228
lllSTOKY OF INDIA.
I Book i.
Report by FiUke Greville.
A.D. 1590. thans, Persians, Ethiopians, Turkes, and Portugals, have exceadinge greate traffique. Beyond the Gulf of Persia that kinge possesseth all the coast, and lialh great traffique with the Portugals, with pearles, carpetta, and other rich commodities. The lie of Orinus lyeth in the mouth of this golf, and is subject to the Persians, but so that the Portugals liath a forte in it, and ther is the staj)le of ai India, Arabia, Persia, and Turkic, whither Christian merchants do also resort, from Alepjjo and Tripolis, twyse in the year."
Continuing eastward he arrives at India, of which he says: — "Beyond the Persian lieth the kingdome of Cambaia, which is the fruitfullest of all India, and hath exceedinge greate trafficque : the Portugals possesse ther the towne of Dieu, scituatv in an iland in the mouth of the Indus, wher he hath great trade with the Cambaians, and all other nations in these jiartes. Next is the cuntrie of the Malabars, who are the Vjesi souldiers of India, and greatest enemies of the Portugals : it was once an entyer empier, now divided into many kingdoms ; part is subject to the Queen of Baticola, who selleth great store of pepper to the Portugals, at a towne called Onor, which they hould in her state : the rest of Malabar is divided into fyve kingdoms. Cochin, Chananor, Choule, Coulon,and Calechut; the last was the greatest, but, by the assistance of the Portugals, Cochin hath now prevailed above him. Beyond the Malabars is the kingdome of Narsinga, wher the Portugals also traffique : then the kingdom of Orixen and Bengalen by the ryver Granges, as also of Aracan, Pegu, Tanassaria and Queda."
The latter part of the report is less carefully drawn up, and commits the egregious blunder of confounding Taprobana, or Ceylon, with Sumatra. It continues thus: —
"The iland of Sumatra or Taprobuna is possessed by many kinges, enemies to the Por- tugals ; the cheif is the King of Dachem, who besieged them in Malacca, and with his gallies stopped the passage of victuails and traffique from China, Japan, and Molucco, till, by a mayne ileete, the coast was cleared. The Kinge of Spaigne, in regai'de of the importance of this passage, hath often resolved to conquer Sumatra, but nothinge is done. The Kinges of Acheyn and Tor are, in lyke sorte, enemies to the Portugals. The Philippinas belonged to the crowne of China, but, abandoned by him, were possessed by the Spaniards, who have trafficque ther with the merchants of China, which yeerly bring to them above twenty shippes, laden with all manner of wares, which they carry into New Spaine and Mexico. They trafficque also with the Chinois at Mackau, and Japan. And, lasthe, at Goa, there is great resort of all nations, from Arabia, Armenia, Persia, Cambaia, Bengala, Pegu, Siam, Malacca, Java, Molucca, and China, and the Portugals suffer them all to lyve ther, after their owne manners and relligions ; only for matter of justice they are ruled by the Portugal! law. In the yeere 1584, many ambassadors came to Goa from Persia, Cambaia, and the Malabars, and concluded peace with the Portugals ; 1586, the Arabians slew above 800 Portugals." English pre- This report is dated the 10th of March, in the year 1599, according to the for an east- old, but 1 600 accorduig to the present mode of reckoning, and must have had a em voyage. f.^^Q^^j.g^|j|g effect, as the queen's approbation of the projected voyage was shortly after signified ; and a general meeting of the adventurers was held at Founders' Hall, on the 2od of September, when it was resolved " that they would goe forwards with the voiage." The management was intrusted to seventeen direc- tors, or, as they were then called, committees, who met for the first time on the very same day, and two days after made a purchase of the ship Susan for the sum of £1600. The economical spirit in which the pm-chase was made appears in a stipulation by which the sellers agreed to take her back at half-price on her return. The next day (26th) the purchase of two other ships, the Hector a,ud Ascension, was agreed to; and a call was made upon the subscribers for
I
