Before This Happened I Went
Several Times To Visit Mucrob, Who Made Many Fair Promises That He Would
Deal Honestly
By me and be my friend, and that I should have my right.
After his disgrace his friends daily solicited
For him, and at length
got him clear; but with commandment to pay every man his right, and that
no more complaints should be heard against him, if he loved his life. So
he paid every one his due except me, whom he would not pay. I then
entreated him to deliver me back my cloth, that I might if possible end
with him by fair means; but he put me off from day to day with fresh
delays till his departure shortly after; for the king restored him his
place again, and he was to go to Goa about a fair ballas ruby and other
rarities which were promised to the king.
Sec. 3. The Inconstancy of the King, and the Departure of Captain Hawkins
with Sir Henry Middleton to the Red Sea, and thence to Bantam, and
afterwards for England.
All my going and sending to Mucrob Khan for my money and cloth were in
vain, and seeing myself so grossly abused by him, I was forced to demand
justice of the king, who commanded that the money should be brought
before him; yet for all the king's commands, Mucrob did as he liked, and
in spite of every thing I could do or say, he finally cheated me of
12,500 mahmudies which he owed me, besides interest.[193] The greatest
man in the whole country was his friend, who with many others took his
part, and were continually murmuring to the king about suffering the
English to come into the country, saying, that if our nation once got
footing in the country we would dispossess him of it.[194] The king,
upon this, called me before him to make answer to these charges. I said,
if any such matters were done or attempted, I was ready to answer with
my life, for the English were in no respect that base nation that our
enemies represented; and that all these things were laid to our charge
merely because I demanded my due and could not get it. At this time I
used to visit daily the king's chief favourites and nearest relatives,
who spoke to him in my favour, so that he commanded no more such
injuries to be offered me. So, thinking to use my best endeavour to
recover my loss, I spoke to the chief vizier, that he might aid me; but
he answered me in a threatening manner, that if I opened my mouth again
on this subject, he would oblige me to pay 100,000 mahmudies, which
the king had lost in his customs at Surat, to which no persons durst
now trade for fear of the Portuguese, who were displeased because the
king entertained me, and granted licence for the English to trade. Owing
to this I was constrained to be silent, for I knew that my money had
been swallowed up by these dogs.
[Footnote 193: On some other occasions in these voyages, the mahmudy is
said to be worth about a shilling. - E.]
[Footnote 194: This may appear somewhat in the spirit of prophecy, as
the English are now masters of a very large portion of the Mogul empire
in Hindostan. This unwieldy empire broke in pieces by its own weight,
and the original vices of its constitution; after which its fragments
have gradually been conquered by the India Company, whose dominions now
include Delhi and Agra, two of its great capitals, and many of its
finest provinces - E.]
Mucrob Khan was now ordered in public to make ready to depart upon an
appointed day for Guzerat, whence he was to proceed to Goa, and was on
that day to come to court to take leave, as is the custom. At this time
three principal merchants of Surat came to court about affairs in which
they had been employed by the king or the chief vizier. Likewise, some
six days before this, a letter came to the king from the Portuguese
viceroy, accompanied by a present of many rarities; in which letter the
viceroy represented how highly the King of Portugal was dissatisfied at
the English being admitted into the king's dominions, considering the
ancient amity between him and his majesty. After many compliments, the
viceroy stated, that a merchant had arrived at Goa with a very fine
ballas ruby, weighing 350 rotties, of which the pattern was sent. On
coming to take his leave, accompanied by Padre Peneiro, who was to go
along with him, the three Surat merchants being in the presence, Mucrob
Khan made his speech to the king, saying that he hoped to obtain the
great ruby, and many other valuable things, for his majesty from the
Portuguese, if the privileges granted to the English were disannulled;
and besides, that it would occasion great loss to his majesty and his
subjects, if the English were suffered any more to frequent his ports.
In confirmation of this, he called upon the Surat merchants to declare
to his majesty what loss was occasioned by the English, as they best
knew. They affirmed that they were all likely to be undone because of
the English trading at Surat, and that no toys or curiosities would
hereafter come into his majesty's dominions, because the Portuguese,
being masters of the sea, would not suffer them to go in or out of the
ports, because of the licence granted to the English. All this was a
plot concerted by the Portuguese with Mucrob Khan and the vizier, with
the assistance of the jesuits; and by means of these speeches, and the
king's anxiety to procure the great ruby, together with the promises of
the padres to procure many rarities for his majesty, my affairs were
utterly overthrown; and the king commanded Mucrob Khan to inform the
Portuguese viceroy, that the English should not be suffered any more to
come into his ports.
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