One Persian Only, Who First Entered, Was Slain By A Pike,
And He Who Slew Him Soon Lost His Head, His Heels Being Too Heavy To
Carry It Away.
On first entering the city, the Persian general, named Einam Culi Beg,
placed captains with detachments of soldiers in various quarters,
proclaiming that each officer was to be answerable for the safety of the
quarter assigned to him, and threatening death to all who were found
pillaging.
Some infringing these orders were severely punished, some
being hanged, others having their ears or noses cut off, and others
bastinadoed even for trifles. Yet, in two or three days after, the shops
and houses were forced open, and every man so wearied with carrying away
plunder all day long, and sleeping so securely at night without any
proper military precautions, that the Portuguese might easily have slain
many, if they had ventured upon making a sally.
On the night of our landing, I took possession of a very commodious
house for a factory, which, for convenience and goodness of its rooms,
exceeded, as I think, any factory belonging to the Honourable Company.
But it proved too hot for me on the 13th, in the night, as one of the
master's mates of the Whale, with others of his companions, after I was
in bed, by carelessness of candles, while searching for plunder, set a
room on fire in which were some goods given me in charge by the general.
Fortunately the wind favoured us, so that the house was not consumed.
Considering the strength of this city, and that every house was as it
were a little castle, I was astonished the Portuguese should have
abandoned it so soon.
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