I Said Farther, That I Had No Doubt It Lay In His Power To
Dispatch Me; But If He Did Not Think Proper To Do So, Or If Any Other
Hinderance Was In My Way, I Should On The Morrow Again Apply To The
King.
He desired me not to do so, for the king loved me and had given
orders for dispatching my business, which had been hindered by the
preparations for this feast; but he would now send it to me with all
speed, and do me all manner of service.
Seven months had now been vainly spent in soliciting the signing and
sealing of the articles of amity and commerce, formerly detailed, and I
had nothing but promises and delays, from day to day, and from week to
week. Therefore on the 3d September, the English fleet being hourly
expected to arrive at Surat, I delivered to him a memorial, containing
the articles I desired to have an order for, that they might be observed
in the unloading of the ships. These were, 1. That the presents coming
for the king and prince, should not be opened at the port, but sent up
to court under the seals of the customhouse officers. 2. That
curiosities sent for presents to other persons, and for the merchants to
sell, should also be sent to the court sealed, for the prince to make
the first choice. 3. That the gross merchandize should be landed,
reasonably rated, and not detained at the customhouse, but that the
merchants, on paying the customs, should have full liberty to sell or
dispose of it as they pleased; and that the ships should be fully
supplied with provisions, without paying any custom for the same.
On the 4th, Asaph Khan sent me back my articles, after so long
attendance and so many false promises, some of them altered, and others
struck out, together with a letter, saying there was no need of any
articles, as an order from the prince to trade at Surat was quite
sufficient, he being lord there, and that no grant of trade at Bengal or
Sinde could ever be allowed. Notwithstanding all this vexation, I durst
not change my mode of proceeding, or wholly quit the prince and Asaph
Khan. I therefore drew up other articles, leaving out what seemed
displeasing in the former, and desired Asaph Khan to put them into form
and procure them to be sealed, or else to allow me to apply to the king,
that if he denied me I might leave the country. The substance of these
new articles was as follows: - 1. That all the subjects of the Great
Mogul should receive the English in a friendly manner, suffering them to
land their goods peaceably, and to procure provisions for their money
without paying customs for them. - 2. To have liberty, after paying
customs for their goods, to sell them to any one they pleased, and none
to force them to sell at an under rate.
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