oz.; the 10th 3 libs. The
11th. Jerome Baudet, the French vice-admiral, came to us in his pinnace,
saying that they could do no good where they were, and that he meant to
go to the eastwards: But we told him this could not be allowed, and
desired him to return to his comrades, which he refused; till we shot
three or four pieces at his pinnace; on which his ship put about and ran
out to sea followed by the pinnace. This day I took 1 lib. 5 oz.

The 12th one of the French pinnaces came with cloth, but we would not
allow them to trade, and made them remain all day close to our ship.
This day we took 5 lib. 6-1/2 oz. The 17th we went to another town,
where we understood that three of the Portuguese ships were at the
castle, and the other two at Shamma. Though the Portuguese were so near
that they might have been with us in three hours, we yet resolved to
remain and make sales if we could. The chief of this town was absent at
the principal town of the district visiting the king, but came soon back
with a weight and measure. The 18th some of the kings servants came to
us, and we took 1 lib. 2-1/8 oz. of gold. The 19th we took 5 libs. 1 oz.
the 20th 1 lib. 4 oz; the 21st 4 libs. 1 oz; the 22d 3-1/2 oz.

Having sent one of our merchants with a present to the king, he returned
on the 23d, saying that he had been received in a friendly manner by
_Abaan_, who had little gold but promised if we would stay that he would
send all over his country in search of gold for us, and desired our
people to request our king to send men to his country to build a fort,
and to bring tailors with them to make them apparel, and to send good
wares and we should be sure to sell them; but that the French had for
the present filled the market with cloth. This town where the king Abaan
resides, is about 4 leagues up the country, and in the opinion of our
people who were there is as large in circumference as London, though all
built like those we had already seen. Around the town there was great
abundance of the wheat of the country, insomuch that on one side of it
they saw 1000 ricks of wheat and of another sort of grain called _mill_
or millet, which is much used in Spain. All round this town there is
kept a good nightly watch, and across all the roads or paths they have
cords stretched and connected with certain bells; so that if any one
touch the cords the bells, immediately ring to alarm the watchmen, on
which they run out to see what is the matter