In Regard To The Fourth, Reservation
Was Made As To The Two Principal Portuguese Captains, Ruy Frere, Captain
Of Kismis Castle, And Simon De Mela, Governor Of Ormus, Till The King's
Pleasure Were Known.
Other articles were agreed upon; such as that no
change was to be made in regard to religion, and the expence of military
stores was to be divided.
The Khan and Mr Bell signed these articles;
and presently our goods were laden upon the Khan's own camels at free
cost, which could not be procured before for any money.
[Footnote 303: This assuredly alludes to Ahwas in Khosistan, to the N.W.
of the lower Euphrates, opposite to Bussrah, which, though not in
Arabia, is in its immediate neighbourhood, and principally inhabited by
people of Arabian origin. - E.]
The 10th of January we returned to Costack, and going on board,
acquainted our commanders with the success of our mission. When the news
of this agreement became known among the several ships companies, they
consulted among themselves, and with one voice refused to take any share
in the business. This broke out first in the London, in which ship fifty
or sixty of her crew took part in refusing to have any thing to do with
this warlike measure; but, after taking much pains to reconcile them to
the propriety and necessity of joining with the Persians, Captain Blithe
at last prevailed with them, and they promised to go with him wherever
he chose to lead them. In a day or two, the flame of discontent and
opposition spread among the other ships, alleging that it was no
mercantile business, and that it might lead to a breach of the peace
between our nation and Spain; but formal protests being taken against
the crews, what with the fear of forfeiting their wages, and a promised
gratification of a month's pay, they all at last yielded.
We set sail for Ormus on the 19th of January, and anchored on the night
of the 22d before the town, about two leagues from the castle, expecting
that the enemy's armada would come out to fight us, consisting of five
galleons, and some fifteen or twenty frigates, or armed barks; but they
hauled in so near the castle, that we could not get nigh them. For which
reason, and because our avowed enemy, Ruy Frere de Andrada, was in his
newly-erected castle of Kismis, we sailed to that place, where we
arrived the next day, and were just in time to save the lives of the
Portuguese, who were no longer able to hold out against the Persians,
and were willing rather to yield to us than them. After many meetings
and treaties, they yielded up both themselves and their castle into our
hands on the 1st February, it being concluded that the whole garrison
was to depart with their private property to any place except Ormus,
their commander only remaining in our hands as a pledge for the
fulfilment of the capitulation. In this service two of our people were
slain, one of whom was Mr Baffin.[304]
[Footnote 304: Mr Baffin was a mathematician and mariner, to whom our
northern and north-western voyages are much indebted. - Purch.
Hence almost certainly the person to whom Baffin's bay, in the
north-east of America, owes its name. - E.]
There were about a thousand persons of all sorts in this castle, of whom
the Portuguese and some Mahometans were sent away: But the Khan required
certain Mahometans to be given up, who he pretended had revolted from
him. They were accordingly delivered up, and, though he had formerly
promised them mercy, he put them all to death. This castle had seventeen
pieces of ordnance, one of which was a brass pedro, two iron
demiculverins, four brass sackers, two iron minions, and six iron
falcons.[305]
[Footnote 305: On a former occasion, we have given an account of the
various kinds of ordnance used about the 17th century. The pedro was
probably a gun of large calibre for throwing stone bullets. In modern
times, cannon are designated by the weights of their respective balls,
in combination with their being long or short, land or sea, field or
garrison, single or double fortified, iron or brass. - E.]
Leaving some Englishmen to assist in keeping possession of this fortress
along with the Persians, according to agreement, we set sail on the 4th
February for Gambroon, on the mainland of Persia, within three leagues
of Ormus, and directly opposite. Ruy Frere de Andrada, the late
commander of Kismis, was sent off for Surat, in the Lion, accompanied by
the Rose and Richard. The London, Jonas, Whale, and Dolphin, with the
two prizes of 250 tons each, remained to transport the Persians in
safety to Ormus. We were royally feasted at Gambroon by the Khan, who
was much dissatisfied that Andrada and some of the Moors had not been
delivered up to him, yet dissembled his discontent, in regard of his
farther need for our ships in the enterprise against Ormus. After the
feast, all the English gentlemen present were presented with vests, each
according to his rank.
On the 9th of February we set sail for Ormus, having about two hundred
Persian boats of all sizes, besides two frigates or barks, and our
ships, having in them about 2500 or 3000 Persian soldiers, of various
sorts. We anchored that night about two leagues from the castle; and
next forenoon all the Persians were landed on the island of Ormus, a
little way from the town, to which they marched in a confused manner,
penetrating as far as the Meidan, or market-place, without resistance.
The market-place was barricadoed and defended for some time by the
Portuguese with shot and pikes; but the Persians soon made way, with
small loss, and drove the Portuguese before them into the castle, like
so many sheep. One Persian only, who first entered, was slain by a pike,
and he who slew him soon lost his head, his heels being too heavy to
carry it away.
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