Then Arah
Manewardus Sharply Reproved Them For Their Unseemly Contradictions Of
The Persian Ambassador, And Ordered Them Out Of The Room.
The ambassador then made a speech to the governor concerning our
admittance to trade at his port, on which
The governor expressed his
readiness to do so, all inconveniences understood, and desired the
ambassador to send for one or two of our merchants, that he might confer
with them on the subject. Upon this the ambassador wrote to us on the 2d
October, saying what he had done in our affairs, and sending us
assurance for our safe going and returning. Being thereby in good hope
of establishing trade at this place, if not a factory, and to make sale
of the small quantity of goods we now had, Mr Joseph Salbank and I, by
advice of the captain and others, made ourselves ready and went ashore
that same morning in one of the country boats. Our ship lay about four
or five miles from the mouth of the river, from whence we had fifteen
miles to travel to Diul, where the ambassador was, so that it was late
in the evening before we landed there.
In our way we met a Portuguese frigate or bark, bound for Ormus, on
purpose to prevent any of their ships coming till we were gone. This
bark went close past our ship, taking a careful review of her, and so
departed. As soon as we were landed, three or four Portuguese came up to
us, asking if we had brought any goods ashore, and such like questions;
but we made them no reply, pretending not to understand their language,
that we might the better understand them for our own advantage, if
occasion served. There then came another Portuguese, who spoke Dutch
very fluently, telling me many things respecting the country and people,
tending to their ill conduct and character, thinking to dissuade us from
endeavouring to have any trade there. Soon after, the officers of the
customs came, and conducted us to the castle, but we could not have an
audience of the governor that night, as it was already late. The
officers, who were mostly banians, and spoke good Portuguese, searched
every part about us for money, not even leaving our shoes unsearched;
and perceiving that we were surprised at this, they prayed us to be
content therewith, as it was the custom of the country. To this I
replied, that though the Portuguese might give them cause for so bad a
fashion, yet English merchants did not hide their money in their shoes
like smugglers. Then the governor's servants came to us, and lighted us
from the castle to the house in which the ambassador lodged, where we
were made heartily welcome, and were lodged all the time we staid in
Diul, and at no expence to us. Seeing us landed, and hearing we came to
treat with the governor for settling trade at that place, the Portuguese
spread many slanderous and malignant lies against our king, country, and
nation, reporting that we were thieves, and not merchants, and that we
derived our chief subsistence by robbing other nations on the sea.
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