Power who may happen to
be thus aggrieved, by application to our king for justice against the
aggressors, and for procuring restitution.
12. That all victuals and provisions, required during the stay of our
ships in the roads of Surat and Swally, shall be free of custom,
provided they do not exceed the value of 1000 dollars.
13. That in all questions of wrongs and injuries offered to us and to
our nation, we shall receive speedy justice from the judges and others
in authority, according to the nature of our complaints and the wrongs
done to us, and shall not be put off by delays, or vexed by exorbitant
charges or loss of time.
On the 24th October, I landed the present intended for the Great Mogul,
which I brought to the tent of the governor of Ahmedabad, who took a
memorandum of all the particulars, as also a copy of our king's letter
to their sovereign. After which, as before agreed upon with the
governor, I sent them back aboard ship: For I had told him, unless his
king would confirm the articles agreed upon, and likewise write our king
a letter, that I would neither deliver the present nor our king's
letter; for, if these things were refused, then was their king an enemy
not a friend, and I had neither present nor letter for the enemy of our
king. At this time, however, I delivered our present to the governor,
and another to his son.
The 14th November, a great fleet of frigates or barks, consisting of
some 240 sail, came in sight. I thought they had come to attack us, but
they were a caffila of merchantmen bound for Cambaya; as there comes
every year a similar fleet from Goa, Chaul, and other places to the
southwards, for Cambaya, whence they bring the greatest part of the
loading which is carried by the caracks and galleons to Portugal.
The 27th I received notice from Mr Canning and Edward Christian, who
were both ashore, that four galleons were fitted out from Goa, and were
coming to attack us, having been in full readiness, and at anchor on the
bar of Goa on the 14th November. The Portuguese fleet came in sight of
us on the 28th; and on the 29th drew near us with the tide of flood. At
two in the afternoon I got under weigh, and by four was about two
cables length from their vice-admiral, fearing to go nearer lest I might
have got my ship aground. I then opened a fire upon him, both with great
guns and small arms, and in an hour had peppered him well with some
fifty-six great shot. From him we received one small ball, either from a
minnion or saker, into our mizen-mast, and with another he sunk our
long-boat, which we recovered, but lost many things out of it.
The 30th at day-light, I set sail and steered among the midst of the
Portuguese fleet, bestirring ourselves manfully, and drove three of
their four ships aground on the bar of Surat; after which I anchored
about nine a.m. This morning the Hosiander did good service, coming
through also among the enemy's ships, and anchored beside me. At the
tide of flood, the three ships that were aground floated. We then
weighed and made sail towards them, they remaining at anchor. On getting
up to them, we spent upon three of them 150 great shot, and the morning
after some fifty more. At night, we gave the admiral a salute from our
four stern guns as a farewell; in return for which he fired one of his
bow guns, a whole or demi-culverine, the shot from which came even with
the top of our forecastle, went through our Davie, killed William
Burrel, and carried off the arm of another of our men. The Hosiander[81]
spent the whole of this day in firing against one of the ships that was
aground, and received many shots from the enemy, one of which killed
Richard Barker the boatswain.
[Footnote 81: Nathaniel Salmon of Leigh was master of the
Hosiander. - Purch.]
Night coming on, we anchored some six miles from the Portuguese ships;
and at nine p.m. they sent a frigate down towards us, which came driving
right athwart halse of the Hosiander, and being discovered by their
good watch, was speedily saluted by shot. The first shot made them hoist
sail, the second went through their sails, and, they immediately made
off.[82] Their intention certainly was to have set our ships on fire, if
they had found us off our guard.[83]
[Footnote 82: This frigate was sunk by the shot, as I was assured by Mr
Salmon the actor, and eighty of her men were taken up drowned. - Purch.]
[Footnote 83: On this occasion the Portuguese had four great galleons
and some twenty-six frigates, or armed barks. In these fights they lost
all their quondam credit, and 160 men, or as others say 500; and the
English settled trade at Surat in spite of all their efforts. - Purch.]
We remained at anchor all the first December, the Portuguese not coming
to us nor we to them; though they might easily have come to us without
danger from the sands, but not so we to them. This day I called a
council, and it was concluded to go down to the south, that we might
have a broader channel, hoping that the galleons would follow us. We
accordingly went down some six or seven leagues on the 2d, but they did
not follow us; wherefore on the 3d we stood up again, and anchored
fairly in sight of them.
