ould haue
given eare to the counsell and experience of Pinteado. For when that Windam
not satisfied with the gold which he had, and more might haue had if he had
taried about the Mina, commanding the said Pinteado (for so he tooke vpon
him) to lead the ships to Benin, being vnder the Equinoctial line, and an
hundred and fifty leagues beyond the Mina, where he looked to haue their
ships laden with pepper: and being counselled of the said Pinteado,
considering the late time of the yeere, for that time to go no further, but
to make sale of their wares such as they had for gold, wherby they might
haue bene great gainers: Windam not assenting hereunto, fell into a sudden
rage, reuiling the sayd Pinteado, calling him Iew, with other opprobrious
words, saying, This whoreson Iew hath promised to bring vs to such places
as are not, or as he cannot bring vs vnto: but if he do not, I will cut off
his eares and naile them to the maste. Pinteado gaue the foresaid counsell
to go no further for the safegard of the men and their liues, which they
should put in danger if they came too late, for the Rossia which is their
Winter, not for cold, but for smothering heate, with close and cloudie aire
and storming weather, of such putrifying qualitie, that it rotted the
coates of their backs: or els for comming to soone for the scorching heat
of the sunne, which caused them to linger in the way. [Sidenote: The king
of Benin his court.] But of force and not of will brought he the ships
before the riuer of Benin, where riding at an Anker, they sent their pinnas
vp into the riuer 50 or 60 leagues, from whence certaine of the marchants
with captaine Pinteado, Francisco, a Portugale, Nicholas Lambert gentleman,
and other marchants were conducted to the court where the king remained,
ten leagues from the riuer side, whither when they came, they were brought
with a great company to the presence of the king, who being a blacke Moore
(although not so blacke as the rest) sate in a great huge hall, long and
wide, the wals made of earth without windowes, the roofe of thin boords,
open in sundry places, like vnto louers to let in the aire.

And here to speake of the great reuerence they giue to their king, it is
such, that if we would giue as much to our Sauior Christ, we should remooue
from our heads many plagues which we daily deserue for our contempt and
impietie.

So it is therefore, that when his noble men are in his presence, they neuer
looke him in