Page 119 - Early English Adventurers in the Middle East_Neat

ENGLISH AND PORTUGUESE RIVALRY 119

as the native authorities were concerned, Best found the
way smooth for his plans. Middleton’s strong yet consider­
ate policy in handling the Indian trading ships had, as we
have stated, produced a distinctly favourable impression.
A further advantage was that Makarrab Khan had fallen
from power and that the new governor was disposed to be
friendly to the English on his own account, apart from the
influence of the local traders. No difficulty, therefore, was
encountered at the outset in carrying on trade ashore. But
the Englishmen had not been long established in Surat
before rumours reached them of the big preparations that
were being made at Goa to drive them away from the coast.
When the floating gossip crystallized into definite infor­
mation that a fleet of four large galleons was being equipped
for his undoing, Best took measures to meet the danger.
His two ships were carefully overhauled in order to ensure
the utmost effectiveness of their powers of offence and
defence. Having assured himself by personal inspection
that his orders had been carried out in every particular,
Best caused the crews to be mustered and addressed them.
In his speech to the men of the Osiander, which the purser
of the ship reported for the information of posterity, he told
them that though the Portuguese were far superior to
them in strength, they need not fear, as their opponents
were “ base and cowardly,” and that it was a common
saying : “ Who so cowardly as a Portugal! ? ” From his
own experiences in the past he knew that after the first
bravado was over they were “ very cowards.” He
appealed to them as “ Englishmen famous over the world
for trew valour ” to acquit themselves like men, “ to put
their trust in God and not fear death.” He reminded them
that death was the inevitable lot of man, and said that they

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