I Have No Doubt, Either Through Fear Or Favour, That Some
Good Sales May Be Made There Yearly, But I Doubt Of Being Able To
Procure Any Valuable Investments.
In this I proceed cautiously, as all men ought on such occasions, not
with too eager apparent desire, nor swallowing hungrily any offered
conditions, without due assurances.
Strict care in the first settling is
of the utmost importance, as you can never mend your first
establishment, and may often impair it. Every man succeeds best at
first, when new and a stranger; for, by the natural levity of these
barbarians, they are fond of changes, and grow weary of things in their
usual train. I have committed this dispatch to the care of Mr Bangham,
whom I have directed to make diligent enquiry into the commodities,
advantages, and inconveniences attendant on our projected trade, and to
make himself acquainted with the humours and affections of the Deccaners
towards us.
On the 30th of April the Persian ambassador sent to excuse himself for
going away without paying his respects to me, alleging illness, but his
messenger said he was not so sick as he pretended; but, finding no
success in his negociations with the king, he had taken his leave, and
made a present of thirty-five horses at his departure. In return, the
king gave him 3000 rupees, which he took in great scorn. Upon which, to
justify himself, the king caused two lists to be drawn up, in one of
which all the presents made by the ambassador were enumerated, with
their values, meanly rated, much lower than their real worth; and, in
the other, all the gifts the king had presented to him since his
arrival, - as slaves, melons, pine-apples, plantains, hawks, plumes of
feathers, the elephant, and not even forgetting the drink he had
received, all charged at extremely high prices, much above their value.
These two lists were laid before the ambassador, with their amounts
summed up, offering him the rest of the money to make up the balance.
Owing to this bad usage, the Persian feigned himself sick of a fever, as
an excuse for not waiting upon Asaph Khan and Etemon Dowlet, for which
reason he could not come through the town to visit me, without
discovering the counterfeit, but desired his messenger to acquaint me
with the truth, which Aganor as freely delivered, and with no small
bitterness against the king, and to which I seemed unwilling to listen.
The ambassador also desired him to assure me that he was ready to serve
my nation in his country, to the utmost of his power.
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