One thing somewhat strange I thought good in this place to remember, that
whereas hee purposed to send a great summe of money to Mecca in Arabia, for
an offering to Mahomet their prophet, hee would not send any money or coyne
of his owne, but sent to the English merchants to exchange his coyne for
theirs, according to the value of it, yeelding this reason for the same,
that the money of the merchants was gotten by good meanes, and with good
consciences, and was therefore woorthie to be made for an oblation to their
holy prophet, but his owne money was rather gotten by fraud, oppression and
vnhonest meanes, and therefore was not fit to serue for so holie a vse.
After sixe moneths spent in Casbin the sayde Thomas Banister departed
towards the great citie of Taruis, where being arriued, he found M. Ducket
well recouered of his sicknesse, whom he had left ill at Ardouil.
At this Citie the foresayd Master Ducket made sales of the English
commodities, remaining there to that purpose the space of two yeeres and a
halfe. And besides other kindes of merchandises of that countrey, he bought
great stores of gals which grow in great abundance at a place within one
dayes iourney of the aforesayd Taruis.
After this Thomas Banister departed from Tauris, and went to Shamaky to
giue order for the transporting of those commodities which were bought for
England. And hauing dispatched them away, he went there hence to Arrash, a
towne foure dayes iourney with camels from Shamaky for the buying of rawe
silke. [Sidenote: The death of Thomas Banister and Laurence Chapman.] But
there by reason of the vnwholesomnesse of the aire, and corruption of the
waters in the hole time of the yeere, he with Lawrence Chapman and some
other English men vnhappily died: which being knowen of M. Ducket, he
immediately came from Taruis to Arrash, to take possession of the goods,
for otherwise by the custome of the countrey, if there had bene no merchant
or other friend of his to enter vpon that which he left, all had fallen
into the Shaughs hands, which goods notwithstanding could not bee recouered
from the officers, which had seized and sealed vp the same, vntill M.
Ducket had bene in person with the Shaugh, and had procured his order for
the deliuerie thereof.
[Sidenote: Humfrey Greensell burnt at Ormus.] Lionel Plumtree, in the meane
time that M. Ducket was at Casbin in sute for goods, vpon the perswasion of
certaine Bogharians, made prouision for a iourney to Cathaia, with cariages
and commodities, and hauing all things ready, departed secretly with a
Carauan: but being gone forwards on his way sixe dayes iourny, some fifty
horsemen by the procurement of Humfrey Greensell (who afterwards being at
Ormus in the East Indies, was there cruelly burnt in the Inquisition by the
Portingals) were sent after him in poste from Sultan Erasbec, the Shaughs
lieutenant, to fetch him backe againe, not suffering him to passe on so
perillous and dangerous a iourney for feare of diuers inconueinces that
might follow.
After this M. Ducket returned from Casbin to Shamaky againe, and
immediately made preparation for a iourney to Cassan, being about foure
dayes iourney from Shamaky, and caried with him foure mules laden with
mony.
In the way of his trauel he passed through Persepolis, sometime the roiall
seate of the Emperors of Persia, but now ruined and defaced, whereof
remaine to be seene at this day two gates onely that are distant one from
the other the space of 12 miles, and some few pinnacles in the mountains
and conueiances for fresh water.
The foresaid Cassan is a towne that consisteth altogether of merchandise,
and the best trade of all the land is there, being greatly frequented by
the merchants of India.
Here our men bought great store of al maner of wrought silkes, and some
spices, and good store of Turkie stones.
The towne is much to be commended for the ciuil and good gouernment that is
there vsed. An idle person is not suffred to liue amongst them.
The child that is but fine yeeres old is set to some labour. No ill rule,
disorder or riote by gaming or otherwise, is there permitted. Playing at
Dice or Cards is by the law present death.
At this Cashan they remained about the space of tenne weekes, and then came
down againe to Shamaky, and after some time spent in diuers places of the
countrey for buying of rawe silke and other commodities, they came at last
to Shauaran againe, where their ship was in harbour and then they shipt all
their goods and embarked themselues also, setting sayle the eight day of
May, in the yeere 1573. intending to fetch Astracan. By reason of the
varietie of the windes and dangerous flats of the Caspian sea, they beat it
vp and downe some 20. dayes. And the 28. day riding at anker vpon the
flats, certaine Russe Cassaks, which are outlawes or banished men, hauing
intelligence of their being there, and of the great wealth that they had
with them, came to them with diuers boates vnder the colour of friendship,
and entered their ship, but immediately they tooke their hatchets and slew
diuers of the Russes that were of the ship vpon the hatches: Whereupon
master Ducket, Lionell Plumtree, William Smith, the master, a man of
singular valure, and Amos Riall being vnder the Spardecke did so well
behaue themselues, that they skowred the hatches, and slew 14 of the
Cassaks gunners, and hurt and wounded about 30 more; being of them al in
number 150.
