The emperor and royal family came out of
the palace. I lay down on my face to kiss his hand, which he very
graciously gave me; so did the empress and young princes of the blood.
His majesty presented me with fifty purses of two hundred _sprugs_
a-piece, together with his picture at full length, which I put
immediately into one of my gloves, to keep it from being hurt. The
ceremonies at my departure were too many to trouble the reader with at
this time.
[Illustration: "I SET SAIL AT SIX IN THE MORNING" P. 98.]
I stored the boat with the carcases of a hundred oxen, and three hundred
sheep, with bread and drink proportionable, and as much meat ready
dressed as four hundred cooks could provide. I took with me six cows and
two bulls alive, with as many ewes and lambs, intending to carry them
into my own country, and propagate the breed. And to feed them on board,
I had a good bundle of hay and a bag of corn. I would gladly have
taken a dozen of the natives, but this was a thing the emperor would by
no means permit; and, besides a diligent search into my pockets, his
majesty engaged my honor not to carry away any of his subjects, although
with their own consent and desire.
Having thus prepared all things as well as I was able, I set sail on the
twenty-fourth day of September, 1701, at six in the morning; and, when I
had gone about four leagues to the northward, the wind being at
southeast, at six in the evening I descried a small island about half a
league to the northwest I advanced forward, and cast anchor on the lee
side[36] of the island, which seemed to be uninhabited.
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