The author returns to Maldonada and sails to the kingdom of Luggnagg. He is confined upon arrival but later sent for to court. The manner of his admittance. The King’s great lenity to his subjects.
When the day of our departure finally arrived, I took leave of the Governor of Glubbdubdrib and returned to Maldonada with my companions. We waited a fortnight before a ship was ready to sail for Luggnagg. The voyage lasted a full month and was marked by a violent storm that forced us off course; however, on the 21st of April, 1708, we eventually anchored safely in the harbour of Clumegnig.
Upon landing, I was strictly examined by a customs officer. Some of the sailors had whispered that I was a great traveller, which immediately sparked the official's suspicion. I decided it was prudent to disguise my true nationality and claim I was from Holland, as I knew the Dutch were the only Europeans permitted to enter Japan—my intended destination. I explained that I had been shipwrecked and was now seeking a way home. The officer informed me that I must be confined until he received instructions from the court, a process he expected would take about two weeks.
Although a sentry was placed at my door, I was treated with considerable humanity. I was provided with comfortable lodgings and a spacious garden, all at the King's expense. To facilitate communication with the curious locals who came to visit, I hired a young man from the ship to act as my interpreter. He was a native of Luggnagg and was perfectly fluent in both my adopted language and his own.
The dispatch from the court arrived exactly as expected, containing a warrant to conduct me to the capital, Traldragdubh. Accompanied by my interpreter and a guard of ten horsemen, I set out on a mule. Before my arrival, a messenger was sent ahead to request an audience with the King. In the formal court style of Luggnagg, this meant asking for the honour to "lick the dust before his majesty’s footstool." I soon discovered that this was no mere figure of speech. Upon entering the royal presence, I was commanded to crawl on my belly and lick the floor as I advanced. Fortunately, as a special favour to a stranger, the floor had been meticulously cleaned so the dust was not offensive.
This ritual could be far more dangerous for others. When the King wished to execute a nobleman in a "gentle" manner, he would order the floor to be strewed with a deadly brown powder. Anyone who licked it would infallibly die within twenty-four hours. Despite this, the King was praised for his clemency because he always ordered the floor to be washed thoroughly after such an execution. I even heard of a page who was nearly whipped for forgetting to clean the floor, leading to the accidental poisoning of a young lord whom the King had actually intended to spare.
When I had crawled within four yards of the throne, I knelt and struck my forehead against the ground seven times. I recited the mandatory compliment I had been taught: "May your celestial majesty outlive the sun, eleven moons and a half!" The King appeared delighted. Through my interpreter, I answered his many questions for over an hour. He was so pleased with my company that he ordered his High Chamberlain to provide me with lodgings at court, a daily allowance, and a large purse of gold for my expenses.
I remained in Luggnagg for three months. Although the King grew very fond of me and made several generous offers to keep me in his service, I felt it was more consistent with my duty to return to my wife and family. Therefore, I respectfully declined his invitations and prepared myself for the next stage of my journey.