Page 357
An. 1686
Raja Laut entertains Captain Swan.
self that he put two men to death in a Town where some of us were with him; but I heard not the manner of it. Their common way of punish- ing is to strip them in this manner, and place them in the Sun; but sometimes they lay them flat on their backs on the Sand, which is very hot; where they remain a whole day in the scorching Sun, with the Moskito s biting them all the time.
This action of the General in offering Captain Swan the punishment of the Thief, caus'd Captain Swan afterwards to make him the same offer of his men, when any had offended the Mindanao men: but the General left such offenders to be punished by Captain Swan, as he thought convenient. So that for the least offence Captain Swan punished his men, and that in the sight of the Mindanaians; and I think sometimes only for revenge: as he did once punish his Chief Mate Mr. Teat, he that came Cap- tain of the Bark to Mindanao. Indeed at that time Captain Swan had his men as much under com- mand as if he had been in a Kings Ship: and had he known how to use his Authority, he might have led them to any Settlement, and have brought them to assist him in any design he had pleased.
Captain Swan being dismissed from the Sultan, with abundance of civility, after about two hours discourse with him, went thence to Raja Laut's House. Raja Laut had then some difference with the Sultan, and therefore he was not present at the Sultans reception of our Captain; but waited his re- turn, and treated him and all his men with boyled Rice and Fowls. He then to'd Captain Swan again, and urged it to him, that it would be best to get his Ship into the River as soon as he could, because of the usual tempestuous weather at this time of the year: and that he should want no assist- ance to further him in any thing. He to'd him al- so, that as we must of necessity stay here some time,