eing ready to set sail for Lisbon, he asked me leave to go thither, but
I assure you it was with the greatest reluctance I parted from a person,
whose virtue and piety merited the greatest esteem.

From the Brazils, we made directly over the Atlantic Ocean to the Cape
of Good Hope, having a tolerable good voyage, steering for the most part
S.E. We were on a trading voyage, and had a supercargo on board, who
was to direct all the ship's motions after she arrived at the Cape, only
being limited to a certain number of days, for stay, by charter party,
at the several ports she was to go to. At the Cape we only took in fresh
water, and then sailed for the coast of Coromandel; we were there
informed, that a French man of war of 50 guns, and two large merchant
ships were sailed for the Indies, but we heard no more of them.

In our passage, we touched at the island of Madagascar, where, though
the inhabitants are naturally fierce and treacherous, & go constantly
armed with bows & lances, yet for some time they treated us civily
enough; and, in exchange for knives, scisors, and other trifles, they
brought us eleven good fat bullocks, which we took partly for present
victuals, and the remainder to salt for the ship's use.

So curious was I to view every corner of the world where I came to, that
I went on shore as often as I could. One evening when on shore, we
observed numbers of the people stand gazing at us at a distance. We
thought ourselves in no danger, as they had hitherto used us kindly.
However, we cut three boughs cut of a tree, sticking them at a distance
from us, which it seems, in that country, is not only a token of truce
and amity, but when poles or boughs are set up on the other side, it is
a sign the truce is accepted. In these treaties, however, there is one
principal thing to be regarded, that neither party come beyond one
another's three poles or boughs; so that the middle space is not only
secure, but is also allowed as a market for traffic and commerce. When
the truce is thus accepted, they stick up their javelins and lances at
the first poles, and come on unarmed; but if any violence is offered,
away they run to their poles, take up their weapons, and then the truce
is at an end. This evening it happened that a greater number of people
than usual, both men and women, traded among us for such toys as we had,
with such great civility, that we made us a little tent, of large boughs
of trees, some of the men re