They were cautioned not to speak directly to the king. Should they wish to say anything, they were to inform a servant, who would pass it on to a functionary of slightly higher rank, who would then tell the governor´s brother, who would in turn whisper the message through a "speaking-tube" and relay it to the king.
Being forced to participate in a game of Chinese whisper with a foreign ruler doesn´t bode well for the crew of the armada.
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 - Laurence Bergreen)
