We Weighed Again On The Morning Of The 4th, And
Stood Away Before Them, They Following:
But in the afternoon they gave
us over, and hauled in with the land, and at night we directed our
course for Diu.
At night of the 5th, we anchored in fourteen fathoms
near the shore, four or five leagues eastwards of Diu.
The 9th we came to Madafaldebar[84] which is ten or eleven leagues E.
by N. from Diu, the coast between being very fair, and having no unseen
dangers. The depth near Diu is fifteen or sixteen fathoms, halfway to
Madafaldebar twelve fathoms, then ten and nine, but not less; and in
nine fathoms we anchored in a fine sandy bay, on the west side of which
is a river coming from a considerable distance inland. This place is
some five or six miles west from the isles of Mortie[85] The 15th we
set sail to explore the bay of Mohar,[86] having been reported by some
of the people who had belonged to the Ascension to be a good place for
wintering in, or waiting the return of the monsoon for sailing to the
southwards. We accordingly anchored that night in the bay, which is nine
or ten leagues E.N.E. from Madafaldebar, finding the coast and
navigation perfectly good, with ten fathoms all the way, and no danger
but what is seen. I sent my boat ashore, and got twenty excellent sheep
for three shillings each, the best we had seen in the whole voyage. We
found the ruins of a great town at this place, but very few inhabitants.
[Footnote 84: From the indications in the text, this must be Jaffrabat
on the coast of Guzerat, about thirty-one miles E. by N. from Diu. The
name used in the text must be taken from the native language, while that
of modern geography is the Persian, Mogul, or Arabic name of the
place. - E.]
[Footnote 85: Called Searbett in Arrowsmith's excellent map of
Hindostan, eight miles E.N.E. from Jaffrabat. - E.]
[Footnote 86: Called on the margin of the Pilgrims, Moha, Mona, or
Mea; and which from the context appears to be a bay immediately west
from Wagnagur. - E.]
There happened to be an army encamped in the neighbourhood of this
place, and on the 17th, the general sent four men to me, requesting a
conference. I landed on the 21st, and had much conversation with the
general, who greatly desired to have two pieces of ordnance from us,
making many fair promises of favour to our nation, and even presented me
with a horse and furniture and two Agra girdles or sashes; but I refused
him, having none to spare, and needing all we had for our defence. I
presented him in return with two vests of stammel cloth, two firelocks,
two bottles of brandy, and a knife.
The 22d, we saw the four galleons coming towards us, and at nine p.m.
they anchored within shot of where we lay. At sun-rise next morning we
weighed and bore down upon them, and continued to fight them till
between ten and eleven a.m. when they all four weighed and stood away
before the wind. We followed them two or three hours, but they sailed
much better large than we, so that we again came to anchor, and they
likewise anchored about two leagues from us. In this days fight, I
expended 133 great shot, and about 700 small. At sunrise of the 24th we
again weighed and bore down upon the galleons, and began to fight them
at eight a.m. continuing till noon, having this day expended 250 great
shot, and 1000 small. By this time both sides were weary, and we all
stood to sea, steering S. by E. The galleons followed us till two or
three p.m. when they put about and come to anchor. I now took account of
our warlike ammunition, and found more than half our shot expended, the
store of the Hosiander being in a similar situation. We had now
discharged against the enemy 625 great shot, and 3000 small.
Being about four or five leagues from the land, we met with a sand, on
which there was only two or two 1/2 fathoms, laying S.S.E. or thereabout
from Mosa. I went over it in nine fathoms, at which time the two high
hills over Gogo were nearly N. from us. Upon this sand the Ascension
was cast away. Between the main and this sand, the channel is nine and
ten fathoms, and the shoaling is rather fast. We continued steering S.
with the tide of ebb, and anchored in eight fathoms, finding the tide to
set E.N.E. and W.S.W. by the compass. At midnight of the 24th we
weighed, standing S.S.E. and at two p.m. of the 25th we anchored in
seventeen fathoms at high water, full in sight of Damaun, which bore
E.S.E. In the afternoon of the 26th we anchored off the bar of Surat.
The 27th we went to Swally road, when Thomas Kerridge and Edward
Christian came aboard.
On the 6th of January, 1613, the Firmaun from the Great Mogul, in
confirmation of peace and settlement of a factory for trade, came to
Swally as a private letter; wherefore I refused to receive it, lest it
might be a counterfeit, requiring that the chief men of Surat should
come down and deliver it to me, with the proper ceremonials.
Accordingly, on the 11th, the sabandar, his father-in-law Medigoffar,
and several others, came to Swally, and delivered the Firmaun to me in
form, making great professions of respect for our nation in the name of
their king. The 14th we landed all our cloth, with 310 elephants teeth,
and all our quicksilver. This day likewise the Portuguese galleons came
within three or four miles of us.
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