He Appeared To Approve Of This, And Concluded By Saying, As
Our Present Stock Of Commodities Were So Small, The
Portuguese would
only laugh at him and us if we were now admitted to trade, wherefore he
wished us to
Defer all trade till our next coming; but that he was ready
to give us a writing under his hand and seal to assure us of good
entertainment at our next coming, provided we came fully prepared as we
said, and on condition we should leave him a written engagement not to
molest any of the ships or goods of the king of the Moguls, or his
subjects. We agreed to all this, and requested he would allow us to sell
those goods we now had; but which he would by no means consent to, for
fear of offending the Portuguese, as stated before.
We then desired that we might have leave to provide our ship with water,
and other necessary refreshments, for our money, after which we should
depart as soon as possible. To this he said, that as soon as we sent him
the writing he desired, he would send us the one he had promised, and
would give orders to his officers to see our wants supplied; but desired
that the Portuguese might know nothing of all this. Seeing no remedy, we
then desired to know what kinds of commodities he wished us to bring,
and also what were the commodities his country could afford in return.
We were accordingly informed, that the commodities in request in Sinde
were broad-cloths of various prices, and light gay colours, as stammels,
reds, greens, sky-blues, indigo-blues, azures, &c. also elephants teeth,
iron, steel, lead, tin, spices, and money. The commodities to be had
there were, indigo of Lahore, indigo of Cherques, calicoes of all
sorts, pintadoes, or painted chintzes of all sorts, all kinds of
Guzerat and Cambay commodities, with many kinds of drugs. We then took
our leave, and returned to the ambassador's house, whence I sent him a
letter, according to his desire, signed by Mr Salbanke and me, on which
he sent us another, in the Persian language, which is written backwards,
much like the Hebrew, and which was interpreted to us by the ambassador,
in English, as follows:
"WHEREAS there has arrived at this port of Diul, an English ship called
the Expedition, of which is captain, Christopher Newport, and merchants,
Joseph Salbank and Walter Peyton, and has landed here Don Robert
Shirley, ambassador of the king of Persia, who has desired us to grant
them trade at this port under my government, which I willingly would
have granted, but not having brought merchandize in sufficient quantity
to begin trade, and the Portuguese, from whom I reap benefit, refusing
their consent, threatening to go away if I receive the English nation,
by which I should be left destitute of all trade, whence arises those
sums I have yearly to pay to the king, and in default whereof I should
incur his majesty's displeasure, to my utter ruin.
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