I Could Plainly Perceive That This Proceeded Only From Affected
Delays On Both Sides, To Give Time For Attaining Their Several Purposes.
The Portuguese Then Proceeded To Complain, As Formerly, Against Ruy
Frere, As If He Durst Have Presumed To Seize And Fortify Kismis Without
Orders From The King His Master.
They alleged also that the affair was
in itself of no moment, being only a barren island with a
Well or two.
To this the Persian general replied, it was of no matter what might be
its value, but they had gone to war against the king of Persia and his
subjects, for which their castle of Ormus must make satisfaction;
wherefore, if they would surrender the castle without any more
bloodshed, they should have good quarter and kind usage. The Portuguese
said they had no commission to treat of any such matter, and so the
conference ended, and they were dismissed.
Notwithstanding of the Portuguese being refused leave to go to the Khan,
they had licence that same night, and were sent over to treat with him
at Gambroon. I could never know the certainty of the proposed treaty,
but shall here insert what I heard reported on the subject. They
proposed, in the first place, to the Khan, to raise the siege, and
permit them to enjoy their city and castle of Ormus as formerly, in
consideration of which, they offered to pay 200,000 tomans in hand, and
the yearly rent they had formerly paid to the king of Ormus, from the
revenue of the custom-house, which, as I have heard, was 140,000 rials
of eight or Spanish dollars yearly. But some said, besides the 200,000
tomans in hand, they offered as much yearly. [306] It was reported that
the Khan demanded 500,000 tomans in hand, equal to L172,418:10:7
sterling,[307] and an yearly rent of 200,000 tomans.
[Footnote 306: A toman, by the data in the text immediately following,
is about seven shillings; hence 200,000 tomans are equal to L70,000
sterling. - E.]
[Footnote 307: At the former computation, this sum is equal to L175,000;
and the conversion in the text gives 6s. 11-3/4d, and a small fraction
more for each toman, being very near 7s. which is more convenient. - E.]
The 2d April, with the aid of the English, the Persians blew up two
other mines, by which a fair and practicable breach was opened, through
which the besiegers might have entered without much difficulty, yet was
there no assault made. Having noticed this carefully, Captain Weddell
went to the Persian general to learn his purposes; when, to excuse the
backwardness of his people, he pretended that the breach was too
difficult to be assaulted with any hope of success. Yet we knew the
contrary, as an English youth, who was servant to the master of the
Jonas, bolder than any of the Persians, had gone up the breach to the
very top of the castle wall, and told us it was as easily ascendible as
a pair of stairs, and broad enough for many men to go abreast. In
representing this to the general, and asking what were his future plans
of proceeding, he told us he would be ready with another mine in three
days. This I believed to be true, for his mining is to procure gold, not
to make breaches, unless breach of promise to us, which he can easily
do; for of late they have not performed any of their engagements, yet
will not this teach us to look to ourselves.
The greatest hurt done by the Portuguese to the Persians in the assault
on the castle, was by means of powder-pots, by which many of the
assailants were scorched and severely burned. To guard against this, the
Khan has now sent over many coats and jackets of leather, as not so
liable to catch fire as their calico coats, quilted or stuffed with
cotton wool. Yet, according to the English proverb, The burnt child
dreads the fire; notwithstanding their leathern coats, none of them are
hardy enough to attempt this new breach, though much easier to enter
than the former, any farther than to pillage certain bales of bastas
and other stuffs which have fallen down from a barricade or breast-work,
thrown up by the Portuguese for defending the top of the breach from the
fire of the Persians.
On the 5th of April the Persian general had news that 100,000 maunds of
powder were arrived from Bahrein. On the 12th, a Portuguese came to the
Persian general, having escaped from the castle, and gave accounts of
the great wants and weaknesses of the garrison, insomuch, that six or
eight died daily of the flux, chiefly owing to their having nothing to
drink, but corrupted brackish water, of which even they have so little
as to be put on short allowance, so that several have died of thirst.
Their only food consists of rice and salt fish, both of which would
require a good allowance of drink. Notwithstanding all this, the Persian
general wastes his time in constructing new mines, of which he has no
less than three in hand at this time, as if he proposed to blow up the
wall all round about, before making any fresh assault. On the night of
the 12th, one of our frigates or barks, which belonged to the London,
being on guard alone, to prevent the escape of the Portuguese frigates,
was clapped on board by two of these at once, but beat them both off. I
know not what might be the loss of the Portuguese on this occasion, but
two of our men were slain, and seven wounded; yet, had not our black
rowers forsaken them, our people might easily have taken the assailants.
The 14th, the Persians sprung another mine, by which a very assailable
breach was made, yet no assault was attempted.
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