On The Receipt Of This
Letter, As The Messenger Told Me, The Proud Rascal Vapoured Exceedingly,
Most Vilely Abusing Our King, Whom He Called A King Of Fishermen, And Of
A Contemptible Island, Whose Commission He Despised; And Scornfully
Refused To Send Me Any Answer.
[Footnote 187:
These frigates could only be small armed boats, otherwise
the English in the barks could not have been found fault with for not
fighting. - E.]
[Footnote 188: This not fighting was upbraided to our men by the Indians
as much disgrace; but was since recovered with interest, by our
sea-fights with the Portuguese. - Purch.]
I chanced, on the following day, to meet the captain of one of the
Portuguese frigates, who came on business ashore from the captain-major;
which business, as I understand, was to desire the governor to send me
to him as a prisoner, because we were Hollanders. Knowing what he was, I
took occasion to speak to him of the abuses offered to the King of
England and his subjects. He pretended that these seas belonged to the
King of Portugal, and no one ought to come there without his licence. I
told him, that the seas of India were as free to subjects of England as
to those of Spain, and that the licence of the King of England was as
valid as that of the King of Spain, and whoever pretended otherwise was
a liar and a villain; and desired him to tell his captain-major, that in
abusing the King of England he was a base villain, and a traitor to his
own king, which I was ready to maintain against him with my sword, if he
dared to come on shore, whereto I challenged him. Seeing that I was much
moved, the Moors caused the Portuguese to depart. This Portuguese came
to my house some two hours after, and offered to procure the release of
my men and goods, if I would be liberal to him. I entertained him
kindly, and gave him great promises; but before he left the town, my men
and goods were sent off for Goa.
I had my goods ready about five days before I could get a clearance to
ship them, waiting for the arrival of Abder Rachim, which was the 3d
October; and two days afterwards the ship set sail. I was now left in
Surat with only one merchant, William Finch, who was mostly sick, and
unable to go abroad to do any business; all the rest of my attendants
being two servants, a cook, and a boy, which were all the company I had
to defend us from so many enemies, who went about to destroy us, and
endeavoured to prevent my going to the Great Mogul. But God preserved
me, and in spite of them all, I took heart and resolution to proceed on
my travels. After the departure of our ship, I learnt that my men and
goods had been betrayed to the Portuguese by Mucrob Khan and his
followers; for it was a laid plot by Mucrob Khan and the Jesuit Peneiro,
to protract time till the Portuguese frigates might come to the bar of
Surat, which was done so secretly that we never beard of them till they
had taken our barks.
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