Page:Journal of the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks.djvu/477

Rh case. In about two hours we arrived at a place where were four or five houses. Here we met an old man, and ventured to ask him questions about the town. He said it was very distant; but we, not much relying on his information, proceeded on our way, as did he in our company, attempting, however, several times to lead us out of the pathway which we were now in. We remained firm to our purpose, and soon got sight of our desired object; the old man then turned our friend, and accompanied us to the houses, I suppose nearly 400 in number, divided into the old and new town, between which was a brackish river. In the old town we met with several old acquaintances, one of whom at the rate of 2d. a head undertook to transport us over the river, which he did in two very small canoes, which we prevented from oversetting by laying them alongside each other, and holding them together. In this manner we safely went through our navigation, and arrived at the new town, where were the houses of the king and all the nobilities. These the inhabitants very freely showed to us, though most of them were shut up, the people in general at this time of the year living in their rice-fields, to defend the crop from monkeys, birds, etc. When our curiosity was satisfied, we hired a large sailing boat, for which we gave two rupees (4s.) and which carried us home again in time to dine upon a deer we had bought the day before. It proved very good and savoury meat.

In the evening, when we went ashore, we were acquainted that an axe had been stolen from one of our people: this, as the first theft, we thought it not proper to pass over, so immediate application was made to the king, who after some time promised that it should be returned in the morning.

12th. The hatchet was brought down according to promise; the thief, they said, afraid of conviction, had in the night conveyed it into the house of the man who brought it. Myself was this day seized with a return of my Batavia fever, which I attributed to having been much exposed to a burning sun in trading with the natives.