The Vizier Made Me A Sign
To Come Forwards And Make My Obeisance, Which I Did According To The
Custom.
But mark what followed.
A nobleman of high rank, and in great
favour with the king, who was a most intimate friend both of the late
vizier and of Mucrob Khan, having been brought up along with them from
childhood as pages together to the king, made a speech to the king to
the following effect: "That the granting of this licence would be the
ruin of all his majesty's sea-ports and people, as his majesty had been
already certified by several of his subjects: That it was not consistent
with the king's honour to contradict what he had granted to the
Portuguese, his ancient friends: And that whoever solicited in favour of
the English knew not what they were about; or, if they knew, were not
friends to his majesty." Upon this speech my business was again quite
overthrown, and all my time and presents thrown away, as the king now
said he would not allow the English to trade at his sea-ports, owing to
the inconveniences that had already arisen from their trading at Surat.
But as for myself, if I would remain in his service, he would command
that the allowance he had formerly granted me should be given to my
satisfaction. I declined this, unless the English were allowed the
freedom of trade according to his promise; saying that my own sovereign
would take care that I should not want. I then requested his majesty
would be pleased to give me an answer to the letter I had brought him
from my sovereign; but after consulting some time with his viziers, this
was refused.
I now took my leave, and departed from Agra the 2d of November, 1611,
being in a thousand difficulties what course I had best take. I was in
fear lest the Portuguese might poison me for the sake of my goods; it
was dangerous to travel through the Deccan to Masulipatam on account of
the wars; I could not go by land to Europe by reason of the Turks; and I
was resolved not to remain among these faithless infidels. I arrived at
Cambaya the 31st December, 1611, where I had certain news of our ships
being at Surat, to which place I sent a foot-messenger with a letter,
saying that the friars at Cambaya asserted that four large ships, with
certain gallies and frigates, wore preparing at Goa to attack our ships,
and that the Portuguese were contriving treachery against Sir Henry
Middleton; all of which the fathers wished me to apprize him of, which I
afterwards found was a political contrivance to put Sir Henry in fear,
that he might depart.
As for me, my ostensible object was to go home by means of the
Portuguese, as I had promised my wife and her brother, who was now with
us, and to delude him and the friars till I could get away on board our
ships, which I was sure to know by the return of my messenger. In the
mean time I used every endeavour to get away my wife's brother, who
departed two days afterwards for Agra, without once suspecting that I
meant to go in the English ships. Nicholas Ufflet now went from Cambaya
to examine the road; and when two days journey from Cambaya, he met
Captain William Sharpey, Mr Fraine, and Mr Hugh Greete, who were sent to
me at Cambaya by Sir Henry to my no small joy. Wherefore, making all the
haste I could to prepare for my departure, I left Cambaya on the 18th
January, 1612, and got to our ships on the 26th of the same month, when
I was most kindly received and welcomed by Sir Henry Middleton.
We departed from Surat on the 11th February, and arrived at Dabul on the
16th, where we took a Portuguese ship and frigate, out of which we took
some quantity of goods. Leaving Dabul on the 5th March for the Red Sea,
with intention to revenge our wrongs both on the Turks and Moguls, we
arrived there on the 3d April, where we found three English ships, whose
general was Captain John Saris. Having dispatched our business in the
Red Sea, we sailed from thence the 16th August, 1612, and arrived at
Tecu in Sumatra the 19th October. Our business there being ended, we
departed thence on the night of the 19th November, and struck that
night, three leagues off, on a bed of coral, in about three fathoms
water, but by the great mercy of God escaped being lost; yet we were
forced to put back to Tecu to stop our leaks, for which purpose we had
to unload our ship. The leaks being somewhat stopped, and our goods
reloaded, we departed again the 8th December, and arrived at Bantam the
21st of that month.
As Sir Henry did not think his ship, the Trades-increase, in sufficient
condition for going home that season, he was forced to remain and have
her careened. Having closed accounts with Sir Henry to his satisfaction,
I shipped my goods in the Solomon, which came for our voyage,[195] for
saving a greater freight, but could not be admitted in her myself;
Captain Saris, however, accommodated me in the Thomas, and it was agreed
that the Solomon and we were to keep company. We accordingly sailed from
Bantam on the 30th January, 1613, and arrived at Saldanha bay the 21st
April, having much foul weather for near 200 leagues from the Cape. We
here found four ships of Holland, which left Bantam a month before us.
The Hollanders were very kind to us all, and especially attentive to me,
as they had heard much of my favour and high estate at Agra, by an agent
of theirs who resided at Masulipatam. Some eight days afterwards the
Expedition came in,[196] and brought me a letter from your worships,
which was delivered two days after.
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