The Owners Were Bound Unto The Merchants By Charter
Party Thereupon In One Thousand Marks, That The Said Ship, By
God's
permission should go for Tripolis in Barbary, that is to say, first
from Portsmouth to Newhaven in Normandy, thence
To S. Lukar, otherwise
called S. Lucas, in Andalusia, and from thence to Tripolis, which is in
the east part of Africa, and so to return unto London.
But here ought every man to note and consider the works of our God,
that (many times) what man doth determine God doth disappoint. The
said master having some occasion to go to Farmne, took with him the
pilot and the purser, and returning again, by means of a gust of wind,
the boat wherein they were was drowned, the said master, the purser,
and all the company; only the said pilot by experience in swimming
saved himself, these were the beginnings of our sorrows. After which
the said master's mate would not proceed in that voyage, and the owner
hearing of this misfortune, and the unwillingness of the master's mate,
did send down one Richard Deimond and shipped him for master, who did
choose for his mate one Andrew Dier, and so the said ship departed on
her voyage accordingly; that is to say, about the 16th of October,
1584, she made sail from Portsmouth, and the 18th day then next
following she arrived into Newhaven, where our said last master Deimond
by a surfeit died. The factors then appointed the said Andrew Dier,
being then master's mate, to be their master for that voyage, who did
choose to be his mates the two quarter-masters of the same ship, to
wit, Peter Austine and Shillabey, and for purser was shipped one
Richard Burges. Afterward about the 8th day of November we made sail
forthward, and by force of weather we were driven back again into
Portsmouth, where we refreshed our victuals and other necessaries, and
then the wind came fair. About the 29th day then next following we
departed thence, and the 1st day of December, by means of a contrary
wind, we were driven to Plymouth. The 18th day then next following we
made forthward again, and by force of weather we were driven to
Falmouth, where we remained until the 1st day of January, at which time
the wind coming fair we departed thence, and about the 2Oth day of the
said month we arrived safely at S. Lucas. And about the 9th day of
March next following we made sail from thence, and about the 18th day
of the same month we came to Tripolis in Barbary, where we were very
well entertained by the king of that country and also of the commons.
The commodities of that place are sweet oils; the king there is a
merchant, and the rather (willing to prefer himself before his commons)
requested our said factors to traffic with him, and promised them that
if they would take his oils at his own price they should pay no manner
of custom, and they took of him certain tons of oil; and afterward
perceiving that they might have far better cheap, notwithstanding the
custom free, they desired the king to license them to take the oils at
the pleasure of his commons, for that his price did exceed theirs;
whereunto the king would not agree, but was rather contented to abate
his price, insomuch that the factors bought all their oils of the
king's custom free, and so laded the same aboard.
In the meantime there came to that place one Miles Dickinson, in a ship
of Bristol, who together with our said factors took a house to
themselves there. Our French factor, Romaine Sonnings, desired to buy
a commodity in the market, and, wanting money, desired the said Miles
Dickinson to lend him a hundred chikinoes until he came to his lodging,
which he did; and afterwards the same Sonnings met with Miles Dickinson
in the street, and delivered him money bound up in a napkin, saying,
"Master Dickinson, there is the money that I borrowed of you," and so
thanked him for the same. He doubted nothing less than falsehood,
which is seldom known among merchants, and specially being together in
one house, and is the more detestable between Christians, they being in
Turkey among the heathen; the said Dickinson did not tell the money
presently, until he came to his lodging, and then, finding nine
chikinoes lacking of his hundred (which was about three pounds, for
that every chikinoe is worth seven shillings of English money), he came
to the said Romaine Sonnings and delivered him his handkerchief, and
asked him how many chikinoes he had delivered him. Sonnings answered,
"A hundred"; Dickinson said "No"; and so they protested and swore on
both parts. But in the end the said Romaine Sonnings did swear deeply
with detestable oaths and curses; and prayed God that he might show his
works on him, that other might take ensample thereby, and that he might
be hanged like a dog, and never come into England again, if he did not
deliver unto the said Dickinson a hundred chikinoes. And here behold a
notable example of all blasphemers, cursers, and swearers, how God
rewarded him accordingly; for many times it cometh to pass that God
showeth his miracles upon such monstrous blasphemers to the ensample of
others, as now hereafter you shall hear what befell to this Romaine
Sonnings.
There was a man in the said town a pledge, whose name was Patrone
Norado, who the year before had done this Sonnings some pleasure there.
The foresaid Patrone Norado was indebted unto a Turk of that town in
the sum of four hundred and fifty crowns, for certain goods sent by him
into Christendom in a ship of his own, and by his own brother, and
himself remained in Tripolis as pledge until his said brother's return;
and, as the report went there, he came among lewd company, and lost his
brother's said ship and goods at dice, and never returned unto him
again.
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