Our Ship Lay About Four
Or Five Miles From The Mouth Of The River, From Whence We Had Fifteen
Miles To Travel To Diul, Where The Ambassador Was, So That It Was Late
In The Evening Before We Landed There.
In our way we met a Portuguese frigate or bark, bound for Ormus, on
purpose to prevent any of their ships coming till we were gone.
This
bark went close past our ship, taking a careful review of her, and so
departed. As soon as we were landed, three or four Portuguese came up to
us, asking if we had brought any goods ashore, and such like questions;
but we made them no reply, pretending not to understand their language,
that we might the better understand them for our own advantage, if
occasion served. There then came another Portuguese, who spoke Dutch
very fluently, telling me many things respecting the country and people,
tending to their ill conduct and character, thinking to dissuade us from
endeavouring to have any trade there. Soon after, the officers of the
customs came, and conducted us to the castle, but we could not have an
audience of the governor that night, as it was already late. The
officers, who were mostly banians, and spoke good Portuguese, searched
every part about us for money, not even leaving our shoes unsearched;
and perceiving that we were surprised at this, they prayed us to be
content therewith, as it was the custom of the country. To this I
replied, that though the Portuguese might give them cause for so bad a
fashion, yet English merchants did not hide their money in their shoes
like smugglers.
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