By This Means, I Hoped
To Obtain Some Rest, Which I Much Needed, As I Was Very Weak, And Not
Likely To Recover By Daily Travel, And The Use Of Cold Raw Muddy Water.
[Footnote 215:
In the edition of Churchill, the king is said to have
removed twenty-four cosses from Mundu, while in the Pilgrims it is
called only four cosses. - E.]
Richard Steel and Jackson arrived on the 2d November, 1617, with the
pearls and other small matters, which they had brought privately on
shore according to my order, which I received and gave them acquittance
for. I had a conference with Mr Steel about his projects of water-works,
intended to advance the sale of lead, which I did not approve of,
because I knew the character of this people, and that this affair must
be begun at our expence, while after trial we should not enjoy the
profit, but the natives be taught.[216] Besides, it did not promise any
advantages for the sale of our commodity, as the lead would be trebled
in price by land-carriage, and could not be delivered at Agra so cheap
as other lead could be purchased there. Yet I was willing that he should
make a trial, by carrying his workmen to Ahmedabad, and meeting me
there; where, by the aid of Mukrob Khan, who only among these people is
a friend to new inventions, I would make offer to the king of their
inventions, and try what conditions might be procured; but, in my
opinion, it is all money and labour thrown away. The company must shut
their ears against these projectors, who have their own emoluments much
more in view than the profits of their masters. Many things look fair in
discourse, and in theory satisfy curious imaginations, which in practice
are found difficult and fanciful. It is no easy matter to alter the
established customs of this kingdom; where some drink only of rain
water, some only that of a holy river, and others only of such as is
brought at their own cost.
[Footnote 216: This project is no where explained, but might possibly be
intended for conveying water, by means of machinery and leaden pipes,
for the supply of some palace or city in India. - E.]
As for his second project, of inducing the caravans and merchants of
Lahore and Agra, who are in use to travel by Candahar into Persia, to
come by the river Indus and to go by sea in our ships to Jasques or the
Persian gulf it is a mere dream. Some men may approve of it in
conversation, but it will never be adopted in practice. The river Indus
is but indifferently navigable downwards, and its mouth is already
occupied by the Portuguese; while its navigation upwards, against the
stream, is very difficult. Finally, we must warrant their goods, which
cannot be done by a fleet; neither did even the Portuguese transport any
of these goods, excepting only those of Scindy and Tatta, which traded
by means of their own junks, having cartas or passes from the
Portuguese, for which the natives paid a small matter, to secure them
from being captured by the Portuguese cruizers; and the emoluments of
these passes came into the pockets of the chiefs of Diu, Damaun, and
Ormus.
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