I Signified The Causes Of Our
Having Stopped Their Goods Formerly For Refusing Trade To Sir Henry
Middleton; But Finding
Him now better disposed, and willing to establish
a league of trade and amity, and to take a good quantity
Of our cloth, I
required to know if he were hearty in these motions; and willing to act
as a man of honour; as a pledge of which, I requested him to procure for
us a firmaun from his sovereign, with such privileges as were fit for
merchants, with a royal engagement under his seal to fulfil all the
friendly offers made to us by this officer; desiring this firmaun might
be transmitted to me with all expedition, to my present residence at
the Mogul court. By this, I said, I should be satisfied that they meant
to treat us with good faith, and on its reception, I would undertake, on
the behalf of the king of England, that a firm and lasting peace should
be established with his master, whose subjects should have free passage
on the seas without molestation from our ships; and should send yearly a
ship to trade at his port, or, if desired, should establish a resident
factory there. I have no doubt, either through fear or favour, that some
good sales may be made there yearly, but I doubt of being able to
procure any valuable investments.
In this I proceed cautiously, as all men ought on such occasions, not
with too eager apparent desire, nor swallowing hungrily any offered
conditions, without due assurances. Strict care in the first settling is
of the utmost importance, as you can never mend your first
establishment, and may often impair it. Every man succeeds best at
first, when new and a stranger; for, by the natural levity of these
barbarians, they are fond of changes, and grow weary of things in their
usual train. I have committed this dispatch to the care of Mr Bangham,
whom I have directed to make diligent enquiry into the commodities,
advantages, and inconveniences attendant on our projected trade, and to
make himself acquainted with the humours and affections of the Deccaners
towards us.
On the 30th of April the Persian ambassador sent to excuse himself for
going away without paying his respects to me, alleging illness, but his
messenger said he was not so sick as he pretended; but, finding no
success in his negociations with the king, he had taken his leave, and
made a present of thirty-five horses at his departure. In return, the
king gave him 3000 rupees, which he took in great scorn. Upon which, to
justify himself, the king caused two lists to be drawn up, in one of
which all the presents made by the ambassador were enumerated, with
their values, meanly rated, much lower than their real worth; and, in
the other, all the gifts the king had presented to him since his
arrival, - as slaves, melons, pine-apples, plantains, hawks, plumes of
feathers, the elephant, and not even forgetting the drink he had
received, all charged at extremely high prices, much above their value.
These two lists were laid before the ambassador, with their amounts
summed up, offering him the rest of the money to make up the balance.
Owing to this bad usage, the Persian feigned himself sick of a fever, as
an excuse for not waiting upon Asaph Khan and Etemon Dowlet, for which
reason he could not come through the town to visit me, without
discovering the counterfeit, but desired his messenger to acquaint me
with the truth, which Aganor as freely delivered, and with no small
bitterness against the king, and to which I seemed unwilling to listen.
The ambassador also desired him to assure me that he was ready to serve
my nation in his country, to the utmost of his power. I presented him
with some Alicant wine, and a few knives, to be taken to his master, and
so we parted. The 12th May I received news of a great blow given by the
Turkish army to the Persians, the former having taken and utterly
destroyed Tauris; and that Shah Abbas was unable to keep the field.
On the night of the 25th, a lion and a wolf[211] broke into my quarters,
and gave us great alarm, carrying off some sheep and goats that were in
my court-yard, and leaping with them over a high wall. I sent to ask
leave to kill them, as in that country no person may meddle with lions
except the king. Receiving permission, and the animals returning next
night, I ran out into the court upon the alarm, and the beast missing
his prey, seized upon a little dog before me, and escaped; but my
servants killed the wolf, which I sent to the king.
[Footnote 211: More likely to have been a tyger and hyena. - E.]
The 14th of June, a cabinet belonging to the jesuits was sent up from
Cambay, containing medicines and other necessaries, and a letter, which
were betrayed by the bringer, and delivered to the king. He opened the
cabinet, and sent for the padre to read the letter, and to see every
thing contained in the boxes; but, finding nothing to his liking, he
returned all. I mention this circumstance as a caution to all who deal
in this country, to be careful of what they write or send, as it is the
humour of this prince to seize and see every thing, lest any curiosity
or toy should escape his greed.
The 18th, I had letters from Ahmedabad, advising that indigo had greatly
fallen in price, in consequence of the non-arrival of the flotilla from
Goa. The unicorn's horn had been returned, as without virtue, concerning
which I sent new advice.[212] Many complaints were made concerning Surat
and others, which I do not insert. I received two letters from
Burhanpoor, stating the doubtfulness of recovering the debt due to Mr
Ralph Fitch.
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