If I Had Not Done This I Had Surely Been
Overthrown, As The Portuguese Of Damaun Had Induced An Ancient
Friend of
theirs, a Hajah, who was absolute lord of a province called Cruly,
situated between Damaun, Guzerat, and the
Deccan, to be ready with 200
horsemen to intercept me; but I went so well provided with a strong
escort, that they durst not encounter me; and for that time also I
escaped. Then at Dayta,[190] another province or principality, my
coachman having got drunk with some of his kinsmen, discovered that he
was hired to murder me. Being overheard by some of my soldiers, they
came and told me that it was to have been done next morning at the
commencement of our journey, as we usually set out two hours before day.
Upon this notice, I examined the coachman and his friends, in presence
of the captain of my escort. He could not deny the truth, but would not
reveal who had hired him, though much beaten; and cursed his bad luck
that he could not effect his purpose. So I sent him back prisoner to the
governor of Surat. My broker or interpreter afterwards told me, that
both he and the coachman were hired by Mucrob Khan, by the persuasion of
the Jesuit, the one to poison and the other to murder me. The
interpreter said he was to receive nothing till the deed was done, which
he never meant to perform, being resolved to be faithful. Thus God again
preserved me. This was five days after the commencement of my journey,
having left Surat on the 1st February, 1609.
[Footnote 189: The names of places in Hindustan are often very much
corrupted in the early voyages and travels, so as sometimes to be
unintelligible. Burhampoor, or Boorhanpoor, in Candeish, is certainly
the place indicated in the text, about 260 English miles almost due east
from Surat. - E.]
[Footnote 190: Neither Cruly nor Dayta are to be found in our best
modern map of Hindostan by Arrowsmith. It may be noticed on this
subject, that most places in Hindostan have more than one name; being
often known to the natives by one name in their vernacular language,
while another name is affixed in Persian, by the Mogul conquerors. The
names of places likewise are often changed, at the pleasure of
successive possessors; and the continual wars and revolutions have made
wonderful changes in the distribution of dominion, since this journey of
Hawkins. - E.]
Continuing my journey for Burhanpoor, some two days after leaving
Dayta, the Patans who had hitherto escorted me went back, leaving me
to be forwarded by another Patan captain, who was governor of that
lordship, by whom I was kindly entertained. His name was Sher-Khan,
and having been some time a prisoner among the Portuguese, and speaking
that language fluently, he was glad to do me service, being of a nation
that is in great enmity to the Portuguese. He escorted me in person with
forty horsemen for two days, till we were past the dangerous places;
during which time he encountered a troop of outlaws, of whom he took
four alive and slew eight, all the rest escaping.
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