And Whereas You
Allege, You Are Loth To Depart This Road Without Me, I Am More Loth To
Stay Behind, If There Were Any Remedy.
I made a forced agreement with
the pacha at Zenan, that our ships were to absent themselves from this
Road, till all the India ships were come in; and then, at the first
coming of the westerly wind, I and all my company were to be set free.
If they fail to perform with me, then I would have you shew your
endeavours. In the mean time you must have patience, as well as myself.
I would be loth the agreement should be first broken on our side,
without any cause given by them.
For the provision that should have been sent in the jelba, it was my
fault it was not sent, in that I did not urge it to the aga. After your
departure to-morrow, as I desire you to see performed, I will go in hand
with the lading of the goods in the jelba, which shall not be above
three days absent from you. I have promised the ships shall not come
into the roads till the westerly winds be come, which will be a month
hence at the farthest; in the mean time you shall hear from me by
jelbas or boats, which I will send of purpose. I doubt not but there
will be good performance made with me by the Turks, in that my agreement
was made with the pacha and not with Regib aga. If I doubted any new
stratagem, I would have attempted to have escaped away by this time. I
have had, and still have means for my escape, were it not to leave my
people in danger of their lives: Doubt not, if they perform not with
me, when the westerly winds come, but I shall have good opportunity. I
had laid a plot to have escaped, if I could have persuaded Mr Femell,
but he will by no means be drawn to any thing, till he see whether the
Turks will perform or no, and he makes no doubt but to be sent aboard
with the first of the westerly winds, when you shall come to demand us.
You may ride in your quiet road-stead on the other side with all your
ships, till God send us that long-wished-for westerly wind, unless you
get a slatch of wind to carry one of your ships to the bab, to see
if all be well there, and so return back to you. I know that all sorts
of provisions waste apace in the ships; which, God sending me aboard, I
hope quickly to renew.
The 27th March I sent over the Darling to Mokha, at the general's
request, and she returned on the 6th April to Assab road, to deliver the
victuals and other provisions, which had so long been detained by the
Turks, and brought me a very kind letter from the general.
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