Peace
Was Certainly Most Desirable For The Viceroy, That He Might Restore
Trade With The Moguls.
Yet, seeing the tractableness of the nabob, and
his apparent earnestness for peace, the viceroy made light of it for the
present, expecting to bring it to bear with great advantage after he had
overthrown us, which he made no doubt easily to accomplish.
When this
was performed, he expected to receive great presents, and great
submission from the Moguls to the dictates of the conqueror. But it
pleased God, who beheld the injustice of his attempt, to turn the event
contrary to the expectations both of the viceroy and the nabob. After
failing in all his attempts against me, and finding he could not even
gain a boats thole from me in all the time he spent here, with loss
and disgrace, the viceroy was fain to revive the former despised proffer
of peace with the nabob: While the nabob on the other hand, confirmed by
the experience of a month, and seeing that the viceroy, after all his
boastful threatenings, and with so vast an armament, was unable to
prevail against our four merchant ships, or even to remove our small
force one foot from their place, gave for answer, that he would not make
peace with the viceroy. Thus was the viceroy frustrated in both his
hopes, of an easy victory over us, and an advantageous peace with the
Moguls. After this digression, I now return to our proceedings.
When we formerly heard of the force which the viceroy was fitting out
against us; we had no conception it would be so formidable as it now
appeared, and therefore deemed it expedient to consult how, by God's
help, we might best resist. The odds and advantages on their side, made
me calculate every thing that made against me. Being far out-numbered
by his forces, which I esteemed the principal ships and means belonging
to the Portuguese in India, and having all the people of greatest rank
and valour, I considered it might be too hazardous for us to put out
into deep water, as by their numbers they would be able to intercept and
overcharge me, and to force me irrecoverably aground, on one side or
other. Such were my apparent disadvantages in going out to sea; while I
knew, on the other hand, that their numerous smaller vessels might much
annoy us with fire-works, or put us otherwise into great hazard, in the
place where we now rode at anchor, where I was hopeful their great ships
could not or durst not come, owing to the shoal water. Though my numbers
were considerably lessened by sickness and deaths, all my people, from
the highest to the lowest, seemed quite courageous, yet ignorant both of
our danger and how it was to be prevented; but their brave spirit gave
me great hope. Yet my anxiety was not small, how I might best act in
maintaining the honour of my country, and not neglect the valuable
property entrusted to my care by my friends and employers; as not only
was the present charge to be put in hazard, but all hopes also of future
benefits, if I were now overthrown; as the enemy, if he now got the
mastery, would be able to make peace with the Moguls on his own terms,
to the expulsion of our nation for ever.
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