His Answer Was, That He
Staid On His Word And Promise To Have A Factory Allowed Us.
He angrily
answered, we should have no factory there, and that the long stay of the
English ships had
Hindered him in his customs to the tune of a million
of Manuveys,[342] and commanded him therefore, in the king's name, to
be gone with all speed, as there were neither factory nor trade to be
had there by us. John Williams returned this morning, and two carts came
from Surat with provisions. The 29th I sent for the factors to hasten
away from Surat, as I meant to set sail.
[Footnote 342: This seems an error for mamudies, the Surat currency in
the former narratives of Hawkins and others. - E.]
Sec. 6. Voyage from Surat to Dabul, and thence to the Red Sea, and
Proceedings there.
The morning of the 9th February, 1612, we warped the Trades-increase
over the sands from the road of Swally, which, if we had not done this
tide, we had lost the whole spring. This road is in the latitude of 20 deg.
57', and the variation is 16 deg. 30'.[343] The morning of the 11th we
sailed for Surat road, and anchored there in the afternoon beside a new
ship belonging to Surat, just launched and come out of the river, and
bound for the Red Sea. Surat road is in lat. 20 deg. 40'.[344] We weighed
anchor on the 12th, and anchored two leagues south from the road beside
a ship of Calicut bound for Surat, out of which I took a pilot for
Dabul. We sailed again on the 13th, and at six in the evening of the
16th we arrived in the road of Dabul, in lat. 17 deg. 42', [17 deg. 45'] N.
[Footnote 343: Swally road, a little way north from the mouth of the
Taptee, or Surat river, is in lat. 21 deg. 7' N. long. 72 deg. 49' E. We have no
account in the original of having removed there, but that probably is
owing to the negligence of Purchas in abbreviating. - E.]
[Footnote 344: The parallel of 21 deg. N. runs through Surat roads, while
the latitude in the text falls far to the south of Surat river. The
difference of latitude assigned by Sir Henry between Swally roads and
Surat roads, supposing that of the preceding note for Swally accurate,
which we believe is the case, as taken upon the authority of the latest
and best map of India, Arrowsmith's, would place the best anchoring
ground of Surat roads in 20 deg. 50', which likewise is much too far
south. - E.]
The 17th I sent ashore the Malabar pilot, with a letter I had got when
at Mokha from Malek Ambar to the governor, desiring him to use me well,
and to trade with me if I came to that place. In the afternoon, both the
governor and Malek Ambar sent me a small present of refreshments, with
many compliments, offering me every thing the country afforded, and to
deal with me for my commodities if I chose to send on shore for that
purpose. I accordingly sent two of my merchants with a good present, who
were kindly welcomed and well entertained while there. The 18th, 19th,
and 20th, were spent in the sale of goods, boats going every day between
the ship and the shore, the particulars of which I refer to the
merchants accounts, as not fit to be here expressed. By the 23d we had
delivered all the goods bargained for, and had no farther hope of sales
at this place.
The 24th I called a council of my principal officers and merchants, to
consider what was best for us to do; whether to proceed for Priaman,
Bantam, and the Spice islands, or to return to the Red Sea to meet the
ships of India, and, as they would not deal with us at their own doors,
after we had come so far with commodities only vendible there, I thought
we should do ourselves some right, and them no wrong, to cause them to
barter with us, we taking their indigos and other goods at what they
were worth, and giving ours in return. All were of this opinion for the
following reasons: 1st, The putting off our English goods, and getting
others in their place fit for our country; 2d, to take some revenge of
the great wrongs suffered from the Turks; 3d, to save a ship, with her
goods and men, which we heard were bound there, by letters received from
Masulipatam, and which we thought could not possibly escape being
betrayed as we had been.
Having concluded to return to the Red Sea, we were employed till the
27th in getting fresh water aboard, and taking back our red-lead, which
we had sold and delivered at Dabul, but they disliked. In the evening we
saw a sail in the offing, which some Malabar vessels beside us said was
a Portuguese ship of Cochin bound for Chaul; on which I sent the
Pepper-corn, Darling, and Release, to bring her in, which they did on
the 28th. Finding my people in the Release had pillaged the Portuguese
vessel, I took every thing away from them, and gave them back to the
owners. Her lading was mostly cocoa-nuts, and I took some small matter
out of her.
Continuing our voyage for the Red Sea, we got sight of the island of
Socotora on the 24th of March, and at four p.m. the point of Delisha
bore S.S.W. six leagues distant. From noon of the 24th till noon of the
25th, we steered N.W. by W. and W.N.W. and W. all night, thinking by
day-light to have been near the westermost part of the island; but we
found we had gone little a-head, although we had a fair wind, owing to a
strong current against us.
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