The 10th, Mr Cockes Went Ashore, And Had A Conference With The
Governor And Captain Mami, Who Said They Could Not Now Perform What
They Had Formerly Promised, As The Cadi Said Their Lives Would Be In
Danger By So Doing.
They said likewise, that neither merchant nor broker
would come aboard our ships, as I had requested, they were all so
disconcerted by the conduct of Sir Henry:
That the merchants of Cairo
had their factors resident in Mokha, who purposely lay by to engross
indigos and other Indian commodities, which they refused to purchase
till they saw what quantities might come to market this season; and that
the Banians, or Indian residents, who held all the indigos, and other
commodities, refused to sell, under the impression of a scarcity in the
market this season. He also brought word that those ashore were resolved
not to buy any of our goods, unless we landed them in the first place.
* * * * *
Sec. 3. Adventures along with Sir Henry Middleton in the Red Sea, and
other Observations in those Parts, with our Arrival at Bantam.[417]
The 13th May, 1612, understanding that Sir Henry Middleton was very
desirous to confer with me, I resolved to go to him at the Bab, for
which place I desired the master to sail with the first fair wind; and
wishing to keep still on friendly terms with the Turks at Mokha, I gave
information of this intention to the aga, from whom I took a letter for
Sir Henry. The 14th, in the morning, we arrived at the Bab, where we
found the Trades-increase riding, with four ships, or junks, of India,
which she had detained. I went that day on board Sir Henry's ship, and
remained with him till night, but no agreement could be formed between
us that day. The 15th Sir Henry spent with me aboard the Clove. Seeing
Sir Henry determined to proceed in a hostile manner with the Turks, I
called a meeting of our commercial council on the 16th, and informed
them, that owing to these disputes between Sir Henry and the Turks and
Cambayans, our hopes of trade at Surat was now as small as what we had
hitherto experienced at Mokha, for which reason our best plan would be
to join Sir Henry in his intentions of forcing trade with the India
ships. Wherefore I proposed that the Hector and Thomas should ply
between Aden and the Bab, while the Clove kept the Abyssinian channel to
take care that no vessels should pass that way in the night, by which
means we might intercept as many India ships as possible, to which we
might put off our broad-cloth, lead, tin, iron, and elephants teeth, the
commodities we had provided for those parts, receiving in barter such
articles as we knew would answer for those countries where we intended
afterwards to proceed; besides, if we should procure indigo, that would
answer towards our home investment. I informed the council that I had
intelligence of two great ships expected daily, called the Rhemi and
the Hassam; the smallest of which, by report, was able to load the
Hector with suitable commodities.
[Footnote 417: As the adventures with Sir Henry Middleton have been
already narrated with sufficient amplitude, these are here only slightly
mentioned, to avoid prolixity and unnecessary repetition. - E.]
My proposals being agreed to, I went aboard the Trades-increase, where I
agreed with Sir Henry that our two fleets should unite in trading with
as many of the India ships as we could intercept, making exchange of our
English commodities for such as they had suitable for us; Sir Henry to
dispose of two-thirds of all the goods that should be bartered from this
day forwards, and I to have the other third, paying, however, the
customs to the Grand Signior. Accordingly, the Hector and Thomas were
directed to ply between the north end of the island of Bab-al-Mondub and
the Habesh shore, to intercept all ships that came that way, but with
strict charges that no one should take from them the value of a penny,
or offer them the slightest violence or injury.
The 18th I set sail for Mokha, where we arrived in five hours. The 20th
the governor desired a list of our commodities, which Mr Cockes carried
him. He picked several colours of our broad-cloth, promising to purchase
to the extent of 1000 dollars, besides some quantity of lead and tin.
Many others desired to have lead and iron, wherefore the governor
requested some quantity might be brought ashore next morning, saying,
that when he once began to trade with us, the merchants would certainly
follow. He sent three samples of indigo, but none of the Lahore kind,
which is round, and the best. The price asked was 100 dollars the
churle, or 127 rotulas of Mokha, or about 150 pounds English. This
price was quite unreasonable, as we estimated the three sorts to be only
worth respectively thirty, forty, and forty-five dollars the churle.
The 21st, we sent ashore eight pieces of cloth, one ton of iron, a ton
of lead, and two chests of tin, of six cwt. For four of the best cloths
they offered one and a half dollar the pike, which ought to be
twenty-seven inches, but proposed to measure by a pike of thirty-one
inches. They likewise offered 120 dollars for the bahar of tin, twelve
for the bahar of iron, and fifteen for the lead, prices which we could
not accept, and therefore our merchants returned aboard with their
commodities at night.
The 25th we went for Assab, where, on the 27th, we found the
Trades-increase and the Hector, with eleven sail of junks, or India
ships, from various parts. On coming into the road, or harbour of Assab,
it is proper to keep the northern shore aboard, leaving a little rock or
hummock on the starboard side, when we have twelve, eleven, ten, nine,
eight, and seven fathoms, on a sandy bottom.
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