make bets and offer prizes, which are acquired by the owner of the conquering cock.
Going from Palaoan towards the South-west, after a run of ten leagues, we reached another island.[1] Whilst coasting it, it seemed in a certain manner to go forward;[2]we coasted it for a distance of fully fifty[3] leagues, until we found a port. We had hardly reached the port when the heavens were darkened, and the lights of St. Elmo appeared on our masts.
The next day the king of that island sent a prahu to the ships; it was very handsome, with its prow and stern ornamented with gold; on the bow fluttered a white and blue flag, with a tuft of peacock's feathers at the top of the staff; there were in the prahu some people playing on pipes and drums, and many other persons. Two almadias followed the prahu; these are fishermen's boats, and a prahu is a kind of fusta. Eight old men of the chiefs of the island came into the ships, and sat down upon a carpet on the poop, and presented a painted wooden vase full of betel and areca (fruits which they constantly chew), with orange and jessamine flowers, and covered over with a cloth of yellow silk. They also gave two cages full of fowls, two goats, three vessels full of wine, distilled from rice, and some bundles of sugar cane. They did the same to the other ship; and embracing us they departed. Their rice wine is clear like water, but so strong that many of our men were intoxicated. They call it arak.
Six days later the king again sent three very ornamented prahus, which came playing pipes and drums and cymbals, and going round the ships, their crews saluted us with their
- ↑ Borneo.
- ↑ That is to say, "To move against the stream on account of the contrary currents." Note to Amoretti's edition.
- ↑ Ramusio has five leagues, but the Milan MS has fifty, which is the real distance.
