We Anchored In Seven
Fathoms, About Half A Mile From The Shore.
The 30th, the nakhadas, or
Indian ship-masters, requested that such of their goods as we wanted
might be
Sorted immediately, that they might not lose the monsoon for
returning to India, offering to bring aboard our ships any packages we
pleased, to be there examined, and to carry back what we refused. The
9th May, I caused two large India ships to be measured, which were of
the following scantlings: - The Rhemi from stem to stern-port, was 153
feet long, her rake aft from the post being seventeen feet, the top of
her sides in breadth forty-two, and her depth thirty-one feet. The
Mahamudi was 136 feet long, her rake aft twenty, her breadth forty-one,
her depth twenty-nine and a half, and her main-yard 132 feet.
The 15th May, the king of Rahayta, a petty prince on the African coast
of the Red Sea, came to Assab to visit Sir Henry and me, riding upon a
cow. He had a turban on his head, from which a piece of periwinkle shell
hung down on his forehead instead of a jewel. He was entirely naked,
except a piece of painted cloth about his loins, and was attended by 150
men, armed with darts, bows and arrows, swords and targets. Sir Henry
and I went ashore, taking with us a guard of 100 men, shot and pikes, to
prevent treachery, lest the Turks might have planned any trick through
his means, under cover of courtesy, and we were loth to let him go back
without an interview, lest we might lose his friendship, and the
refreshments we procured at the port of Assab, which is in his
dominions. We gave him several presents, and, at his particular
entreaty, gave him his fill of aquavitae, so that he could hardly stand.
These people are Mahometans, being black and hard-favoured, with crisp
hair. The king presented us with five bullocks, and promised every
assistance in his power.
This day I got a note of the prices of commodities, as lately bought and
sold at Surat, of the following tenor: - Broad-cloth of twenty pounds
each piece, of several colours, twenty mahmudies the conido, of
thirty-five inches; five mahmudies being equal to one rial of eight,
or Spanish dollar. Kersies, eighty-four mahmudies the piece, being less
than ours cost in England. Lead; the great maund, of thirty-three
pounds, seven one-third mahmudies. Tin, the small maund, of
twenty-five pounds, five and a half dollars. At Dabul, iron sold for
twenty-one dollars the bahar, of 360 pounds. Damasked pieces,[418]
from twelve to eighteen dollars each. Elephants teeth, sixty-five
mahmudies the great maund, of thirty-three pounds. Indigo
cirkesa,[419] three sorts, the best at fourteen rupees, each worth
half a dollar; the second sort, twelve rupees, and the third, eight
rupees for the great maund, of thirty-three pounds. Three sorts of
Lahore indigo, being the best of all, the best, thirty-six, the second,
thirty, and the third, twenty-four rupees for a maund weighing
fifty-five pounds. Charges of bringing it to the water-side, ten in the
100 for the cirkesa, and twenty in the 100 custom for the lahore
indigo.
[Footnote 418: Perhaps these were damasked gun-barrels. - E.]
[Footnote 419: Cirkesa, by others named Serkes and Sherkes, is a village
near Ahmedabab, the capital of Cambaya, or Guzerat, where indigo is
made. - Astl. 466. d.]
The 23d May, the Thomas, having forty-nine men all in health, set sail
for Socotora for aloes, and to go thence for Priaman and Tekoo in
Sumatra, for pepper. The 8th August the Hector sailed for Priaman and
Tekoo, having eighty-eight Englishmen aboard in perfect health, the
monsoon being now favourable. The 10th and 11th all reckonings were
cleared between us and the junks Hassani, Caderi, Mahmudi, Rehemi, and
Salameti. Our whole cargo, including commodities and dollars, bartered
for at this place, did not exceed 46,174 dollars. The two following
acquittances on this occasion will enable the reader the better to
understand the nature of the dealings at this place, in this forced
trade with the India ships.[420]
[Footnote 420: These appear to have been translated by or for Purchas,
the former from Arabic, and the latter from Malabar, as the one has a
subscription and seal in Arabic, and the other a subscription in some
Indian character, yet considerably different from that formerly inserted
in Purchas under the name of Banian. - E.]
In Mokha Roads, in the Red Sea, 10th August, 1612.
Be it remembered, that I, Mahomed Hassan Comal Adin Ashen, captain of
the Hassani of Surat, have bartered and sold to Captain John Saris,
general of the eighth voyage to the East Indies, for the sum of
7400-11/48 rials of eight, in the following goods, viz.
Indigos of all sorts, 86 bales, amounting, with profit,
to rials 3046-7/48
Cambaya cloth, 316 corges, 7-1/2 pieces, amount, &c. 4136
Three carpets, valued at 20
Two cotton quilts, at 80 rials a corge, 8
Rice, butter, ginger, and sugar, amount 53-7/24
For 18 yds. broad cloth, received back in account, 96
Four bales gum-lac, with profit 40-10/24
- - - - -
Sum total of merchandise sold, Rials 7400-11/48
And I have received in payment these following goods,
viz.
Broad cloths, 28-1/2 pieces, amounting, in rials, 4574-30/48
Ten pieces of kersies, 501-1/3
Thirty bahars of lead, 720
Twenty bahars of iron, 480
Four and a half bahars of tin, 679-1/2
Fifteen fowling-pieces, 445
- - - - -
Sum total of these goods received, Rials 7400-11/48
* * * * *
In Mokha Road, in the Red Sea, the 12th August, 1612.
Be it remembered, that I, Nakhada Hassan, captain of the good ship
Caderi of Diu, have bartered and sold to Captain John Saris, &c. for the
sum of 2947-9/10 rials of eight, in these following goods, viz.
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