Travels in the Mogul Empire (Bernier) 3.14.5

3.14.5

Fourth.—Sometimes the Dutch presume to lay an embargo on all the Golkonda merchant-vessels in the port, nor will they suffer them to depart until the King comply with their demands. I have known them even protest against the King because the Governor of Maslipatam prevented them from taking forcible possession of an English ship in the port, by arming the whole population, threatening to burn the Dutch factory, and to put all these insolent foreigners to the sword. Fifth. — Another symptom of decay in this kingdom is the debased state of the current coin; which is extremely prejudicial to the commerce of the country. Sixth. — A sixth instance I would adduce of the fallen power of the King of Golkonda is, that the Portuguese, wretched, poor, and despised as they are become, scruple not to menace him with war, and with the capture and pillage of Maslipatam and other towns if he refuse to cede San Thomé, a place which these same Portuguese, a few years ago, voluntarily resigned into his hands to avoid the disgrace of yielding it to the superior power of the Dutch.