The 7th, We Passed Langapatam,
Where The Hollanders Have A Factory Of Which They Are Very Weary,
Having Very Little Trade.
The 8th, we came before San Thome, and on the
9th, before Pullicatt, passing over the shallows above a musket-shot,
where we had only three fathoms water.
At this place two boats came
aboard of us, one from the sabandar, and another from the Hollanders.
The 10th, the sabandar's men brought us a caul, or safe conduct,
allowing us to come safely ashore; on which Mr Brown and I went ashore,
but, by the roughness of the sea, our boat upset, yet, God be thanked,
none of our men were drowned. The sabandar met us, compassionating our
mischance, and appointed us a house, promising to procure us a letter
from the king to the governess Konda Maa.
[Footnote 376: The truth lies between, as Point de Galle is in 5 deg. 51' N.
latitude. - E.]
On the 11th, Jan Van Wersicke, the Dutch president on the coast of
Coromandel, shewed us a caul from Wencapati Rajah, the king of
Narsinga, by which it was made unlawful for any one from Europe to trade
there, unless with a patent or licence from Prince Maurice, and
wherefore he desired us to depart. We made answer, that we had a
commission from the King of England authorizing us to trade here, and
were therefore determined to do so if we could. Upon this there arose
high words between us, but which the sabandar soon ended, by informing
us that the governess would be here in three days, by whose
determination we must be regulated. She came on the 17th, and Captain
Hippon coming then ashore, we made ready to wait upon her, but were
delayed, and informed that she would send for us next day. We strongly
suspected the Hollanders of underhand dealings; and as no one came for
us the next day, we sent to the sabandar, who made answer, that as the
king had granted an exclusive privilege to the Hollanders, it was
necessary for us to apply to his majesty for liberty to trade; but as
this would have required a delay of two months, which must lose us the
monsoon for Patane, and as the Hollanders had prepared to send a present
of two elephants to the king, we resolved to proceed to Patapilly and
Masulipatam, towards which places we set sail.
Arriving on the 20th at Patapilly, the governor sent us a caul, or
licence to land, which we did accordingly, and agreed with him for three
per cent[377] custom, and sent goods on shore, it being determined that
Mr Lucas and Mr Brown should remain there, while I went on with the
ship to Masulipatam, the roadstead of which place was better. We got
there on the 31st, when Zaldechar Khan sent us a licence. We agreed to
send a present to Mir Sumela, a great officer under the king at
Condapoli, and farmer of his revenues, that we might be secured against
the chicanery of the inferior officers.
[Footnote 377: In Purchas it is called three-thirds per cent. which,
in the text, we have changed to three; yet a little farther on it
would appear that four per cent. had been agreed for. - E].
The 20th January, 1612, Cotobara, king of Badaya, or
Lollingana,[378] and Masulipatam, died, and great disturbances were
apprehended; but Mir Masunim wisely prevented any troubles, by
immediately proclaiming Mahmud Unim Cotobara, a young man of great
hopes, son to a brother of the deceased king, who had left no sons. His
uncle had submitted to the authority of the Persians,[379] but the new
king evinced a spirit of independence, and disgraced Mir Sumela, the
fountain of tyranny and oppression.
[Footnote 378: These titles are inexplicable, but in the sequel he
appears to have been king of Golconda. - E.]
[Footnote 379: The Moguls are probably here meant, named Persians by
Floris, because they used the Persian language. - E.]
The governor dealt fraudulently with me in regard to a bargain of cloth
and lead, pretending that he had agreed with me only for 4000 pagodas,
meaning by this dishonesty to have increased the customs from four per
cent. which had been settled, to twelve: and when I insisted upon our
agreed terms, he told me roundly, that he, being a mir, or descendant
of Mahomet, would be believed before any Christian. Being at a loss how
to deal with this dishonest rogue, and not having time to send to the
new king at Golconda for redress, I had at one time resolved to right
myself by force, as there seemed no means of bringing him to reason in a
friendly manner; but, at last, by the intervention of some others of the
Moors at Masulipatam, we came to a kind of an agreement.
Having thus concluded our affairs at Masulipatam, and those at
Pattapilly being likewise ended, and the monsoon being favourable, we
departed for Bantam, where we arrived on the 26th April, 1612. We there
found the Dutch about to remove to Jacatra, in consequence of new and
heavy exactions established by the governor of Bantam, with whom, as we
had no factory there at this time, we made an agreement to pay three per
centum for customs, yet not without some contest. By order of Captain
David Middleton, a factory had been established at Succadania, on the
coast of Borneo, which was continued by Mr Spalding; but, as matters
were carried on there, it seemed more calculated for private interest
than the public advantage of the company. The 1st of June we set sail
from Bantam, and came into the road of Patane on the 22d, where we found
the Bantam, a ship of Enkhusen; from the people of which we were
informed of the manners and customs of the country. We landed on the
26th in great state, taking with us a present to the value of 600
dollars, to accompany our king's letter.
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