The Embassy of Sir Thomas Roe to the Court of the Great Mogul 41.1
The Embassy of Sir Thomas Roe (Foster) 41.1
- Language
- English
41.1.1
My Honourable Frendes, Your lettres mentioned upon the Charles safely arriued at Swally Roade in September, 1616, and came to hand October following; were answered by the Globe dispeeded from the Coast the 7th of March after, to which I referr you; Coppies wherof I cannot now send (and by Godes Mercy ther is no cause) for I, beeing fully determined to returne, was vnprouided of them, or of any but my booke, and beeing in continuall trauell haue beene much streightened to send you these of Newer dates and soe more necessarie, hauing but one hand to assist mee, and that oftener weake then able. For the Passadges of your busines in Court or factories, as much as I was made acquaynted with, the one you shall receiue by a Journall, and the other you may collect out of transcripts of lettres directed to your seuerall factories by mee, all which are Punctually sent you, wherin you may see what wayes I held, and what my opinions were. In reading these, yf you compare the dates with those of your seruantes corresponding, you shall haue more light and Judge of all as if you were Present. I make noe question others send their owne, for soe I aduised tymely; and I could perswade you to appoynt one to view them togither, to collect the reasons and conclusions for your full enformation. You may in some clauses fynd mee sharp and censuring your aduises from home; but you will find my reasons iustifiable and my endes honest and vpright.
41.1.2
To the Particular of your last receiued by the James Royall by my Frend Captain Pring, and to all instructions sent therby, you shall receiue answere either in this or in some single Papers to that Purpose; and in all you shall see my Judgment of all your trades, for I haue dealt openly and freely, as well before you committed to mee any thing as since. As this bringeth a Coppy of yours [of] the former yeare, so I will runn along with yt in the Poyntes mooued. The little doubles that rose betweene mee and Captain Keeling soone vanished. I found him in all thinges a reasonable and discreet man, nor want of any performance on your Partes of any thing promised mee. Wee haue this yeare, for suffering the Insolencies of the Prince, made triall of Goga and searched all the Bay, but can fynd noe place fitt for your head residence but Suratt; soe that question is at an end, and wee must study to make the best of that Place.
41.1.3
To waft the Mogolles subiectes into the Red Sea will neuer giue your Men bread and water. They neither desier it nor will admitt it, except wee doe it of Curtesie; for they Pay their Cartasse notwithstanding, being Compounded with the Portugall, and they feare none but Pirattes, which is a New trade of a yeares standing; yet that feare will sooner make them not trade (for in all they are but slaues to the Lordes of the Portes, who Cutt vpon them) then giue vs the remayner of their Profitt for their safe Conduct, as in Master Steeles Proiects you will perceiue my triall, for hee had other endes.
41.1.4
The Motions of building a fort haue begott such Jealousies in these Moores that vpon bringing brick ashore to found a shippes bell, it rang to Court, our People disarmed in Suratt, and I am not yet cleare of liberties lost vpon yt, though I haue made the Prince ashamed at the weakenes of the suspition to confesse a handfull of men could take a Part of their Countrie by force. But it is true wee would bee lordes there, and haue Committed soe many Insolencies that I haue woondred at their Patience; yet wee complayne. The last yeare for another folly our People were restrayned in the Towne, and they sent from the shipes 200 Naked men ashore to take Suratt, who as brutishly bruted it in their March; yet ten Men would haue kept them from Passing the great Riuer. This yeare wee haue offered vpon Puntoes to force the Custome house and Twenty drawn their swoordes in yt. If these bee not iust causes of Jealousy, I am silent ; yet I patch it vp. The Commander now by his great Modesty and discretion hath both reformed many abuses, gayned you much good will, himselfe all mens loue and his owne Creditt. An honester man I suppose you cannot send, and that his Actions will approoue : one that studies your endes, is ready to ioyne with any, without insisting vpon disputes and tearmes.
41.1.5
To returne to a fort. Ther is noe Place to bee obteyned. They are weary of vs as it is; and indeed wee see wee haue empouerished the Portes, and wounded all their trades, soe that by much Perswasion of the Gouernors the Merchant goes to sea. Or, if ther were licence granted, ther is none fitt for your Shipping except one that lies out of all Commerce and hath more inconveniences in yt then this, which, when your goodes are ready by September, wilbe easie enough. And if you began to build and plant here, quarrell would arise, the enemie exasperated, who may now bee drawn to Composition, and all your proffittes eaten in Garrizons and dead payes. It is noe way to driue your trades by plantation. The Dutch haue spoyled the Moluccoes which they fought for, and spent more then they will yeild them, if quiett, in seauen yeares. Syndu you may freely goe too, lade and relade ; but it is inhabited by the Portugall, lies noe way well for your stock (except you scatter it) ; it ventes only your teeth and affordes good Cloth and many toyes. But if the sortes you haue seene serue your Markettes, you are nearer seated and may haue what quanteties you Please ; and for your teeth the marchant will fetch them at Suratt.
41.1.6
Bengala hath noe Portes but such as the Portugalles Possesse, for smalle shipping. It will vent nothing of yours. The People are vnwilling in respect of the warr, as they suppose, like to ensue in their Seas ; and the Prince hath Crossed it, thincking wee desired to remooue thither wholy, and that, if wee stay in India, hee takes to bee an affront. But now I may obteyne one ship to come and goe vpon hope of Rubies from Aracan and Pegu ; but I knowe not what profitt you can make by any residence there, and I speak vpon searching the bottome of all the secrettes of India. If you will haue Patience to try one yeare, you shall see one thing effectually done is woorth twenty by fragmentes. You will find it is not many factories here that gettes you a penny. I will forecast your ease, and by godes grace, settle not only your priuiledges but your Profittes. This two yeare the Prince hath beene my enemie, and if I had yeilded, I must haue beene his slaue. This last I haue stood out to the last and aduentured the feircnes of his wrath. It hath succeeded better then I expected. Wee are soe reconciled that hee is now my effectuall mediator and will procure mee Content. Indeed, hee only can giue it. His father growes dull and suffers him to write all Commandes and to gouerne all his kingdomes. [Marginal note by Roe, — When I wrote this, I had woordes enough; but such delayes in effects that I am weary of flatteries as of ill usadge.]
41.1.7
You can neuer expect to trade here vpon Capitulations that shalbe permanent. Wee must serue the tyme. Some now I haue gotten, but by way of firmaens and Promise from the Kynge. All the Gouerment dependes vpon the present will, where appetite only gouerns the lordes of the kingdome. But their Justice is generallie good to strangers; they are not rigorous, except in scearching for thinges to please, and what trouble wee haue is for hope of them, and by our owne disorders. In both I haue propounded to you a New course, and will here Practise it. The Presentes last yeare were all seazed by the Prince in the way. I gott them realeased, but to spight mee hee sent them to the King. What I Chalenged of yours was returned; a good Part went for Persia. The remayner the King had in a base fashion, as my Journall will relate. The Fleminge is planted at Suratt, [and] hath obteyned a firmaen vpon as good tearmes almost as wee. I did my endeauour to Crosse him, but they come in vpon the same ground that wee began, and by which wee subsist, feare. And if I fynd not all performed with mee now promised, I shalbe as bould as to chasten them once agayne; els the Duch wilbe before hand and doe it first, and then hee wilbe the braue man. Assure you I will not leaue this Coast but vpon good tearmes.