The Governor However Sent Word, That
It Would Be Proper To Send Two Of Our Men Of Consequence To Wait Upon
The Pacha At Zenan, With The King's Letter And A Present; After Which We
Might Depend Upon Speedy Dispatch To Our Entire Satisfaction.
I approved
of this, and even intended next day to have looked out a proper present;
but next day,
Being the 5th April, the captain of the gallies sent
aboard three letters, which the governor had received the night before,
written by Sir Henry Middleton and Captain Sharpey, who were then at
anchor at Bab-al-Mondub. The purport of these was, that Sir Henry had
come from Surat, where he had little or no trade: That Captain Hawkins,
disgusted with Agra, was aboard with his wife; and that Sir Henry had
brought all the English away, except one man who had gone for England by
land: And, finally, that Sir Henry was come back to be revenged of the
Turk, and wished me to get off my people and goods in all haste. I
therefore altered my determination of last night, and immediately sent
off one of my merchants with a letter to Sir Henry, giving an account of
the proceedings of my voyage, and of our entertainment here; and if he
had not come thus to the Red Sea, I meant to have sent two of my
principal men up to Zenan.
It may be proper to note, that the two India ships, formerly mentioned,
discharged the following goods at Mokha. Lignum aloes, 60 quintals:
Indigo, 600 churles, out of both ships: Sashes of all sorts, or Jong
narrow cloths for turbans, a great quantity: Cinnamon of Ceylon, 150
bahars, each bahar being three churles and a half: Osfar, which is a
red dye, a large quantity: A great store of cloves: A great quantity of
bastas, or white calicos, from 20 to 40 dollars the corge, a corge
being twenty pieces. The price of indigo was from as low as 30, to 35,
40, and 50 dollars the churle.
I wrote on the 7th to the captain of the town, Mahomet Bey, desiring him
to induce the India merchants to barter with me at reasonable rates, for
such commodities as suited us, so as to load one of our ships; by which
Sir Henry Middleton would be satisfied they now meant to deal in a
friendly manner with us, and would be induced to forbear hostilities. At
this time there was a report in the town, that Sir Henry had taken a
jelba or two, coming over with provisions from the Abyssinian side, so
that we durst hardly venture our skiff and gang on shore. This day I had
a letter from the Mami, or captain of the gallies, saying that the
answer from the pacha to the governor was in these words: "Haydar Aga,
You write me that three English ships are come to Mokha for trade,
having the pass of the Grand Signior.
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