By The Instructions, We
Were Led To Expect Good Store Of Aloes At This Place, But The King Was
Quite Unprovided, And Could Not Furnish Any Before Next August.
And as
we were appointed to go from hence to Aden and Mokha, in the Red-sea, in
case
The monsoon did not serve for Surat, which we were now strongly
dissuaded from by an account of the wrongs done there by treachery to
Sir Henry, I represented that we should find it very chargeable to
remain here or in Delisha roads for six months waiting the monsoon, as
there was no getting to the coast of Guzerat until the end of September.
My opinion was therefore, notwithstanding the bad tidings from Sir
Henry, that we should proceed for Mokha, having with us the pass of the
Grand Signior, which the former ships had not; by which means we would
be able to certify to the company of what avail the pass might be,
taking, care, however, to stand well on our guard, and not to trust any
one ashore without a sufficient pledge. In this way we might ride
securely, and might obtain trade aboard, if not on shore, our force
being able to defend us, or to offend, upon occasion, against any force
that port could fit out. If therefore we found no means of commerce, we
could then avail ourselves of his majesty's commission, in respect of
the violence used against Sir Henry and his company, and so enforce the
vent of our English commodities, or make spoil of their trade and
custom, by not permitting the entry of the Indian ships which were
expected there on the 5th of March; but, till then, I should be very
unwilling to deal with them by force. I considered this to be our best
plan of procedure, as by it our fleet might remain together, and go in
company to Surat when the monsoon would permit, according to our
instructions, our joint force being better able to resist any inimical
attempts. The council agreed to my proposal, so that we concluded to
keep company together, and to proceed for the Red Sea.
We accordingly weighed anchor on the 1st March, and made sail for the
Red Sea. The road of Tammarin has good anchorage in four fathoms, a
musket-shot from the shore; and farther in are three, and three and
a-half fathoms all along the bay, keeping two cables length from shore,
all fair sand, with some stones, the coast being all bold. A
demi-culverin shot may reach the castle from the anchorage, and the
castle is of no strength. The latitude of Tamniarin bay is 12 deg. 35'
N.[409] The king of Socotora advised us, in sailing for the Red Sea, to
keep to the south of Abdal Kuria, as, if we went to the north of that
island, we should be forced over to the Arabian coast, and would find
great difficulty to fetch Cape Guardafui; and, indeed, by experience, we
found it best to keep the Abyssinian, or African shore aboard.
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