The 19th, They Plied Up To The
Entrance Of Our New Channel, Where They Came To Anchor, And Where They
Were Joined By The Two Gallies.
One of their great ships, being too
forward, came too near the sands and grounded, but was soon got off
again.
On this occasion, Mucrob Khan, the nabob of Surat, sent the sabandar and
several others of the principal men of Surat, with a great present of
provisions to the Portuguese, and to endeavour to enter into terms of
peace; but though great policy was used on both sides, they broke off
without coming to any terms. This was done by the nabob to my great
mortification, for he and all the country despaired of my being able to
resist such disproportionate force, and he was therefore willing before
hand to conciliate the viceroy by presents; considering, if I were once
overthrown, his own turn would come next, either to endure a severe
assault, or to make such a peace as the enemy chose to dictate. Peace
was certainly most desirable for the viceroy, that he might restore
trade with the Moguls. Yet, seeing the tractableness of the nabob, and
his apparent earnestness for peace, the viceroy made light of it for the
present, expecting to bring it to bear with great advantage after he had
overthrown us, which he made no doubt easily to accomplish. When this
was performed, he expected to receive great presents, and great
submission from the Moguls to the dictates of the conqueror.
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