The Letter To The Sabander Thanked Him For Refusing To Allow
The English To Trade At Surat, Willing Him To Continue The Same Conduct,
Which Would Do Great Service To The King Of Portugal, And For Which He
Should Be Rewarded.
This day came sundry carts laden with provisions
from Surat, bought there for us by Nicholas Bangham.
The 24th, accounts on both sides being cleared, and business finished,
the pledges on either side were released. They now promised to deal with
us for the rest of our commodities, but after waiting till the 26th,
they did nothing worth notice. The 27th a Jew came on board, bringing me
a letter from Masulipatam, dated 8th September, from Peter Floris, a
Dantzicker, employed by the company, shewing his setting out in
February, his speedy and safe passage, and his arrival at Masulipatam in
the beginning of September.
The 2d January, 1612, I wrote to Captain Hawkins, and sent to him
Captain Sharpey, Hugh Fraine, and Hugh Gred, to set his mind on some
better course than he seemed to be in when he wrote me on the 28th
December; also desiring them to buy some indigo and other commodities,
if they could be had at reasonable rates.
The 26th, Captain Hawkins and Captain Sharpey with the rest, came
towards where we lay, leaving their carriages five miles from the
water-side. I landed with 200 armed men and went to meet them, about
three miles off, to guard them and their goods from the Portuguese, who
I doubted might attempt to intercept them, and brought them all in
safety aboard without seeing any thing of the Portuguese. The 27th I
sent John Williams, one of our factors, to Surat on business. Some days
before, Mocreb Khan sent for Mr Jourdayne, desiring his compliments to
me, and that he was now going out of town for two or three days, to meet
a great commander who was coming from the Deccan wars; but that on his
return he would be as good as his word, in regard to the establishment
of our factory. He came back on the 27th, when he again sent for Mr
Jourdayne, whom he asked with an angry countenance what he did in Surat,
and wherefore the English were not all gone? His answer was, that he
staid on his word and promise to have a factory allowed us. He angrily
answered, we should have no factory there, and that the long stay of the
English ships had hindered him in his customs to the tune of a million
of Manuveys,[342] and commanded him therefore, in the king's name, to
be gone with all speed, as there were neither factory nor trade to be
had there by us. John Williams returned this morning, and two carts came
from Surat with provisions. The 29th I sent for the factors to hasten
away from Surat, as I meant to set sail.
[Footnote 342: This seems an error for mamudies, the Surat currency in
the former narratives of Hawkins and others.
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