The 29th Of July, Four Persons Arrived As Ambassadors, Accompanied By My
Man Wengali.
These men came from Wencatad Rajah, the great king of
Narsiaga or Velore,[392] bringing me a caul, or
Safe conduct and
licence, with an Abestiam, which is a white cloth on which the king's
own hand is printed in sandal or saffron; as also a caul from the queen
of Pullicatt, together with letters from Jaga Rajah, Tima Rajah, Assa
Condaia, and others. The king's letter was written on a leaf of gold, in
which, after apologising for the former faults committed against us in
Pullicatt, he desired us to return into his country, and chuse a place
to our own liking, where we might build a house or castle according to
our own pleasure, with other privileges. He even gave me a town of about
400 pounds of yearly revenue, with a promise to do more for me at my
arrival. The Hollanders had wrought much against this; but their words
had not now so much force, and the inhabitants grieved to see the
English ships passing by every year without any profit to them, and
therefore, making their complaints to the king, had occasioned these
friendly offers. My man Wengali had been in the presence of the king,
and even had spoken with him, the king having laid his hand on his head,
and presented him with a tesseriffe.[393] I kept the ambassadors with
me, allowing their daily charges, till the ship might come into the
road, and that I had time to consider the proposals.
[Footnote 392: Narsinga appears at this place equivalent to the
Carnatic, and Velore seems to have been the residence of the king. - E.]
[Footnote 393: In all probability a dress, the ordinary mark of honour
given by princes in the east. - E.]
In August there was a greater flood at Narsipoor than had ever been
known, at least for the last twenty-nine years. So much so, that whole
hills of salt, many towns, and vast quantities of rice, were swept away,
and many thousands of men and cattle drowned. In this great inundation,
the water was three yards deep on the common highways. In Golconda,
which has a branch of this river that is dry in summer, above 4000
houses were washed away. Two stone bridges, one of nineteen and the
other of fifteen arches, as artificially built in my judgment as any in
Europe, which are ordinarily at least three fathoms above the water,
were three feet under water on this occasion, and six arches of the
nineteen were washed away. This bridge might well compare with the one
at Rochester in England.
The 4th October, our ship having been new sheathed, came over the bar
without hurt, being hitherto detained by foul weather. I now called
loudly for payment of the debts due me, and wrote on the subject the
third time to the court, insisting to be paid both principal and
interest. Upon this they wrote to Mir Mahmud Rasa and the Sabandar to
satisfy me. The 23d the ship came into the road of Masulipatam, and I
took order for having our goods shipped. On the 25th, news came of the
death of Wencatad Rajah, king of Narsinga, after having reigned fifty
years, and that his three wives, of whom Obyama, queen of Pullicatt,
was one, had burned themselves alive along with his body. Great troubles
were dreaded on this occasion, and the Hollanders were much afraid of
their new-built castle at Pullicatt; but soon afterwards there came a
reinforcement to its garrison of sixty-six soldiers, by a ship named the
Lion. She arrived from Bantam on the 1st November, bringing news that
the Dutch ship called the Bantam had been cast away in the Texel, as
likewise the White Lion at St Helena. She brought us likewise
intelligence that our ship, the James, had arrived at Bantam, whence she
had sailed for Patane.
Finding the governor had trifled with me, and procrastinated the payment
of his debt, so that we were in danger of not being able to return that
year, I determined upon endeavouring to carry him or his son aboard our
ship, however dangerous the attempt, as the whole company engaged to
stand by me in the attempt. Wherefore I ordered the boat aboard, and to
bring six muskets on shore, wrapped up in the sails, to lie in the
custom-house till we might have occasion for them. Besides, as we were
not permitted to have any weapons ashore, I gave orders for all our
people to remain at home in our house, that they might be ready to join
me at the custom-house when sent for, when they were to arm themselves
with the pikes belonging to the governor's guard, or his sons, with
instructions to enter then immediately into the custom-house, which
stands close to the river, and then to barricade the door, that we might
carry the governor or his son into the boat, before any alarm could be
given in the town; and after getting them into the boat, we thought
there would then be no fear of our getting them and ourselves off.
Though we wished to have kept this matter a close secret, it yet got to
the ears of the Hollanders, who considered it a mere bravado, and did
not therefore reveal it. The 21st November the Gentiles [Gentoos] held a
solemn feast, which they celebrate three times a-year, always when the
new moon happens on a Monday. At this time all the men and women wash
themselves in the sea, thinking, thereby to merit indulgence. The
Bramins and Cometis do this likewise.
On the 24th I again demanded my money from the governor, and in very
angry terms, he having already put me off seven months beyond our
bargain. I also asked Mir Mahmud Rasa, why he did not help me, pursuant
to the orders of the court; on which he laughingly answered, that we
would talk of that at the custom-house, when my anger was over.
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