By
These Sharp Means, We Constrained Them To Restore Every Thing In The
Most Ample Manner; And This Being Done, We Released The Men And Boats,
According To Promise, And Sent Them Away.
One man named Malim
Simsadim, whom we had learnt, from Haji Comul, was an experienced
pilot for Sinde and Cambay, we detained for that purpose, promising
to reward him according to his merits.
Thus, by God's assistance, to whom be endless praise for our
deliverance, we happily extricated ourselves from this dangerous and
intricate affair, which was entirely concluded by six p.m. of the 20th
September. We set sail that same night with our new pilot and Haji
Comul, which last remained along with us, as his life would have been
in danger among that accursed crew, for revealing their diabolical plot.
We now bent out course for Sinde, as willing to avoid all subsequent
dangers which these blood-thirsty balloches might attempt to plot
against us. In our way, we had much conversation with Comul, whom we
much esteemed and respected for the excellent service he had done
towards us. Comul was a native of Dabul in India, his father being a
Persian of the sect of Ali, in which Comul was a churchman, or priest,
having likewise some skill in medicine and surgery, in which capacity he
had resided in the tent of the governor of Guadal, and owing to which
circumstance he had overheard their infernal plot. He had obtained leave
to come aboard our ship, under pretence of procuring certain ointments
or balsams, which he alleged had been promised him by our surgeons. He
said that, on hearing their murderous intentions, his heart yearned
within him, to think we should be led like sheep to the slaughter by
such bloody butchers, and that God willed him to reveal their plot to
us. He farther told us, that to his knowledge, they had already betrayed
three ships in the same manner; that they were all rebels against the
King of Persia, refusing to pay the tribute which they and their
ancestors had been accustomed to; and that the king of Persia had levied
an army, which waited not for from Guadal, with the purpose to invade
the country next winter.
This country of Macquerona, or Mekran, is on the main land of Asia,
bordering upon the kingdom of Persia. The port of Guadal is nearly in
the lat. of 25 deg. N, the variation being 17 deg. 15' [lat. 24 deg. 40' N. long.
61 deg. 50' E.]. It has good anchorage in four or five fathoms. At night of
the 21st September, the day after leaving Guadal, our balloche pilot
brought our ship in danger of running on a shoal, where we had to come
suddenly to anchor till next morning. The 24th at night, while laying
to, because not far from Cape Camelo, a Portuguese frigate, or bark,
passed close beside us, which at first we suspected to have been an
armed galley, for which cause we prepared for defence in case of need.
3. Arrival at Diul-ginde,[115] and landing of the Ambassador: Seeking
Trade there, are crossed by the slanderous Portuguese: Go to Sumatra and
Bantam; and thence Home to England.
[Footnote 115: This singular name ought perhaps to have been Diul-Sinde,
or Diul on the Indus, or Sinde river, to distinguish it from Diu in
Guzerat. - E.]
The 26th September, 1613, we came to anchor right before the mouth of
the river Sinde, or Indus, by the directions of a pilot we had from
one of the boats we found fishing at that place. We rode in very good
ground, in a foot less five fathoms, the mouth of the river being E. by
N. being in the latitude of 24 deg. 38' N.[116] That same day, the
ambassador sent two of his people, to confer with the governor about his
coming ashore, and procuring a passage through that country into Persia.
The governor, whose name was Arah Manewardus, who was of Diul,[117]
was most willing to receive the ambassador, and to shew him every
kindness, both in regard to his entertainment there, and his passage
through his province or jurisdiction. To this intent, he sent a
principal person aboard, attended by five or six more, to welcome his
lordship with many compliments, assuring him of kind entertainment.
Presently after there came boats from Diul for his accommodation, in
which he and all his people and goods went ashore on the 29th September,
all in as good health as when they embarked in our ship from England. At
his departure we saluted him with eleven guns, and our captain entrusted
him with a fine fowling-piece, having two locks, to present to the
governor of Tatta, a great city, a day's journey from Diul,[118] both
cities being in the dominions of the Great Mogul. We also now set ashore
our treacherous balloche pilot, Sim-sadin, though he better merited
to have been thrown into the sea, as he endeavoured twice to have cast
us away; once by his own means, as formerly alluded to, and afterwards
by giving devilish council to the pilot we hod from the fisher boat at
this place.
[Footnote 116: The river Indus has many mouths, of which no less than
seventeen are laid down in Arrowsmith's excellent map of Hindoostan,
extending between the latitudes of 24 deg. 45' and 23 deg. 15' both N. and
between the longitudes of 67 deg. 12' and 69 deg. 12' both east. That mouth
where the Expedition now came to anchor, was probably that called the
Pitty river, being the most north-western of the Delta, in lat 24 deg. 45'
N. and long. 67 deg. 12' E. from Greenwich; being the nearest on her way
from Guadal, and that which most directly communicates with Tatta, the
capital of the Delta of the Indus. - E.]
[Footnote 117: Such is the vague mode of expression in the Pilgrims; but
it appears afterwards that he was governor of Diul, at which place Sir
Robert Shirley and his suite were landed.
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