Page 367
An.1686
The Generals Seraglio.
At this time one of the Generals Servants had offended, and was punished in this manner. He was bound fast flat on his Belly, on a Bambou be- longing to the Proe, which was so near the Wa- ter, that by the Vessels motion, it frequently del- ved under water, and the man along with it ; and sometime when hoisted up, he had scarce time to blow before he would be carried under Water a- gain.
When we had rowed about two leagues, we entered a pretty large deep River, and rowed up a league further ; the Water salt all the way. There was a pretty large Village, the Houses built after the Country fashion. We landed at this place, where there was a House made ready im- mediately for us. The General and his Women lay at one end of the house, and we at the other end, and in the evening all the Women in the Village danced before the General.
While he stayed here, the General with his men went out every morning betimes, and did not re- turn till 4 or 5 a clock in the afternoon, and he would often complement us, by telling us what good trust and confidence he had in us, saying that he left his Women and Goods under our protection, and that he thought them as secure with us fix, (for we had all our Arms with us) as if he had left 100 of his own men to guard them. Yet for all this great confidence, he al- ways left one of his principal men, for fear some of us should be too familiar with his Women.
They did never stir out of their own Room when the General was at home, but as soon as he was gone out, they would presently come into our Room, and sit with us all day, and ask a thou- sand questions of us concerning our English Wo- men, and our customs. You may imagin that before this time, some of us had attained so much of their