The Second Is A Relation Of The Ormus War, By Mr W.
Pinder, Who Appears To Have Served Under Andrew
Shilling, during the
preceding voyage, and sailed as master of the Andrew on this occasion.
The third is an account
Of the earlier part of this war of Ormus,
written by T. Wilson, a surgeon serving in the expedition. The fourth is
a more particular relation of the whole events of this expedition,
extracted by Purchas from the journal of Mr Edward Monoxe, agent for the
East Indian merchants trading in Persia. This last has been chosen, as
best adapted to give a distinct view of the expedition, but some
freedoms have been assumed with it, by assisting the narrative from the
other documents in Purchas, already specified." - E.
[Footnote 302: Purch. Pilgr. II. 179s.]
* * * * *
At a consultation held in Swally roads on the 14th November, 1621, a
commission was given by Mr Thomas Rastell, president, and the rest of
the council, of our factory at Surat, to Captains Richard Blithe and
John Weddell, who were bound for Jasques, with five good ships and four
pinnaces. The ships were the London, Jonas, Whale, Dolphin, and Lion,
and the pinnaces the Shilling, Rose, Robert, and Richard. They were
directed to sail with the earliest opportunity for Jasques, keeping
together for their mutual defence against the enemy; and, as the
Portuguese had disturbed the trade, and made sundry assaults on our
ships, killing, maiming, and imprisoning our men, they were authorized
to chase and capture any vessels belonging to the ports or subjects
under the viceroy of Goa; as likewise, if they met any ships belonging
to Dabul, Chaul, or other ports of the Deccan, or to the subjects of the
Zamorin of Calicut, to arrest them, in replacement of goods robbed and
spoiled by these powers, without embezzling any part of their cargoes,
that restitution might be made, after due satisfaction rendered on their
parts. A sixth part of the goods taken from the Portuguese were to be
distributed as prize, the ship and the rest of the goods to remain to
the company; and all the prisoners to be retained, that they might be
exchanged for our countrymen, held by them in miserable bondage. They
were directed to hasten their business and dispatch at Jasques, if
possible within thirty days. And as our enemy under Ruy Frere de
Andrada, was reinforced to six galleons, with other small vessels,
waiting on the coast of Persia in all likelihood to attack our fleet,
they were authorized, both defensively and offensively also, to use all
opportunities or advantages against the Portuguese fleet, even in their
own ports, if approved by a general council of war.
We arrived in Costack roads on the 23d December, about twenty-seven
leagues from Jasques, Ormus being in sight about ten leagues W.N.W. by a
meridional compass. Our factors here informed us, that after our
sea-fight in the former year, the Portuguese governor of Ormus had
erected a fort on Kismis, an island within sight of Ormus, to which the
Persians had laid siege for seven or eight months ineffectually, and had
lost eight or nine thousand men in the siege; wherefore the Khan or
prince of Shiras had, by his ministers, demanded the aid of our ships
against the common enemy, the Portuguese, otherwise threatening to
detain all the goods and money belonging to the company in Persia.
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