at the pleasure and commandment of so famous a prince as we served. In
token whereof he sent to our General a signet; and within short time
after came in his own person, with boats and _canoas_, to our ship, to
bring her into a better and safer road than she was in at that present.
In the meantime, our General's messenger, being come to the Court, was
met by certain noble personages with great solemnity, and brought to the
king, at whose hands he was most friendly and graciously entertained.

The king, purposing to come to our ship, sent before four great and
large _canoas_, in every one whereof were certain of his greatest states
(men of property or estate) that were about him, attired in white lawn
of cloth of Calicut, having over their heads, from the one end of the
_canoa_ to the other, a covering of thin perfumed mats, borne up with a
frame made of reeds for the same use; under which every one did sit in
his order according to his dignity, to keep him from the heat of the
sun; divers of whom being of good age and gravity, did make an ancient
and fatherly show. There were also divers young and comely men attired
in white, as were the others; the rest were soldiers, which stood in
comely order round about on both sides. Without whom sat the rowers in
certain galleries; which being three on a side all along the _canoas_,
did lie off from the side thereof three or four yards, one being orderly
builded lower than another, in every of which galleries were the
number of fourscore rowers. These _canoas_ were furnished with warlike
munition, every man for the most part having his sword and target, with
his dagger, beside other weapons, as lances, calivers, darts, bows and
arrows; also every _canoa_ had a small cast base mounted at the least
one full yard upon a stock set upright. Thus coming near our ship, in
order, they rowed about us one after another, and passing by, did their
homage with great solemnity; the great personages beginning with great
gravity and fatherly countenances, signifying that the king had sent