|
Nov. 3.
Madrid. |
661. Sir John Digby to Sir Dudley Carleton. The East India ships which came this year to Lisbon prove to be very extraordinary rich. There is like to be a great disputation concerning an accident which happened in the East Indies; an English ship, the Pearl, coming home, worth four hundred thousand [torn away], being taken by the Portugals at St. Helena, and brought as a prize to Lisbon ; the English deny having committed hostilities upon the Portugals until they first essayed to surprise the English and had slain divers of their men. The King of Spain advised to sequestrate the goods until the pretensions of both parties may be cleared. [East Indies, Vol. I., No, 40. Original in Correspondence, Spain.] |
Nov. 9.
Amadavas
[Ahmedaba] |
662. Thos. Aldworthe to the East India Company. Refers to letters previously written, and his reasons for supposing they may have miscarried. Little or no sale of commodities since March; the year divided into three seasons, the hot, rainy, and temperate. Long and tedious journey of Paul Canninge to Agra, his sickness and death ; incloses a few lines he wrote on the day of his death ; Thos. Keridge sent to supply his place, and prosecute the suit for a letter from the King of Agra in answer to the King of England's letter, and for the King's firman for a sufficient place for the English ships to anchor, free from danger of the Portugals, “with some other wonderful things which the king himself promised should be effected but yet nothing done.” Complaints of Canninge against Rich. Temple and Edward Hunt, his assistants. Death of Temple at Surat on 27 June, and of Launcelot Canninge, one of the musicians at Agra, a few days before Canninge. Only Keridge, Robt. Trully, a musician, and Hunt remain at Agra. Wm. Biddulph, Nich. Withington, and the writer's servant with him, also Robt. Clarkson, who fled from the Dragon for fear of punishment. Great store of tobacco, which he thinks will turn to the Company's great benefit. Commodities sold, the blue and sea-green cloth unfit colours. Seizure of a ship of Surat from Mocha by the Portugals, notwithstanding she had a pass from them, worth near 100,000l.; “this fact of theirs is now grown so odious that it is like to disturb the estate of all the Portugals in the Indies.” Left Surat on 12th Oct. for Ahmedabad, the only chief city of the Guzerats, well near as big as London, and where the Portugals buy their commodities, take them to Cambaya, a far lesser city, and lade them at Goa. Passed through the cities of Boraatch [Baroach ?], two days' journey from Surat, and Brothra [Broudra ?], five days' journey; commodities there fitting for England much cheaper than at Surat; also at Ahmedabad. Fall of the price of indigo. The charge of house at Surat left to Wm. Biddulph. No news of the general, though he promised to return in October last. Mr. Gourney writes from Masulipatam that the general had taken a Portugal ship of Ormus with great store of pearls. Finds the state of the country and the affections of the people towards them as well now as at first. There need be no fear to send the ships and goods formerly written for; if they had a stock of 12,000l or 15,000l. to make provision before the ships arrive, five or six ships may be dispatched thence in three or four months ; thinks the whole East Indies connot yield a better place for trade. No grounds for Keridge's fears about restitution for Sir H. Middleton's “fact.” Mocrob Chan a great man with the king, but he has more adventures at sea than any of his country, and the English are more feared than the Portugals. Wishes a sufficient man might be sent in the first ships, as resident at Agra with the king, “for they here look much after great men.” Has made diligent inquiry concerning the state of Persia; finds there is a seaport town called Bareyn, where a ship of two or three hundred tons may come. Much cloth may be sold, and all sorts of silks had. Great trade at Surat in red coral. [Three pages and a quarter. O. C., Vol. I., No. 117.] |
Nov. 9.
Amadavas
[Ahmedabad] |
663. [Thos. Aldworthe] to Capt. Marlowe [of the James]. Received his and Mr. Gourney's joint letter in August last, and now one from Surat from Mr Gourney and Mr. Cobb. Sent letters in March last by a ship of Surat for Mocha to be carried overland, but the foot-post brought them back, having heard that all the English through Turkey were imprisoned, and their goods confiscated, for the fact of Sir H. Middleton. Requests him to convey a packet of letters to Sir Thos. Smythe and Company. All things go well with them; with the Portugals the contrary, especially since they have made themselves odious by seizing a ship of Surat worth almost 100,000l, with 700 persons ; none of them dare appear in these parts as they were wont; “had we shipping here now from England we should strike all dead.” Marvels that Marlowe has not yet got the king's firman for peaceable trade, “whereby you need not fear governors there as you do ;” they having the king's firman will not be wronged by any governor. Came to Ahmedabad, the chief city of the Guzerats, to make provision for the general, and if he come not next month, will return to Surat, seven days'journey. [One page. O. C., Vol. I., No. 118.] |
| Nov. 12. |
664. Names of all the factories and castles which the Hollanders have in India at this present. Three factories in Java, fourteen in the Moluccas, viz., at Booton, Amboyna, Bachian, Machian, Motir, Tidore, and Ternate; one in Succadana, Macassar, Patani, Siam, Acheen, Japan, Salor (“the castle taken this year from the Portugals ;”) and four in Banda, total, 28 factories, besides 15 castles, and two bulwarks. [Half a page. O. C., Vol. I., No. 119.] |
1613.
