In the morning of the 15th, the negro chief came down to the coast attended by 100 men, bringing his wife along with him, and many others brought their wives also, as they meant to remain by the sea side till they had bought what they wanted, and their town was eight miles up the country.  Immediately on his arrival, the chief sent our man on board, and offered to come himself if we would give two of our men in pledge for him.  I accordingly sent him two, but he only retained one, and came on board accompanied by his wife and several friends, bringing me a goat and two great roots, for which I gave him in return a latten basin, a white basin, six manillios and a bottle of Malmsey, and to his wife a small casket.  After this we began to adjust our measure and weight.  He had a weight of his own, equal to an angel and 14 grains, and required a measure of 4-1/2 ells.  In fine we concluded the 8th part[254], for an angel and 20 grains; and before we had done he took my own weight and measure.  The 16th I took 8 libs. 1 oz. of gold.  Since the departure of the Hind I had not heard of her; but when our pledge went into the country the first night he said that he saw her at anchor about 5 leagues from us.  The 17th I sold about 17 pieces of cloth, for which I got 4 libs. 4-1/2 oz. of gold.  The 18th the chief desired to purchase some of our wine, offering half a gold ducat for a bottle; but I gave him one freely, and made him and his train drink besides.  This day I took 5 libs. 5 oz. of gold.  The 19th I sold about 18 pieces of cloth, and took 4 libs. 4-1/2 oz. of gold.  The 20th 3 libs. 6-1/4 oz; the 21st 8 libs. 7-1/4 oz; the 22d 3 libs. 8-1/4 oz:  And about 4 o’clock this night[255] the chief and all his people went away.  The 23d we were waved on shore by other negroes, and sold them cloth, caskets, knives, and a dozen bells, for 1 lib. 10 oz. of gold.  The 24th we sold bells, sheets[256], and thimbles, for 2 libs. 1-1/4 oz. of gold.  The 25th we sold 7 doz. of small bells and other things, and finding their gold all gone, we weighed and sailed to leewards in search of the Hind, which we found about 5 o’clock, P.M. and understood she had made some sales.

[Footnote 254:  The meaning is here obscure; perhaps the word less is omitted, and the bargain was for a measure an eighth part less than that originally proposed.—­E.]

[Footnote 255:  Perhaps we should rather understand 4 o’clock next morning?—­E.]

[Footnote 256:  Perhaps this ought to be sheers or scissars?—­E.]

The 26th we received from the Hind 48 libs. 3-1/8 oz. of gold, which they had taken while we were asunder; and this day, on the request of a negro sent us by the chief, we went on shore with our merchandise and took 7 libs, 1 oz. of gold.  At this place they required no pledges from us, yet sent every night a man to sleep on board, as an assurance that they would come to us next day.  The 27th in both ships we took 8 libs. 1-7/8 oz. of gold.  The 28th we