With this catual the Portuguese pro- ceeded with less encumbrance, because he ordered the people to keep off, and they were much afraid of him. Each time the factor (trader) presented any piece of goods, the king looked at it for some time, and this caused much detention. When the captain-major (Vasco da Gama) arrived, he was conducted through many courts and verandas to a dwelling opposite to that in which the king was, beyond, in another room arranged with silk stuffs of various colours, and a white canopy, which was of subtle workmanship and covered the whole room. The king was sitting in his chair, which the factor had got him to sit upon; he was a very dark man, half- naked, and clothed with white cloths from the middle to the knees; one of these cloths ended in a long point on which were threaded several gold rings with large rubies, which made a great show. He had on his left arm a bracelet above the elbow, which seemed like three rings together, the middle one larger than the others all studded with rich jewels, particularly the middle one which bore large stones which could not fail to be of very great value; from this middle ring hung a pendent stone which glittered: it was a dia- mond of the thickness of a thumb ; it seemed a priceless thing. Round his neck was a string of pearls about the size of hazel-nuts, the string took two turns and reached to his middle; above it he wore a thin round gold chain which bore a jewel of the form of a heart, surrounded with larger pearls, and all full of rubies; in