THE VISIT OF THE KING.--PIGAFETTA VISITS THE KING.
They were ready to meet the King now, when all was so friendly and
promising. The good soul of Pigafetta felt that these islands of fruits
and spiceries were indeed an earthly paradise. He alone had not been
sick in all of the long monotonous voyage across the Pacific. His
strength had never abated and his faith in the Admiral had never
faltered.
Night after night he had watched the lantern swinging in the unknown
air, and had said his prayers. He had had ever a cheering word to say to
the Admiral on all occasions. His heart was true to the lantern, the
stars, the Admiral, and the Divine Power which he believed was leading
him.
He was now in the sea gardens of palms and spices. He thus continues his
narrative (we follow in part the translation of the Hakluyt Society in
the work of Lord Stanley Alderley).
He tells us that on "the next day, which was Good Friday, the Captain
sent on shore a slave, who was an interpreter, to the King to beg him to
give him for money some provisions for his ships, sending him word that
he had not come to his country as an enemy, but as a friend. The King on
hearing this came with seven or eight men in a boat, and entered the
ship, and embraced the Captain, and gave him three China dishes covered
with leaves full of rice, and two _dorades_, which are rather large
fish. The Captain gave this King a robe of red and yellow cloth, made in
the Turkish fashion, and a very fine red cap, and to his people he gave
knives and mirrors. After that refreshments were served up to them. The
Captain told the King, through the interpreter, that he wished to be
with him, as _cassi cassi_; that is to say, brothers. To which the King
answered that he desired to be the same toward him. After that the
Captain showed him cloths of different colors, linen, coral, and much
other merchandise, and all the artillery, of which he had some pieces
fired before him, at which the King was much astonished; after that the
Captain had one of his soldiers armed with white armor, and placed him
in the midst of three comrades, who struck him with swords and daggers.
"The King thought this very strange, and the Captain told him, through
the interpreter, that a man thus in white armor was worth many common
men; he answered that it was true; he was further informed that there
were in each ship two hundred like that man.
"After that the Captain showed him a great number of swords, cuirasses,
and helmets, and made two of the men play with their swords before the
King; he then showed him the sea chart and the ship compass, and
informed him how he had found a strait, and of the time which he had
spent on the voyage; also of the time he had been without seeing any
land, at which the King was astonished. At the end the Captain asked if
he would be pleased that two of his people should go with him to the
places where they lived to see some of the things of his country. This
the King granted, and I went with another."
The Italian was again in his element, and he gives a graphic account of
his visit to the natives:
"When I had landed, the King raised his hands to the sky, and turned to
us two, and we did the same as he did; after that he took me by the
hand, and one of his principal people took my companion, and led us
under a place covered with canes, where there was a ballanghai; that is
to say, a boat, eighty feet long or thereabouts, resembling a fusta. We
sat with the King upon its stern, always conversing with him by signs,
and his people stood up around us, with their swords, spears, and
bucklers. Then the King ordered to be brought a dish of pig's flesh and
wine. Their fashion of drinking is in this wise: they first raise their
hands to Heaven, then take the drinking vessel in their right hand, and
extend the left hand closed toward the people. This the King did, and
presented to me his fist, so that I thought that he wanted to strike me;
I did the same thing toward him; so with this ceremony, and other signs
of friendship, we banqueted, and afterward supped with him."
The Italian was a pious man, but he says:
"I ate flesh on Good Friday, not being able to do otherwise, and before
the hour of supper, I gave several things to the King, which I had
brought. There I wrote down several things as they name them in their
language, and when the King and the others saw me write, and I told them
their manner of speech, they were all astonished.
"When the hour for supper had come, they brought two large China dishes,
one of which was full of rice, and the other of pig's flesh, with its
broth and sauce. We supped with the same signs and ceremonies, and then
went to the King's palace, which was made and built like a hay grange,
covered with fig and palm leaves."
Here the two found delightful hospitality; the house was "built on great
timbers high above the ground, and it was necessary to go up steps and
ladders to it. Then the King made us sit on a cane mat, with our legs
doubled as was the custom; after half an hour there was brought a dish
of fish roast in pieces, and ginger fresh gathered that moment and some
wine. The eldest son of the King, who was a Prince, came where we were,
and the King told him to sit down near us, which he did; then two dishes
were brought, one of fish, with its sauce, and the other of rice, and
this was done for us to eat with the Prince. My companion enjoyed the
food and drank so much that he got drunk. They use for candles or
torches the gum of a tree which is named anime, wrapped up in leaves of
palms or fig trees. The King made a sign that he wished to go to rest,
and left us with the Prince, with whom we slept on a cane mat, with some
cushions and pillows of leaves. Next morning the King came and took me
by the hand, and so we went to the place where we had supped, to
breakfast, but the boat came to fetch us. The King, before we went away,
was very gay, and kissed our hands, and we kissed his. There came with
us a brother of his, the King of another island, accompanied by three
men. The Captain General detained him to dine with us, and we gave him
several things."
"The King abounded in gold, and was a grand figure. In the island
belonging to the King who came to the ship there are mines of gold,
which they find in pieces as big as a walnut or an egg, by seeking in
the ground. All the vessels which he makes use of are made of it, and
also some parts of his house, which was well fitted up according to the
custom of the country, and he was the handsomest man that we saw among
these nations. He had very black hair coming down to his shoulders, with
a silk cloth on his head, and two large gold rings hanging from his
ears; he had a cloth of cotton worked with silk, which covered him from
the waist to the knees; at his side he wore a dagger, with a long handle
which was all of gold, his sheath was of carved wood. Besides he carried
upon him scents of storax and benzoin. He was tawny and painted all
over."
An island where nuggets of gold as big as eggs could be found must have
offered a tempting place of residence.
But Magellan's first thought was for the good of the souls of this
hospitable people.