He Then Said It Was Not Lawful For Any Christian
To Come So Near Their Holy City, Of Which Mokha
Was as one of the gates,
and that the pacha had express orders from the Great Turk to captivate
all
Christians who came into these seas, even if they had the imperial
pass. I told him the fault was his own, for not having told me so at
first, but deluding us with fair promises.
He now gave me a letter to read from Captain Downton, dated long before
at Aden, saying, that two of his merchants and his purser had been
detained on shore,[326] and that they could not get them released,
without landing merchandize, and paying 1500 Venetian chequins for
anchorage. After I had read the letter, the aga desired to know its
purport, which I told him. He then informed me that the ship, since the
writing of that letter, had been cast away on a rock, and all her goods
and men lost. He then commanded me to write a letter to the people in my
large ship to know how many Turks were detained in the small one. I said
that was needless, as he had already sent me word the small ship was
taken. To this he replied, that she was once taken, but the large ship
had rescued her. He then ordered me to write a letter, commanding all
the people of the large ship to come ashore, and to deliver the large
ship and her goods into his hands, when he would give us the small ship
to carry us home. I said it would be folly to write any such thing, as
those who were aboard and at liberty would not be such fools as to
forsake their ship and goods, and come ashore to be slaves, merely for
my writing them. He said he was sure if I wrote such a letter, they
durst not disobey me. When I told him plainly I would write no such
letter, he urged me again, threatening to cut off my head if I refused.
I bade him do so, in which he would give me pleasure, being weary of my
life. He then asked what money we had in the ship, and what store of
victuals and water? I said we had but little money, being only for
purchasing victuals, not merchandize, and that we had enough of victuals
and water for two years, which he would not believe.
[Footnote 326: Besides these, twenty more were treacherously betrayed at
Aden, having leave given them to go onshore for business. - Purch.]
I was now taken out of my chain and collar, having a large pair of
fetters put upon my legs, with manacles on my wrists; and being
separated from the rest of my company, I was bestowed all that day in a
dirty dog-kennel under a stair; but at night, at the entreaty of
Shermall, consul of the Banians, I was taken to a better room, and
allowed to have one of my men along with me who spoke Turkish; yet my
bed was the hard ground, a stone my pillow, and my company to keep me
awake were grief of heart and a multitude of rats.
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