242 TARI DRINKING book iii
with
bows and arrows. They also had with them two elephants. It appeared as
if they had some retreat elsewhere, and that they had come to this
place merely to enjoy the coolness afforded by the trees and streams.
When we left the King and re-embarked on our boat, he sent us, as a
present, a dozen fowls and five or six pots of palm wine. We slept the
same evening, after a march of a league, in a hamlet where there were
but three or four houses, but we had taken with us ample provisions
from our vessel. In the morning when we were ready to leave we saw on
the river one of our pilots with three or four young men, who came up
to us and brought breakfast. When they were landed and we had begun to
eat they asked for some taril or palm wine, and the owner of
the hut where we had slept offered to bring us some, which was very
good, but he told us that it was strong, and that it might send fumes
to the head. Our sailors jeered at that because they drank it often,
and sometimes to excess without being inconvenienced. But when you
drink it as soon as it is drawn from the tree, and do not allow it to
ferment, it is harmless, but if you take too much you feel it ferment
in the stomach. The peasant brought us a pot of his palm wine, and each
of us drank of it as he felt inclined, one three glasses, another four
or Ave, but I was contented with only one, which contained nearly half
a pint. But to tell the truth, we all suffered such severe headaches
from it that for two days we were unable to cure ourselves. We asked
the natives of the country why this wine had thus troubled us, and they
said that it was due to the fact that pepper was planted around the
palms, and that it was this which gave so much strength to the wine. We
were still somewhat giddy from it when we returned on board, where a
governor of the country immediately met us, settled the price of the
rice, and asked how much was required. It had to be brought from some
distance ; this troubled us much, because the wind began to change, and
the captain was unwilling to leave, as he had not laden all the cargo
he required.
During the night, between the 28th and 29th, the wind began to change, and the pilots told the captain, who had 1 See vol. i. 128.
