I Presented Him
With Some Alicant Wine, And A Few Knives, To Be Taken To His Master, And
So We Parted.
The 12th May I received news of a great blow given by the
Turkish army to the Persians, the former having taken and utterly
destroyed Tauris; and that Shah Abbas was unable to keep the field.
On the night of the 25th, a lion and a wolf[211] broke into my quarters,
and gave us great alarm, carrying off some sheep and goats that were in
my court-yard, and leaping with them over a high wall. I sent to ask
leave to kill them, as in that country no person may meddle with lions
except the king. Receiving permission, and the animals returning next
night, I ran out into the court upon the alarm, and the beast missing
his prey, seized upon a little dog before me, and escaped; but my
servants killed the wolf, which I sent to the king.
[Footnote 211: More likely to have been a tyger and hyena. - E.]
The 14th of June, a cabinet belonging to the jesuits was sent up from
Cambay, containing medicines and other necessaries, and a letter, which
were betrayed by the bringer, and delivered to the king. He opened the
cabinet, and sent for the padre to read the letter, and to see every
thing contained in the boxes; but, finding nothing to his liking, he
returned all. I mention this circumstance as a caution to all who deal
in this country, to be careful of what they write or send, as it is the
humour of this prince to seize and see every thing, lest any curiosity
or toy should escape his greed.
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