These His Doubts And Fears Were Increased By A Knavish Device Of
The Subtle And Lying Jesuits; Who, Taking Advantage
Of my refusal to
fight against the Portuguese without cause, at Damaun or elsewhere,
pretended with the nabob that they
Had a letter from the viceroy,
saying, That he and his friends the English meant to join their forces
and come against Surat. This devilish device gave much hindrance to our
business, by occasioning continual doubt in the nabob's mind of our
friendly intentions; and unfortunately likewise, Mr Aldworth had
strengthened these doubts and fears, though ignorant of the lying
inventions of the jesuits; for, thinking to mollify their rigour, he
rashly advised them to beware, lest their ill usage might force us to
join with the Portuguese against them. We likewise believed that the
order of the nabob, forbidding the people to trade with us on board,
proceeded entirely from his desire to thwart us: But we afterwards
learnt, by letter from Thomas Kerridge, that Mucrob Khan, and all other
governors of sea-ports, had express orders from the Mogul, not to allow
any trade with us till they had first chosen and purchased, for the
king's use, all kinds of strange and unusual things we might have to
dispose of.
On the 3d I called a council to deliberate concerning our business, and
especially how far we might proceed in aid of the natives against the
Portuguese, for which purpose we carefully examined our commission and
instructions. We also arranged the appointments of the merchants for
their several places of employment, both such as were to remain in the
factory at Surat, and those who were to proceed on the voyage. This day
likewise, sixty bales of indigo, and eleven packs of cotton-yarn, came
aboard from Surat, being goods that belonged to the twelfth voyage.
It was my desire to have been ashore among our merchants, that I might
assist in arranging our business at Surat; and this the rather because
of the turbulent, head-strong, and haughty spirit of - - ,[126] who was
ever striving to sway every thing his own way, thwarting others who
aimed at the common good, and whose better discretion led them to more
humility. But such was the uncertain state of our business, partly owing
to the nabob and his people, and partly to the Portuguese, who I heard
were arming against us; and besides, because I understood that the nabob
proposed to demand restitution for the goods taken by Sir Henry
Middleton in the Red Sea, at under rates, as they say, though I know
they had goods for goods even to the value of a halfpenny. On all these
accounts, therefore, I thought it best to keep nearest my principal
charge, referring all things on shore to the merchants of my council, in
most of whom I had great confidence.
[Footnote 126: This name is left blank in the Pilgrims, probably because
Purchas, a contemporary, did not wish to give offence.
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