If I Had
Permitted Them To Be Gone, I Should Have Lost All Means Of Sending To Or
Hearing From Our People Ashore, As The Portuguese Used Their Endeavours
To Intercept All Letters And Messengers.
The 22d, the Portuguese laid an ambush to intercept some of my men that
were sent on shore, and, on seeing an advantage, broke out upon them in
great numbers, confusedly running towards my men and boats.
They
discharged their shot at us, and we at them, both such of my men as were
on shore, and those also in my frigate,[341] which rowed close to the
land. All my men retired in safety to my boats and frigate, and the
Portuguese retired, with some hurt, behind the sand hills, out of shot,
and so, in worse case than they came, returned to their frigates. There
were of them seven ensigns, and might be about three hundred men. At the
time when these came upon us by land, five of their largest frigates,
which rode a little way off to the northward, came up towards us, firing
at us, but far out of shot. Returning with our boats and frigate to the
ships, I consulted with Captain Downton and others what course to take,
and it was thought best to bring the smaller ships out to where the
Increase lay. The 8th November, Nicholas Bangham came from Surat with
some refreshments, and news that Mocreb Khan was soon expected. This day
the son of the Portuguese viceroy came into the river with 100 frigates,
most of them being merchant grabs bound for Cambaya.
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