- _Letter from Mr Ralph Fitch to Mr Leonard Poore_.
Loving friend, &c. Since my departure from Aleppo, I have not written
you, because at Bagdat I was ill of flux, and continued in all the way
thence to Basora, which was twelve days journey down the Tigris, when we
had extremely hot weather, bad fare, and worse lodging, all of which
increased my disease; besides which our boat was pestered with people.
During eight entire days I hardly eat any thing, so that if we had been
two days longer on the water, I verily believe I had died. But, thanks
be to God, I presently mended after coming to Basora. We remained there
fourteen days, when we embarked for Ormus, where we arrived on the 5th
of September, and were put in prison on the 9th of the same month, where
we continued till the 11th of October, and were then shipt for this city
of Goa, in the ship belonging to the captain of Ormus, with 114
horses[438], and about 200 men. Passing by Diu and Chaul, at which place
we landed on the 20th November, we arrived at Goa on the 29th of that
month, where, for our better entertainment, we were committed to a fair
strong prison, in which we continued till the 22d of December. It
pleased God, that there were two padres there who befriended us, the one
an Englishman named Thomas Stevens, the other a Fleming named Marco,
both Jesuits of the college of St Paul. These good men sued for us to
the viceroy and other officers, and stood us in such good stead as our
lives and goods were worth: But for them, even if we had escaped with
our lives, we must have suffered a long imprisonment.
[Footnote 438: In the narrative of Fitch, called 124, which might easily
be mistaken either way in transcription. - E.]
When we had been fourteen days in prison, they offered us leave to go at
large in the town, if we would give sureties, for 2000 ducats, not to
depart the country without the licence of the viceroy. Being unable to
procure any such, the before mentioned friendly fathers of St Paul
procured sureties for us. The Italians are much offended and displeased
at our enlargement, and many wonder at our delivery. James Storie the
painter has gone into the cloister of St Paul, as one of their order,
and seems to like the situation. While we were in prison, both at Ormus
and here, a great deal of our goods were pilfered and lost, and we have
been at great charges in gifts and otherwise, so that much of our
property is consumed. Of what remains, much will sell very well, and for
some we will get next to nothing. The viceroy is gone to Chaul and Diu
as it is said to win a castle of the Moors, and it is thought he will
return about Easter; when I trust in God we shall procure our liberty,
and have our sureties discharged. It will then, I think, be our best way
for one or both of us to return, as our troubles have been very great,
and because so much of our goods have been spoiled and lost: But if it
should please God that I come to England, I will certainly return here
again. It is a charming country, and extremely fruitful, having summer
almost the whole year, but the most delightful season is about
Christmas. The days and nights are of equal length throughout the whole
year, or with very little difference; and the country produces a most
wonderful abundance of fruit. After all our troubles we are fat and in
good health, for victuals are plentiful and cheap. I omit to inform you
of many strange things till we meet, as it would be too long to write of
them. And thus I commit you to God, &c. From Goa in the East Indies,
25th January 1584.
No. 8. - _The Report of John Huighen van Linschoten, concerning the
imprisonment of Newbery and Fitch; which happened while he was at Goa_.
In the month of December 1583, four Englishmen arrived at Ormus, who
came by way of Aleppo in Syria, having sailed from England by the
Mediterranean to Tripoli, a town and haven in Syria, where all ships
discharge their wares and merchandise for Aleppo, to which they are
carried by land, which is a journey of nine days. In Aleppo there reside
many merchants and factors of all nations, as Italians, French, English,
Armenians, Turks, and Moors, every one following his own religion, and
paying tribute to the grand Turk. It. is a place of great trade, whence
twice every year there go two _cafilas_ or caravans, containing great
companies of people and camels, which travel to India, Persia, Arabia,
and all the adjoining countries, dealing in all kinds of merchandise
both to and from these countries, as I have already declared in another
part of this book.
Three of these Englishmen were sent by the company of English who reside
in Aleppo, to see if they might keep any factors at Ormus, and so
traffic in that place, as the Italians do, that is the Venetians, who
have their factors in Ormus, Goa, and Malacca, and trade there, both for
pearls and precious stones, and for other wares and spices of these
countries, which are carried thence over-land to Venice. One of these
Englishmen, Mr John Newbery, had been once before in the said town of
Ormus, and had there taken good information of the trade; and on his
advice the others were then come hither along with him, bringing great
store of merchandise; such as cloths, saffron, all kinds of drinking
glasses and haberdashery wares, as looking-glasses, knives, and such
like stuff; and to conclude, they brought with them every kind of small
wares that can be thought of.
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