could, which we presently perceived was a signal of peace; and these two
poles they set up afterwards, sticking them up in the ground; and when the
king and his men came to these two poles, they struck all their lances up
in the ground, and came on unarmed, leaving their lances, as also their
bows and arrows, behind them.

This was to satisfy us that they were come as friends, and we were glad to
see it, for we had no mind to quarrel with them if we could help it. The
captain of this gang seeing some of our men making up their huts, and that
they did it but bunglingly, he beckoned to some of his men to go and help
us. Immediately fifteen or sixteen of them came and mingled among us, and
went to work for us; and indeed, they were better workmen than we were, for
they run up three or four huts for us in a moment, and much handsomer done
than ours.

After this they sent us milk, plantains, pumpkins, and abundance of roots
and greens that were very good, and then took their leave, and would not
take anything from us that we had. One of our men offered the king or
captain of these men a dram, which he drank and was mightily pleased with
it, and held out his hand for another, which we gave him; and in a word,
after this, he hardly failed coming to us two or three times a week, always
bringing us something or other; and one time sent us seven head of black
cattle, some of which we cured and dried as before.

And here I cannot but remember one thing, which afterwards stood us in
great stead, viz., that the flesh of their goats, and their beef also, but
especially the former, when we had dried and cured it, looked red, and ate
hard and firm, as dried beef in Holland; they were so pleased with it, and
it was such a dainty to them, that at any time after they would trade with
us for it, not knowing, or so much as imagining what it was; so that for