Page 83 - INDIANNAVYV1

—

HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY. 51
tlie Court the expediency of having power to take possession of
some pk\ce on the coast of Persia, to which they could retreat, in
the event of any emergency, which was the first intimation we
have of the policy which, ultimately, resulted in the permanent
occupation ofBassadore, in the Island of Kishm, and ofKarrack,
during war time, in 18-38 and 185tj.
In May or June, 1634, a truce, to continue for six months
till after the notification of the decision of the Sovereigns of
England and Spain, from whose Crown Portugal was not
separated until 1640—was signed by the President of Surat
and the Viceroy of Goa, by which the Portuguese ports were to
be open to the English, whose factories were to reciprocate
friendly relations with the Portuguese traders. Explanations
having taken place between the Crown of England and Spain,
on this basis, the Company's Agents in Persia were directed to
avoid becoming parties in the state of hostilities then existing
between the Portuguese and the Persians, and King Charles
wrote a letter to the Shah, soliciting his protection of his
subjects. Tn January, 1635, the truce between the rival Euro-
pean Powers in the East, gave place to a regular Convention,
which was concluded, in person, at Goa between the Viceroy
and Mr. Methwold, the President at Surat, who, writing home
to the Court a few days later, proposed, says Bruce, in future to
limit the English trade to four annual ships, two of which
Avould find a lading at Goa, while the other two would either
complete their investments at the other Portuguese ports, or at
the English factories on the Coromandel coast, or Sumatra.
In prosecution of this plan of trade, the Presidency formed a
factory at Scindy, and solicited a firman for settling a factory at
Uabul. They built two " pinnaces" at Damaun, and two at
Bassein, for the coast trade, and tried a new experiment, that of
sending a pinnace, with a small investment, to Bussorah, which,
being a Turkish port, was not liable to any interference from
the Persian Government.
About the close of the year the Company were involved in
great difiiculties, owing to a number of persons, with Sir
William Courten at their head—excited by prospects of gain,
owing to the arrangements with the Portuguese—having suc-
ceeded in procuring a grant from the King, and forming an
association which was known as " Courten's Interlopers."' They
sent ships out to Surat, whose arrival seenas to have thrown the
factory into the greatest confusion, and caused a suspension of
trade for the season on the part of the Company.* Notwith-
* In the year 1636 occurred the first instance of the good offices of a successful
physician eif'ecting what the diplomatists could not gain by presents and fan-
promises. In that year the cliief and factors of Surat, on tlio application of a no-
bleman at the Court of Shah Jehan, sent Gabriel Brougliton, surgeon of the
Company's ship ' Hopewell,' to Delhi to attend the Emperor's daughter, and eo
muck were his skill and attention apprecialed, that Imperial favours «ere liberally
K 2