They Received Him Very Joyfully On His
Landing, And Presented Me With A Goat, Promising To Bring Us Some More
Goats Next Day For Sale.
I remained ashore all night with a strong
guard, to see that no harm were done to our water; and next day set the
people to work as before:
For, considering the ill usage the general had
met with at Mokha from the Turks, and having no assurance of the honesty
of this people, I was suspicions of what evil the Turks might intend, or
might persuade this people to, against us, even by putting poison into
our water; therefore, I trusted no one farther than I could avoid. This
day was very boisterous, and none of the natives came near us all day. I
continued this night likewise on shore, setting a strong guard to keep
watch.
The 23d, the same people who had been with us before came down, and were
followed by others driving several goats to sell, as they had promised.
I entertained them kindly, making the purser buy their goats, and they
departed in the evening well satisfied, promising to bring us more
daily, which they faithfully performed. This day we completed all our
ships in water. From the 24th to the 29th inclusive, the natives brought
us goats and sheep every day, of which we bought as many as we could
use, paying them to their satisfaction.
The 29th, having the wind at N.N.W. we set sail, being determined to ply
up to the bab with all our three ships, to stop all the Indian ships
that should come this year to the Red Sea, for the purpose formerly
mentioned; but when abreast of Crab island it fell calm, on which we
came to anchor, and I went on shore with a large party of men to cut
wood for fuel. In the afternoon we saw two Jelbas coming over from
Mokha, one of which brought me a letter from the general, dated 15th
January, giving an account of his safe arrival at Zenan with all his
company, except Richard Phillips, Mr Pemberton's boy, who was left sick
at Tayes. This letter, having being kept till the 17th, mentioned the
safe arrival of Mr Fowler and the rest of my company at Zenan. The
general likewise informed me, that God had raised him a friend in the
midst of his enemies, being the Raha,[358] who is next in dignity to
the pacha. This letter made me alter my purpose of stopping the India
ships, lest it might prove injurious to the general and his companions
in captivity, as also to our countrymen trading in the Mediterranean.
[Footnote 358: Probably a typographical error for Kaha, called Cahya
in the narrative of Sir Henry Middleton, and meaning the Kiahya. - E.]
The 7th February, the Trades-increase returned to me in the road of
Assab, Mr Thornton bringing me another letter from the general, desiring
me yet to forbear revenging our manifold wrongs, as he and his company
expected to begin their journey back to Mokha in five days. The 2d
March, a boat from Mokha brought me a letter from the general, stating
that his journey was delayed, and desiring me to forbear taking revenge.
The 5th, I sent the Darling over to Mokha, on which day our general and
his company arrived there. Mr Pemberton found in the road of Mokha a
great ship belonging to Dabul, called the Mahomet. The 11th, fearing
some accident had befallen the Darling, owing to her long absence, I set
sail with the other two ships, meaning to have gone over to Mokha; but
before I reached Crab island, we saw the Darling coming over, on which
we stood back to Assab. In the evening, Mr Pemberton came to me with
twenty-two of the betrayed people of the Trades-increase, and fourteen
of my people belonging to the Pepper-corn. He likewise brought me a
letter from the general, giving me assurance of his enlargement as soon
as the India ships were all arrived, and the wind came round to the
westwards.
The 18th, I stood over to Mokha in the Pepper-corn, and arrived there on
the 19th. Before I had anchored, I had a letter from the general,
giving me to understand that the presence of my ship alarmed the
Dabullians and displeased the aga, wherefore he wished me to go back to
Assab. I immediately sent George Jeff ashore with two letters, by one of
which I gave a brief account of our wants, and my opinion that the Turks
only fed him with false hopes to serve their own purposes. In the other,
written purposely that he might shew it to the aga, I stated, that so
long as he was detained a prisoner, he had no power to command us who
were free, and could not therefore keep us from the road of Mokha, or
from doing whatever we saw meet for ourselves. To these the general
wrote me the following answer:
Captain Downton, your overmuch care may work your own harms, and do me
and my company no good, and therefore take nothing to heart more than is
cause, for I have had and still have my full share. And whereas you
allege, you are loth to depart this road without me, I am more loth to
stay behind, if there were any remedy. I made a forced agreement with
the pacha at Zenan, that our ships were to absent themselves from this
road, till all the India ships were come in; and then, at the first
coming of the westerly wind, I and all my company were to be set free.
If they fail to perform with me, then I would have you shew your
endeavours. In the mean time you must have patience, as well as myself.
I would be loth the agreement should be first broken on our side,
without any cause given by them.
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