That We Were In Friendship With The Grand Signior, And
Had Free Trade At Constantinople, Aleppo, And Other Places In
The
Turkish dominions, and hoped to enjoy the same here; for which purpose
we were come to desire his and
The pacha's phirmauns, giving us such
privileges as we already had in other parts of the dominions of the
Grand Signior, both for the present time and in future, as we meant to
visit his port yearly with plenty of English and Indian commodities. We
said likewise that we were commanded to say by the lord ambassador, that
hearing there were sundry pirates, English, Dutch, French, Portuguese,
Malabars and others, who infested the trade of this port, and
principally that carried on by the Guzerats, who were our friends, we
had his orders to free the seas of all such incumbrances, protecting all
honest merchant ships and junks from injury. These, we said, were the
true causes of our coming here.
The governor then rose up and bid us welcome, applauding our declared
purposes, but asked why we were so fearful as not to come on shore
without pledges. We answered, that about six years before, some of our
countrymen being here, were enticed on shore by fair promises of good
usage, who were betrayed and imprisoned by the then governor, and
several of them murdered. For these reasons, we were under the necessity
of being careful of our safety. We said moreover, that he would shortly
be certified we were exactly what we professed, by means of two junks of
Guzerat, one of which had not come this year, but for the pass and
promise of the ambassador that they were to be protected in the voyage
home by our ship, against the enterprizes of any pirates who might be in
these seas, as one had been last year by some of our ships, which came
opportunely to their rescue, and conducted her safely to their port, and
had sent the chief commanders to England, to be tried and punished for
their wrongs against the friends of our sovereign.
The governor acknowledged the friendly conduct of our nation in that
affair, promising that we should live as safely on shore, and conduct
our business with as much freedom and security, as in our own country,
for which we should have his phirmauns, which he would procure to be
confirmed by the pacha to our entire contentment. He said likewise that
the former governor was a bad man, long since deposed, and now living at
Constantinople in disgrace; and swore by his beard, and by Mahomet, that
not a hair of our heads should be diminished, nor any wrong offered to
us, as he should make proclamation of our liberties, that no one might
pretend ignorance and do us harm or discourtesy. He desired us,
therefore, to look out for a house for ourselves and our goods,
commanding two of his chiauses to attend upon us, and recommended us to
lodge with the Jew merchant till we could fit ourselves better, desiring
him to assist us in all things.
After giving many thanks for his kindness, and delivering the present as
from our captain, we went, by the advice of the Jew, to visit the
scrivano, who is likewise chief customer or shahbander; and as he was
not at home, his servant received and entertained us with much civility.
They conducted us into an handsome room, not much inferior in building
and furniture to that of the governor, where we had left their master,
who soon came home and welcomed us with much politeness, assuring us
that all the governor had promised should be faithfully performed, as he
himself should see all executed, and had also power to see us righted.
We were informed that this man's power was as great in Mokha as that of
the governor, who was directed by him in all matters of importance. This
officer seemed a hearty old man. After making us drink coffee and
sherbet, we took our leaves, and remained all night with the Jew.
Next morning we spent an hour in viewing the town, and observing the
countenances of the people towards us, whom we found gentle and
courteous, especially the Banians and Guzerats, many of whom reside here
as merchants, shopkeepers, and mechanics, having neatly-built shops and
warehouses. Their market or bazar seemed well furnished with all manner
of necessaries, among which were plenty of fruits, which are brought
daily from the country. Most of the town is built of brick and stone,
neatly plastered over with Paris plaster, some of the houses being two
stories high, and all flat-roofed, with terraces on the top, on which in
summer they construct lodges of canes and mats, in which they sleep and
spend the first quarter of the day, having at that time a fresh breeze
from the sea. All the rest of the day at that season is so hot that they
can hardly endure even a shirt. Mokha lies quite level along the
sea-shore, being about two miles from north to south, and contains many
good-looking houses, with three principal mosques. The streets are kept
clean, every person having to sweep and water before his door every
morning and evening, so that they resemble sandy alleys for bowling,
more than streets. No filth is allowed to be thrown into the streets,
but must all be carried to an appointed place, where it is scoured out
by the sea. In fine, I have never seen a sweeter, cleaner, or better
ordered town any where.
The wharf is situated between the governor's house and that of the
scrivano, and is about twelve score square.[289] Near this, and
adjoining the governor's house, there is a platform or fort, built of
hewn stones, having battlements towards the sea, being about forty paces
square, in which there are thirteen or fourteen pieces of ordnance of
little value. Over against the landing-place two fair brass cannons are
planted, above five feet long.
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