Our ships, who returned the compliment by
sending him some presents by messengers of their own. He entertained
these messengers very courteously, promising every thing his country
afforded. The vulgar speech of this people is quite different from
Arabic, but the better sort speak and write Arabic, in which language
their law of Mahomet is written.
Sec. 4. Sir Henry Middleton makes his Escape from the Turks, and forces
them to make Satisfaction.
April 1st, 1611, the Darling departed from Mokha for Assab, having
permission of the aga to come over every ten days to see how I did. This
unlooked-for kindness gave no hopes of being able to work my freedom.
Between and the fourth there came in two great ships of Dabul, which,
with the one here before, belonged to the governor of Dabul, who is a
Persian, and a great merchant, having many slaves. Of these, Malek Ambar
is one, who is in high credit with him, and had the management of all
the goods in the three ships. Ambar is a negro, born in Habash, and
perhaps cost his master fifteen or twenty dollars; but now never goes
out of doors without great troops of followers, like some great
lord.[337]
[Footnote 337: We have here omitted the enumeration of many merchant
ships that arrived from various places, and of a caravan of merchants
from Damascus, Sues, and Mecca, to make purchases from these ships of
India commodities.
