On the 17th, the king sent an elephant, with a golden bason, for our king’s letter, which I accompanied to court, attended by forty of our men, who were all admitted into the king’s presence.  After many compliments, the king returned me our king’s letter, that I might read it to him; and accordingly the substance of it was explained in the native language, with the contents of which he was well pleased.  After some time, the king told me that he would shew me some of his diversions, and accordingly caused his elephants to fight before us.  When six of them had fought for some time, he caused four buffaloes to be brought, which made a very excellent and fierce fight; such being their fierceness that sixty or eighty men could hardly part them, fastening ropes to their hind-legs to draw them asunder.  After these, some ten or twelve rams were produced, which fought very bravely.  When it was so dark that we could hardly see, these sports were discontinued, and the king presented me with a banquet of at least 500 dishes, and such abundance of hot drinks as might have sufficed to make an army drunk.  Between nine and ten at night, he gave me leave to depart, sending two elephants to carry me home; but as they had no coverings I did not ride either of them.

On the 18th, I went again to court by appointment of the king, when we began to treat concerning the articles formerly granted by his grandfather to Mr James Lancaster; but when we came to that in which all goods were to be brought in and carried out free from customs, we broke off without concluding any thing.  The 19th the ambassador of Siam came to visit me, and told me, that about thirty months before, three Englishmen had waited upon his king, who gave them kind entertainment, being rejoiced at receiving letters from the king of England.  He also said that his king would be much pleased if our ships came to his ports, telling me what great quantities of Portugal cloth, for so he called our English cloth, would sell in his country.  According to his opinion, the colours most saleable in his country are, stammel and other reds, yellows, and other light, gay, and pleasing colours, such as those already in most request at Surat.  He also told me, that his king had made a conquest of the whole kingdom of Pegu, as that he is now the most powerful sovereign in the east, except the emperor of China, having twenty-six tributary kings under his government and authority, and is able to equip for war 6000 elephants.  Their coin is all of silver, gold being less esteemed, and of less proportional value than with us.  That country produces great abundance of pepper and raw silk; and he said the Hollanders have factories at Patane, an excellent port, where they are called English.  Siam likewise, according to him, is a good port, and nearer the court than Patane:  Those who go to the city in which the king resides land always at the port of Siam, whence the royal residence is twenty days journey by land.  I requested from the ambassador