The Aravidu Dynasty of Vijayanagara, Vol. I v1.c27.176

v1.c27.176

"The nine and twentieth of July, arrived foure persons as Ambassadors, with my man Wengali, from the great king of Narsinga of Velur, bringing me a Caul with his *Abestiam* (which is a white Cloth where his owne hand is printed in Sandall or Saffron) as also one from the Queene of Paleacatte, and divers Letters from Jaga Raja, Tima Raja, Apocondaia and others. The Kings Letter was written upon a leafe of gold, wherein he excused the former fault done to us in Paleacatte, desiring that now we would come into his Country, and chuse a place to our best liking, and that there we should build a house or Castle according to our owne liking, with other priviledges. He gave me a Towne of about foure hundred pound of yearely revenue, with promise to doe more at my coming thither. The Hollanders had wrought much against it, but their words were not now in such force; the Inhabitants grieving to see every yeare English ships passe by without any profit to them, and therefore filling the king with complaints, and procuring these friendly offers. I kept them with mee, allowing their daily charges till the ship be come into the Road, then to consider further. My man Wengali had beene in person before the King, and spoken with him, the King laying his hand on his head, and presenting him with a Tesseriffe"¹. Floris seems to have been inclined to proceed to Venkata's court. But when on the 25th of October he heard of the King's death, he was somewhat disheartened on account of the expected troubles. "I dispatched likewise the Ambassadors of Velur," says he, "in respect of the troubles there, and my short stay denying fit opportunity: yet I left Letters with them for the first English ships, with my best advice"².