Close to this island is another which has many Myrobalans, and the next
day they set sail for the other island, which is nearer to the port of
Borneo; and going along thus they saw so many shoals that they anchored
and sent the boats ashore in Borneo, and they took the aforesaid Moorish
pilots on shore, and there went a Christian with them; and the boats
went to set them on land, from whence they had to go to the city of
Borneo, which was three leagues off, and there they were taken before
the Shahbender of Borneo, and he asked what people they were, and for
what they came in the ships; and they were presented to the King of
Borneo with the Christian. As soon as the boats had set the said men on
shore, they sounded, in order to see if the ships should come in closer;
and during this they saw three junks which were coming from the port of
Borneo--from the said city--out to sea, and as soon as they saw the
ships they returned inshore; continuing to sound, they found the channel
by which the port is entered; then they set sail, and entered this
channel, and being within the channel they anchored, and would not go
farther in until they received a message from the shore, which arrived
next day with two paraos: these carried certain swivel guns of metal,
and a hundred men in each parao, and they brought goats and fowls and
two cows, and figs and other fruit, and told them to enter farther in
opposite the islands which were near there, which was the true berth;
and from this position to the city there might be three or four leagues.
While thus at anchor they established peace, and settled that they
should trade in what there was in the country, especially wax, to which
they answered that they would be willing to sell all that there was in
the country for their money. This port of Borneo is in 8 deg..
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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