Page:Journal of the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks.djvu/394

336 subjects, which he could hardly suppose, he would do himself the honour of entertaining us; we expressed our gratitude, and sent immediately on board for liquors.

About five o'clock dinner was ready, consisting of thirty-six dishes, or rather baskets, containing alternately rice and boiled pork, and three earthenware bowls of soup, which was the broth in which the pork had been boiled. These were ranged on the floor, and mats laid round for us to sit upon. We were now conducted by turns to a hole in the floor, near which stood a man with a basket of water in his hand: here we washed our hands, and then ranged ourselves in order round the victuals, waiting for the king to sit down. We were told, however, that the custom of the country was that the entertainer never sits down to meat with his guests, but that if we suspected the victuals to be poisoned, he would willingly do it. We suspected nothing, and therefore desired that all things might go on as usual. We ate with good appetites, the Prime Minister and Mynheer Lange partaking with us. Our wine passed briskly about, the Radja alone refusing to drink with us, saying that it was wrong for the master of the feast to be in liquor. The pork was excellent, the rice as good, the broth not bad, but the spoons, which were made of leaves, were so small that few of us had patience to eat it. Every one made a hearty dinner, and as soon as we had done, removed, as it seems the custom was, to let the servants and seamen take our places. These could not despatch all, but when the women came to take away, they forced them to take away with them all the pork that was left.

Before dinner Mynheer Lange mentioned to us a letter which he had in the morning received from the Governor of Timor: the particulars of it were now discussed. It acquainted him that a ship had been seen off that island, and had steered from thence towards that which we were now upon. In case such ship was to touch there in any distress, she was to be supplied with what she wanted, but was not to be allowed to make any longer stay than was necessary, and was particularly required not to make any large presents