Travels in India (Tavernier) 109: Account of a notable act of perfidy done to the author when he was about to embark at Gombroon for Surat.

109

In the month of April 1665, being about to leave Gombroon, and when on the point of embarkation for Surat in a vessel which belonged to the broker of the Dutch Company, and was commanded by Captain Hans — the Agent of the English gave me a packet of letters, which had arrived by express from England, to deliver to the President of Surat. This packet was very large, because, besides the Company’s letters, he had included in it those which were for private persons in Surat and other parts of India. I received the packet from him, on the evening of my embarkation, in presence of M. Casembrot, a Dutchman, who had come to Persia by land, and was related to M. Henry Van Wuck, Commander at Gombroon. Casembrot managed to accompany me on all occasions when I went to see the English Agent, and Van Wuck asked me at each visit which I paid him, whether the Agent had not entrusted me with letters for Surat. I replied ingenuously that he had told me that he would give me some, without suspecting anything of the evil intention of both of these two men. Their object, as appeared subsequently, was to obtain possession of this packet in consequence of the rumour which was in circulation of a rupture between England and Holland, and because they thought that the English had received definite news of it, as some days previously an Arab had arrived by the desert route and had brought a packet to the English Agent; this caused the Commander Van Wuck much anxiety.
As soon as I had received the packet from the Agent, Casembrot, who was always on the watch, and looked on, as it was put into my hands, reported it to Van Wuck, and told him of its form and size; and I, after having pledged the Agent in a glass of wine which he offered me when wishing me a good passage, went to take leave of Van Wuck, who would not allow me to go till after I had supped with him. He kept me, as it were by force, in order to have more time to accomplish his coup; and excusing himself for being unable to accompany me on account of the arrival of three vessels which cast anchor while we were at table, he lent me his own boat to go on board, together with four or five of the principal officers of his staff, whom he sent with me, under pretext of escorting me, and with them the captain of the vessel also, to whom he gave the word. As soon as we were on board the captain offered me his own cabin, where he had already directed my bed to be placed by my servants, who had been on board for two days before, and on my making a difficulty about accepting it, he told me that the Commander had ordered him to do so, to which I replied that I would not accept his cabin, except on the condition that I should only occupy half of it, while he took the other. This having been