Travels in India (Tavernier) 155.6

155.6

This new King and his Council were in much difficulty as to how they should make this voyage for two reasons, one because the King had only small vessels, and to undertake so long a journey on such vessels was risking much, joined to which the native pilots and sailors are only fit for going along the coasts, sighting from point to point, because they do not understand how to take observations. The other difficulty was that the King of Japara could not ignore the fact that the Dutch were always (cruising) about his harbours to capture his subjects if they went outside them. In order, then, to secure that those who went on the pilgrimage should be in safety, he bethought him that it would be best to come to an understanding with the English, believing that the Dutch would not dare to do anything to the pilgrims if they were in English vessels. With this object, an envoy was despatched to Bantam to the English President and his Council, who promised to give the King one of the largest and best appointed vessels of all those which the Company sent to India. They stipulated as a recompense that on the trade which the English might do in the future in the Kingdom of the King of Japara, they should not have to pay more than half the custom dues which they had hitherto paid, and that this privilege should continue to them always. This treaty being made, the English equipped a very fine vessel and placed a larger crew on her and more guns than usual.