Page 111 - Early English Adventurers in the Middle East_Neat

A GALLANT BUT UNFORTUNATE COMMANDER 111

pensation, and that as there was not so much money in
Mocha, the cargo of the Indian ship should be accepted as
security. Middleton would probably have demanded more
had he not been well aware that the fine would come out
of the pockets of the Indian merchants, who had shown
themselves good friends of the captives in the days of their
adversity. On July 2, when all the details had been ad­
justed, the shahbunder, on taking his departure for the
shore, was honoured with a salute of three guns, a compli­
ment which he no doubt greatly appreciated. Nothing
now remained for Middleton but to complete his arrange­
ments for the resumption of his long-delayed voyage.
Before'quitting Mocha, it is interesting to know, he entrusted
the shahbunder with letters “ to be forwarded to London
by way of Messa, or Grand Cairo as we call it.” In so
doing he made use of the overland route which more than
two centuries later was to be adopted for the regular trans­
mission of the Indian mails through the exertions of the
indefatigable Lieutenant Waghorn.
As Aden and Mocha had proved hopeless for trade,
Middleton naturally turned to India to seek to find there
some compensation for his heavy disappointments. But
he had no sooner arrived off Surat than he found himself
confronted with the violent opposition of the Portuguese,
reinforced by the ill-will of the Mogul authorities. After
more or less futile efforts to establish relations with the
shore, Middleton took his fleet to Dabul, a port to the south­
wards, off which he anchored for purposes of revictualling.
Here a sort of council of war was held to determine the
course of action which should be followed.
We have a vivid light thrown upon the uncertainties
and perplexities of the hour as they appeared to the harassed