a.

While the repairs to our vessel were in progress we received welcome
assistance from the crews of the English and Dutch ships in the
harbour, with whom we soon became acquainted. The Dutch vessel
"Speedwell" belonged to the Dutch East India Company, a company which,
at this time, was growing in wealth and importance. She was bound on a
voyage to the North for a cargo of furs, and Captain Smuts, in command
of her, was anxious that we should join him in this expedition, for,
said he, two ships will more readily succeed than one, since each may
help the other. But we not being equipped for northern travel decided
to continue our voyage south, though we arranged with Captain Smuts to
meet him later at the Molucca Islands, where we had resolved to call
King Thedori to account for his treacherous conduct toward us on our
former visit.

Before leaving the island of Sumatra I paid a second visit to Achin,
where I was given a final audience with King Trinkitat, when I paid him
over the balance of the rubies. I found the king well disposed toward
me, and apparently satisfied with the payment made him in return for
the refitting of our vessel, which indeed was at a princely rate, when
the value of the rubies was considered. He did not attempt to extort
more than was justly due to him according to promise, as is the habit
with these half-savage potentates, when dealing with foreigners, but
this I attributed to the superstition I had so happily aroused in him
that the rubies would bring misfortune if not honestly come by. I
questioned his Majesty more closely with regard to King Luck, and, from
what he told me, I felt convinced that this man, now a chief among the
savages of New Holland, was none other than my old antagonist Van Luck,
though how he came to be rescued from the sea I had no means, at that
time, of knowing. King Trinkitat possessed no chart of the place to
which his ships traded, as the captains of his vessels mostly steered
by the stars. But he promised me that, if ever I should again visit his
island, he would send a pilot with me to conduct me to King Luck.

Mahomet Achmet, with whom I parted the best of friends, expressed the
hope that we would one day meet again.

"I will not sell this jewel, Signor Peter," he said to me when I paid
him for his work with some money we had aboard the ship, and presented
him with a fine ruby, according to promise. "I will keep it in memory
of a shrewd man whose wit did more