Nov. 23 |
665. Earl of Northampton to Sir Thos. Lake. Touching the Peppercorn, has endeavoured to find out the true state of the purchase, yet the merchants protest they have nothing which they have not rightly gotten by true traffic with the Great Mogar, and that the Portugals labour as well by strong hand as by tricks to put them from that traffic, “but these things and greater are secured by the patent.” They deny not that some factious instruments in their own body have been set at work for the serving of private turns, and hope to detect a conspiracy. Discretion must be used lest the trade to the Indies be dissolved, which is a matter of great weight in many respects to this monarchy. [Extract from Domestic, Jac. I., Vol. LXXV., No. 23. Cal., p. 210.] |
Nov. 24.
Firando,
Japan. |
666. “Contract made with Capt. Wm. Addames at Firando, in Japan, the 24th of November 1613.” The East India Company building their hopes upon the long experience of Capt. Addames for settling a factory in Japan, sent out the Clove, [commanded by Capt. John Saris,] who has since obtained large privileges from the emperor, and procured Addames' freedom. Being asked whether he would return home or remain as the Company's servant, and upon what terms, Capt. Addames replied that his desire was to go to England, but having spent so many years in vain, he would not now go home with an empty purse, and was willing to serve the Company either by sea or land, but demanded 12l. a month, saying the Flemings had given him 15l. The general's offer of 80l. per annum refused, but after further consultations, Capt. Addames entertained in the Company's service, with a salary of 100l. a year, to be paid at the end of two years, or so soon as news shall come out of England of the arrival of the Clove. Signed by Wm. Addames, in the presence of Rich. Cocks, Tempest Peacocke, and Rich. Wickham. [Two pages and a half. Indorsed, as above. O. C., Vol. I., No. 120. Printed in “Memorials of the Empire of Japan” for the Hakluyt Society, edited by Thos. Rundall, pp. 73–75, and also in fac-simile.] |
Nov. 25.
London. |
667. John Chamberlain to Sir Dudley Carleton. The good return of our East Indian ships has put such life into that trade, that our merchants mean to go roundly to work, and in less than a fortnight have underwritten for 400,000l., to be employed in four years by equal portions. If they and the Hollanders can agree they are like to engross the whole trade of those parts. [Extract from Domestic, Jac. I., Vol. LXXV., No. 28. Cal., p. 212.] |
Nov. 30.
Firando,
Japan. |
668. Rich. Cocks to “the Governor, Deputy, Committees, and generality of the East India Company of England, in London, per the Clove whom God preserve.” His last was of 12th January from Bantam [see ante, No. 632] by Capt. Towerson in the Hector. Sailed from Bantam 15 th January. Letter received from John Parsons, advising of the little good to be done at Macassar and his determination to go to Bantam. The master of a Fleming pinnace cast away on the coast of Borneo; he reports that the island or the shoals to the eastward of it reach over almost to the Celebes especially over against Macassar, “quite contrary to the form laid down in our plots or sea cards.” The different islands passed; met by chance with Rich. Weldyn, left in these parts by Capt. David Middleton; he refused to go to England, alleging his poverty. Anchored 24th February at the island of Bachian, one of the Moluccas, where the Flemings have got possession and begin to build a fortress. Most of the soldiers there sued to be taken away, and so would have left the place void, but the general refused and was ill requited after by the Flemings. Endeavours to trade for cloves at Machian peremptorily forbidden by the Flemings, “for that the land was theirs,” they stationed two ships of war on either side of the Clove, and would not suffer any fresh victuals to come aboard. Many unfitting words used by them against England; and threat to take the Clove prize if she traded with the Spaniard; the king of the country [Ternate] promised them free trade, but proved not so good as his word, for having got a present he gave them the slip. Death of the king with some 25 of the chief men from the explosion of a barrel of gunpowder in a fight at sea with the son of the King of Tidore, “which made the Spaniard and Tidoreans much to rejoice.” Anchored at Tidore 8th April; less trusting the Spaniard than the Dutch. Untimely loss of John Crawley, Robt. Lantro, and John Meredith at an island called Doy. 2nd June, discovered the islands of Reismagos, never having seen land from 11th May. Anchored at Firando 12 th June, where the king received them very kindly, Mr. Addames not there, but he arrived 29th July ; departed with the general on 7th August for the Japan Court and obtained all the privileges he demanded returning to Firando 7th November. Desertion of seven of their mariners to Langasaque, where they took sanctuary in the papist churches, and were secretly conveyed to the Philippines by the Jesuits. The Flemings had settled themselves three or four years before “our arrival” and have built a house in Firando, which has cost them already 2,500l; they disperse themselves to lookout for trade, “as we must do the like;” places where “they have some small entrance already.” Mr. Addames entertained; the Flemings did what they could to get him from the English; his opinion that if ever the North-east or Northwest passages be found it must be from these parts; be has already had entrance to the island of Yedo, which is thought to be part of Tartary. Plot of Japan drawn by Mr. Addames sent to the Company. The Hollanders had taken this discovery in hand before, but that they have so many irons in the fire with their wars in the Moluccas against the Spaniards. Not much benefit to be made in these parts as yet; hopes in time that great quantities of broad cloth may be sold, for there is great store of silver, “but as yet they are so addicted to silks that they do not enter into consideration of the benefit of wearing cloth, but time may alter their minds.” Loss of goods, through [Tempest] Peacocke. Explanations about the transfer of indigo from the Thomas to the Hector. Payment of his salary; begins to wax old, and two or three years hence would return to England, though not empty handed. [Six pages and a half. O. C., Vol. I., No. 121.] |
