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HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY. 11
Constantinople, through the intervention of the British x4.m-
bassador, which was addressed to all the " great Viceroj's and
beglerbegs who are on the way, both by sea and land, from
ray most happy and imperial throne, to the confines of the
East Indies," who were strictly enjoined " kindly and cour-
teously to entertain and receive the merchants and subjects of
Great Britain, coming or passing through or by any of our
dominions, with a view to trade to the territories of Yemen,
Aden and Mocha, and the parts adjoining, by assisting and
relieving them with all things necessary for themselves, their
njen and ships ;" and, in general, by yielding unto them " such
offices of benevolence and humanity as shall be meet and con-
venient to be yielded unto honest men and strangers under-
taking so long and painful a voyage." But Captain Saris, like
Sir Henry Middleton, was doomed to disappointment, and on his
arrival at Socotra, received a letter which had been left by Sir
Henry Middleton, acquainting him with his proceedings, and
warning him against Turkish treachery. Though his hopes of
peaceful trade were now faint, he determined to test the
efficacy of the firman, and with that view sailed directly for
Mocha. His reception was encouraging, and, by judicious
management and the exercise of forbearance, past jealousies
and fears might have been forgotten ; but there seems to have
been little sincerity on either side, and Saris, on meeting with
some obstructions, hastily quitted the port and returned to the
Straits of Babelmandeb. Here he found Sir Henry Middleton
engaged in pillaging, and instead of repudiating his proceed-
ings, was tempted to become a sharer in them. Sir Henry's
account of the compact for "romaging the Indian ships," is as
—
follows : " At last we agreed, and sealed it in writings inter-
changeable, that he should have one- third part of what should
be taken, paying for the same as I did, lor the service of his
three ships in the action ; leaving the disposing of the ships
afterwards to me, who had sastayned the wrongs."
When by means of these violent proceedings, flimsily dis-
guised under the name of barter, the depredators had possessed
themselves of a sufficient quantity of Surat cloth and other
Indian goods, for which a ready market could be found in the
Indian Archipelago, they set sail in that direction. Sir Henry
JMiddleton was again unfortunate; and, on learning that the
'Trade's Increase,' which he had ordered to follow while he
went in advance with the ' Peppercorn,' had been wrecked on
a coral reef, died of chagrin at the Isle of Machian, one of the
Moluccas. Captain Saris, after spending souie time in tlie
same group, sailed for the Isles of Japan, where the Company
had resolved to establish a factory. On the 11th of June,
Kilo, he cast anchor near Firando. Though he found the
Dutch already installed, and disposed, not only to watch, but