The Embassy of Sir Thomas Roe to the Court of the Great Mogul 40: Instructions to the cheefe Factors Thomas Barkar and Edward Monnox in Persia.
The Embassy of Sir Thomas Roe (Foster) 40
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Instructions to the cheefe Factors Thomas Barkar and Edward Monnox in Persia.
40.1
(I. O. Records: O. C. No. 608.) Amdavaz, February 4, 1617[-18]. 1. First, you shall bee instant with the Sha to take some Course with the Portugall to enforce him to consent to a free trade, that the Seaes and Ports may bee open; which may bee effected by forbidding all releefe to bee transported to Ormus from the Mayne or any other of his Dominion, or els by fortyfying some Port, if any sufficient for shipping, or some Road where may both Command the traders and they the sea betweene them. 2. You shall avow Connaught to haue beene a Messinger sent from the King, though not with absolute Power as Ambassador to treate and Conclude: but that if the Sha shall fullfill the desiers of the English, his Maiestie will send ample authoritie further to Contract with him: in the meane tyme that hee hath giuen mee full Power to Conclude in these Poynts following and to Confirme those treaties already begunn by Edward Connaught, to which you shall propound: 3. That his Maiestie bee Pleased to bartar yearly for some Certayne quantetie of silke, whatsoeuer hee please vnder 8,000 Bales, to bee bought of him at 6s. 6d. the Pound, to bee deliuered by his Merchants at Xiras; for which hee shall receiue pay: one third money; one third Cloth, Tynne, quicksiluer or any such English goods as hee shall require, at the Prises made by Edward Connaught, to say Cloth at 37 shahees the yard, the rest as you fynd the marketts; one other third in spices, sugars, gynger.
40.2
Steele, Cloth, and shushes of Indya, such kynds and sorts as his Maiestie shall nominate; and ther, at Xiras, shall receiue the said goods in bartar yearly in the Months of Nouember, December, January, February, March or Aprill. 4. That hee shall giue you full Priuiledges for a staple and standing Mart at the Citty of Xiras, wher it shalbe lawfull for you to sell, bartar and trade with any of his subiects or other inhabitants or Merchants in his Dominions residing, all such surplus of goods as you shall haue landed more then that which his Highnes contracted for; and shall make declaration vnto all his subiects that it shalbe lawfull for them thither to passe downe with their silkes or other goods to sell or bartar with the English. 5. That you may att all tymes haue free Passadge with your goods to the sea syde, and a Place of securitie ther granted you, as well for the goods you shall land as for such you buy and shall bring downe to attend for your fleete, vpon such Conditions as it hath Pleased him to grant to the English by the Negotiation of Edward Connaught.
40.3
6. Having thus Contracted for the sure vent and Investments of goods on both Parts, you shall haue Power to signe by this my Commission on our Parts to performe the said Contract (the Perills of the sea only excepted) and to Couenant in my Name in the behalfe of his Maiestie that by the Next shipping that shall arriue after the returne of this contract, his Highnes shall receiue the Confirmation both of the former and these Present conditions vnder the great scale of our Soueraygne Lord his Maiestie of great Brittayne. 7. You shall haue full and due reguard in this negotiation to the Instructions giuen Edward Monnox, as well from the Honourable Companie as from mee, and in all Poynts as far as you may obserue the same. 8. You shall prepare what proceed soeuer of silkes and goods to bee ready in Mogustan, free and vncharged, or, if with security, at Iasques by the 20 of August; and you shalbe very warie in contracting vpon Creditt with the Sha for more goods, or for other species of Payment, then you are sure you shalbe able to satisfye, vntill full aggreation and advise come from the Company; except alway if the Sha will beare the adventure of any Bales of silkes to bee shipt for England and to bee payd vpon the returne of the said goods arriued in England, in which case I am of opinione it is also vnfitt to grant Passadge of any his Merchants with goods vpon our shipps, wherby they wilbe enformed of the Prices both of ours and their comodities.
