Continuation of the Voyage, from New Albion to England.

Sailing from this port of New Albion, [now called by the Spaniards the Bay of San Francisco,] they had no sight of land till the 13th October, 1579, when, in the morning of that day, they fell in with certain islands in lat. 8 deg.  N.[34] They here met many canoes, laden with cocoa-nuts and other fruits.  These canoes were very artificially hollowed, and were smooth and shining, like polished horn.  Their prows and sterns were all turned circularly inwards; and on each side there lay out two pieces of timber, or out-riggers, a yard and a half long, more or less, according the size of the canoes.  They were of considerable height in the gunwales; and their insides were ornamented with white shells.  The islanders in these canoes had large holes in the lower parts of their ears, which reached down a considerable way, by the weight of certain ornaments.  Their teeth were as black as jet, occasioned by chewing a certain herb with a sort of powder, which they always carry with them for that purpose.[35]

[Footnote 34:  These probably were some of the Caralines, being in the direct route from Port Sir Francis Drake to the Moluccas.—­E.]

[Footnote 35:  Areka nut and betel leaf, with pounded shell-lime.—­E.]

The 18th October they came to other islands, some of which appeared to be very populous, and continued their course past the islands of Tagulada, Zelon, and Zewarra. The first of these produces great store of cinnamon; and the inhabitants are in friendship with the Portuguese.  Without making any stop at these islands, the admiral continued his course, and fell in with the Moluccas on the 14th November.  Intending to steer for Tidore, and coasting along the island of Motir, which belongs to the king of Ternate, they met the viceroy of that king, who came fearlessly on board the admiral’s ship.  He advised the admiral by no means to prosecute his voyage to Tidore, but to sail directly for Ternate, as the king, his master, was a great enemy to the Portuguese, and would have no intercourse with him, if at all connected with Tidore or the Portuguese.  Upon this, the admiral resolved on going to Tidore, and came to anchor before the town early next morning.

He immediately sent a messenger to the king, with a present of a velvet cloak, and to assure him that his only purpose in coming to his island was to trade in a friendly manner.  By this time the viceroy had been to the king, whom he had disposed to entertain a favourable opinion of the English, so that the king returned a very civil and obliging answer, assuring the admiral that a friendly intercourse with the English was highly pleasing to him, his whole kingdom, and all that it contained, being at his service; and that he was ready to lay himself and his dominions at the feet of the glorious queen of England, and to acknowledge her as his sovereign.  In token of all this, he sent his signet to the admiral, delivering it with much respect to the messenger, who was treated with great pomp and ceremony at court.