Most likely turmeric, anciently called turbith vegetable,
in contradistinction to turbith mineral, so named from its yellow colour
resembling turbith or turmeric. - E.]
No. 4. - _Letter from, John Newbery to Messrs John Eldred and William
Scales at Basora_.
Time will not permit to give you an account of my voyage after my
departure from you. But on the 4th day of this present September, we
arrived here at Ormus; and the 10th day I and the rest were committed to
prison. The middle of next month, or thereabout, the captain proposes
sending us all in his ship to Goa. The cause for which we have been
imprisoned is said to be, because we brought letters from Don Antonio:
But the truth is, Michael Stropene is the only cause, through letters
written to him by his brother from Aleppo. God knows how we may be dealt
with at Goa; and therefore, if you our masters can procure that the king
of Spain may send his letters for our release, you would do us great
good, for they cannot with any justice put us to death, though it may be
that they will cut our throats, or keep us long in prison. Gods will be
done.
All the commodities I brought to this place had been well sold, if this
trouble had not come upon us. You shall do well to send a messenger in
all speed by land from Basora to Aleppo, to give notice of this
mischance, even though it may cost 30 or 40 crowns, that we may be the
sooner released, and I shall thereby be the better able to recover again
what is now like to be lost. From prison in Ormus, this 21st September
1583.
No. 5. - _Letter Mr J. Newbery to Messrs Eldred and Scales_.
The bark of the Jews is arrived here two days ago, by which I am sure
you wrote; but your letters are not likely to come to my hands. The
bringer of this hath shewed me very great courtesy, for which I pray
you to shew him what favour you can. About the middle of next month, I
think we shall depart from hence: God be our guide. I think Andrew will
go by land to Aleppo; and I pray you to further him what you may: But,
if he should not go, then I pray you to dispatch a messenger in all
speed. I can say no more, but beg you to do for me what I should do for
you in the like case. From prison in Ormus, the 24th September 1583.
No. 6. - _Letter from Mr Newbery to Mr Leonard Poore_.
My last from Ormus certified you what had happened to me there, with the
rest of my company; as in four days after our arrival we were all
committed to prison, except one Italian, who came with me from Aleppo,
whom the captain never examined, except asking what countryman he was;
but I believe Michael Stropene, who accused us, had informed the captain
of him. The first day of our arrival at Ormus, this Stropene accused us
of being spies for Don Antonio, besides diverse other lies; yet if we
had been of any other country than England, we might freely have traded
with them. Although we be Englishmen, I know no reason why we may not as
well trade from place to place as the natives of other countries; for
all nations may and do come freely to Ormus, as Frenchmen, Flemings,
Germans, Hungarians, Italians, Greeks, Armenians, Nazarenes, Turks,
Moors, Jews, and Gentiles, Persians, and Muscovites. In short, there is
no nation they seek to trouble, but only ours; wherefore it were
contrary to all justice and reason that they should suffer all nations
to trade with them, and forbid us. Now indeed I have as great liberty as
those of any other nation, except it be to leave the country, which as
yet I desire not. But hereafter, and I think ere long, if I shall be
desirous to go from hence, that they will not refuse me licence. Before
we were suffered to come out of prison, I was forced to put in sureties
for 2000 pardaos, not to depart from hence without licence of the
viceroy; and except this, we have now as much liberty as any one, for I
have got back our goods, and have taken a house in the chiefest street
called the _Rue drette_, where we sell our goods.
There were two causes which moved the captain of Ormus to imprison us,
and afterwards to send us to Goa. The first was because Michael Stropene
had most falsely accused us of many matters. The other was, because when
Mr Drake was at the Molucca islands, he caused two pieces of cannon to
be fired at a Portuguese galeon belonging to the king, at least so they
allege. But of these things I did not know when at Ormus. In the same
ship which brought us to Goa, came the chief justice of Ormus, called
the veedor general of that place, who had been there three years, so
that his time was expired. This veedor is a great friend to the captain
of Ormus, and sent for me into his chamber, one day after coming here to
Goa, and began to demand many things at me, to which I made answers.
Among other things, he said that Mr Drake had been sent out of England
with many ships, and had gone to Molucca where he loaded cloves, and
finding a Portuguese galeon there belonging to the king, had shot two
pieces of his great ordnance against her. Perceiving this grieved them
much, I asked if they meant to be revenged on me for what had been done
by Mr Drake: To which he answered no; though his meaning was yes.
He said moreover, that the captain of Ormus had sent me to Goa, that the
viceroy might learn the news from me respecting Don Antonio, and whether
he were in England or not; and that it might possibly be all for the
best my being sent hither; which I trust in God may so fall out, though
contrary to his expectation and intention:
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