The Aravidu Dynasty of Vijayanagara, Vol. I v1.c27.179

v1.c27.179

Independently of this attempt another English expedition called at Pulicat in the beginning of 1614, to start trading with the natives there. Two boats, '*The Globe*' and '*James*', went there, but for the second time met with an unwilling reception: "Arriving at the road of Pollicat (Pulicat)", says the commander John Gourney to the East India Company, "we had soon after two several troops of messengers from the Shabunder to welcome us, and to show us that if we came to trade we should not want any favours needful and that his desire was to seen us ashore; this agreeing with our own desire, I went ashore taking Thomas Brokedon with me and being entered into the town understood that the Shabunder was gone forth to the town. So we turning directly towards a large castle the Dutch have there built were at our coming into it entertained with kind shows by Warner Van Berghen, alias Captain Drinkwater, Captain there and Rector of all the factories upon that coast, being then accompanied with Captain Samuel King, English born, and there we also found with them sundry of the principals of the town prepared to declare unto us (as they presently did) that their king had given by his cowl or firman the privilege of the whole trade of that town to the Hollanders, without whose leave we English nor other strangers might intermeddle, and the said Van Berghen added that it was not in his power to give leave. These speeches having heard and knowing that Mr. Floris had been in the like manner put off, conceive that the King of Velour (Vellore, i.e. Venkata II) must be dealt withal with the King's Majesty's letters, which no doubt at any time will prevail. But the king being within the land at war, few factors of us and our two principal ports to be furnished being Musulpatam (Masulipatam) and Pettapoly (Petapoli), we having that night following received very kind entertainment of the Dutch, we prepared in the morning to embark, at which time the parties aforesaid returned to parley again and, making the same conclusion as before, they added that we ought to pay anchorage. Our answer was that we knew it to be their hearty desire that we should stay and trade with them, if we could have sufferance from the Hollander, but now we could neither accept of liberty nor stay to trade, neither would we give them anchorage. Whereat without more ado they gave us betel to chew, as their manner of courtesy is, and bade us farewell, desiring us to be good to Gentiles, if we met them at sea" 1. We do not know of other attempts of the first English traders to establish a commercial settlement at Pulicat. At this time the Portuguese had already started their campaign against the Dutch settlement.