I
Accordingly Landed, Accompanied By Our Merchants And Others, Equipped In
The Best Manner I Could, As Befitting The Honour
Of my king and country.
On landing, I was well received after their barbarous manner, and vast
multitudes of the
Natives followed after me, desirous of seeing a
new-come people whom they had often heard of, but who had never before
visited their country. When I drew near the governor's house, I was told
he was not well, but I rather think he was drunk with affion [or
opium,] being an aged man. I went therefore to the chief customer, being
the only officer to whom sea-faring causes belonged; as the government
of Surat pertained to two great noblemen, one of whom, Khan-Khana, was
viceroy of the Decan,[186] and the other, Mucrob-Khan, was viceroy of
Cambaya or Guzerat, who had no command in Surat except what regarded the
king's customs, and with him only I had to deal.
[Footnote 186: He was only viceroy of the projected conquest of the
Decan. - E.]
I told him that the purpose of my coming to Surat was to establish a
factory there, and that I had a letter from the king of England to his
sovereign for that effect, my sovereign being desirous to form a treaty
of peace and amity with his; so that the English might freely come and
go, and make sales and purchases, according to the usage of all nations;
and finally, that my ship was laden with commodities from our country,
which, according to the intelligence of former travellers, were there in
request. To this he answered, that he would immediately dispatch an
express to his master at Cambaya, as he could do nothing of himself in
the premises without his orders. So, taking my leave, I departed to the
lodging appointed for me, which was at the custom-house. Next morning I
went to visit the governor of the city, to whom I made a present, and
who received me with much gravity and outward show of kindness, bidding
me heartily welcome, and saying that the country was at my command.
After compliments on both sides, I entered upon my main business, when
he told me that my affairs were not in his department, as all sea-faring
or commercial matters belonged to Mucrob-Khan, to whom at Cambaya he
promised to dispatch a footman, and would write a letter in my behalf
both for the unloading of my ship and the establishment of a factory. In
the meantime he appointed me to lodge with a merchant who understood
Turkish, who was my trucheman, or interpreter, being the captain of
that ship which was taken by Sir Edward Michelburn.
In consequence of the great rains and heavy floods it was twenty days
before the messenger returned from Cambaya; in which interval many of
the merchants entertained me in a very friendly manner, when the weather
was such that I could get out of doors; for, during almost the whole
time of the messenger's absence, it rained almost continually. At the
end of twenty days, the messenger came back from Cambaya with the
answer of Mucrob Khan, giving licence to land my goods, and to buy and
sell for the present voyage; but that he could not grant leave to
establish a factory, or for the settlement of future trade, without the
commands of his king, which he thought might be procured, if I would
take a two months journey to deliver my king's letter to his sovereign.
He likewise sent orders to the customer, that all the goods I might land
were to be kept in the custom-house till the arrival of his brother
Sheck Abder Rachim, who was to make all convenient dispatch, on
purpose to chuse such goods as were fit for the king's use. It may be
noticed, however, that this pretence of taking some part of the goods of
all men for the king, is merely for their own private gain. Upon this
answer I made all dispatch to ease my ship of her heavy burden of lead
and iron, which must of necessity be landed, and were placed under the
care of the customer till the arrival of the great man. The time being
precious, and my ship not able to stay long, I sent on board for three
chests of money, with which to purchase such commodities as are vendible
at Priaman and Bantam, being those which the Guzerates carry there
yearly, and sell to great profit. I then began to make purchases, to the
great dissatisfaction of the native merchants, who made loud complaints
to the governor and customer of the leave granted me to buy these
commodities, which would greatly injure their trade at Priaman and
Bantam, supposing I meant only to have bought such goods as were fit for
England. At the end of this business the great man arrived from Cambaya,
who allowed me to ship my purchases.
In a council of all our merchants, respecting the delivery of the king's
letter and the establishment of a factory, it was concluded that these
weighty matters could only be properly accomplished by me, from the
experience of my former travels, and my knowledge of the language, and
as it was known to all that I was the person appointed ambassador for
this purpose. I therefore agreed to remain for these ends, and made all
haste to ship the goods and dispatch the vessel. This done, I called Mr
Marlow and all of the ship's company who were on shore, and acquainted
them with my intentions, directing them all to receive Mr Marlow as
their commander; and to give him all due reverence and obedience as
they had done me. I then accompanied them to the water-side, and bade
them farewell.
Next day, when going about my affairs to wait upon Abder Rachim, I met
ten or twelve of the better sort of our men in a great fright, who told
me that our two barks, with thirty men, and all our goods, had been
taken by a Portuguese frigate or two,[187] they only having escaped.
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