_ 65 _ emerged, short in stature, who was a sort of bishop through whom the king ruled in church matters. He embraced the captain at the entrance to this door, where several men were injured and we entered with a great deal of effort. The king was on a dais, reclining on a couch decorated with green velvet cloth below, and a fine mattress on top. Above the mattress was a piece of dazzlingly white cotton cloth, finer than any linen. It also had cushions of the same quality. At his left hand he had a large gold cup the height of a half-almud jar, with a mouth two palms wide [which appeared to be very thick]. Into this jug he threw shreddings of some herbs that these men chew during the heat of the day. This plant is known as betel. On the right side was a gold basin of a size that a man could embrace with his arms, in which there were those herbs, and many silver jugs, and the sky above was completely golden. So, when the captain entered, he bowed, according to the custom of that country, which consists of joining the hands and raising them to the sky, in the way that Christians hold up God. As they raise them they open them and close their fists very quickly. He indicated to the captain that he should go beneath the enclosure where he was. However, the captain did not
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