40.4
9. You shall follow the Companies orders for Payment of wages to all their factors the Royal at 5s., and shall at the fleetes arriualls take none as adtendants nor enterteyne any New into the Companies seruice. For all such as are already seated, you shall enforme who are necessarie and improueable in the Companies busines, sober, Industrious and honest, them to keepe and to encouradge, and by your lettres may procure them a Competent encrease of wages; others, whom you fynd Negligent in their duty or dissolute in their life, you shall send them to the Port to bee reshipt. 10. You shall give speedy and full aduise as well of the reception of these conditions as of the proceedure and probabilitie of this trade to the ends by vs aymed at, and of the Prices of all sorts of goods to bee imported or exported, both to the Company in England (by way of Aleppo, in Charractar) and to mee and the Cape marchant resident at Suratt by the way of Syndu and by the Meanes of the Mogolls Ambassdor in Spahan, or by any other speedy, sure and Convenient Passadge. 11. You shall enterteyne John Leachland as one of your factors to bee imployed in veiwing and buying the silkes, in which hee pretends hee hath had breeding and experience, and shall allow him 10li. yearly for his Mayntenance, and for the rest of his wages hee referrs himselfe to his desarts and the Companyes fauour. 12.
40.5
You shall take Notice that notwithstanding Edward Monnox receiuing from mee commision deriued from the Instructions and Power conferrd on mee by his Maiestie to goe into Persia and to take account of the former proceedings, and no other, that hee finding it necessarie to abyde in the Countrye I fully giue my Consent therto, and hereby do appoynt him the second factor in that trade; and in Case of the Death of Thomas Barkar to reside Cheefe or Cape Marchant in his steed, and doe giue him full power to the excecution of all these former instructions, to dispose of the Companies busines, estate and seruants and to Gouerne and direct them as their head and Principal to the benefitt of his Honorable employers;
40.6
Prouided that hee proceede by consultation and aduise of the most antient and experienced that reside with or neare him and no otherwise: and that hee follow not the stepps of prodigallitie and greatnes begunn by Edward Connaught, but negotiate in the Name and qualitie of a Marchant, liue soberly and thrifteley as becomes his Place and the trust imposed vpon him: that hee giue no occasion of dislike or offence vnto his fellow seruants, but vse them with all fitt respects: that hee seeke to quench and reconcile all factions and discontents, which will breed first distraction and after ruyine to themselues and their employment: and that, wheras vpon his last dispatch hee wrote at lardge vnto the factors [and] to them consigned such lettres as properly to mee belonged, and to mee, to whom the busines is Committed, breefly and brokenly, with reference [to] the factors, I giue you to vnderstand that I looke for that due respect from him and all other in this busines employed as is oweing to my place, qualetie and authoritie committed and entrusted to mee by his Maiestie and the Honourable Company your Masters, and that first account bee to mee geuen of all your Proceedings, except only your bookes of account, ledgar and journall and such other affayres of Marchandice, of which alsoe I expect the foote or grosse account, that I may judge of the whole Profitt and losse;
40.7
the others to consigne and render vnto the Cape Merchant at Suratt with Coppies for England as well of the said bookes and accounts as of all lettres, consultations and other proceedings that shalbe registred vntill this factorie of Persia bee settled and absolute of yt selfe or otherwise disposed off by full order and Power from the Companie in England.
40.8
13. Lastly, I requier you to bee carefull in the estates of such your factors as shall render their soules vnto their creator, that true inventorie and account bee kept and made over vnto the stocke of the Honourable Companie to avoyde all scandall or vnjust dealing. Particularly in the estate of William Tracy, who is lately dead and had in his Purse at his departure [from] Suratt Neere 100li., part of which Edward Connaught had borrowed, that his frends may haue some just accompt, which they may expect of mee, beeing by them recommended to mee, but enveigled away by Edward Connaught; and that whatsoeuer goods, monies or debts may bee found of the said Edward Connaught may bee seazed or recouered to the vse of his Creditors and for the satisfaction of the Honourable Companie, Particularly one debt of 7 Toman lent by him to the friar Padre Paulo, resident in Spahan, whose bill at his death it seemes hee burned and bequeathed the Companies mony for Diergees and dead Masses and of all such summes of mony, debts, silkes and goods whatsoeuer pretended to bee the said Edward Connaught['s] to make true accompts and to putt it to the stock of the Companie, who will with more conscience and equitie render reason to all that shall of them demand it, as far as his estate arose, themselues beeing first in measure satisfyed. So I Committ you all to Gods Mercy.