Page 174 - Early English Adventurers in the Middle East_Neat

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. 174 EARLY ENGLISH ADVENTURERS IN THE EAST
he had done no wrong, and said that if he had acted unlaw­
fully he had sinned in ignorance.
In the end the storm, which at one time threatened to
have really serious consequences for Roe, blew over, and he
was able to give his thoughts to arrangements for his
departure from India. The directors had written out ask­
ing him to extend his service by another year, but Roe
was altogether disinclined to prolong an exile which had
already become almost unbearable. His thoughts of home
were given a sharper turn as the year 1618 wore on by a
terrible outbreak of plague at Ahmedabad, which affected
everybody in the English factory but Roe, and which
carried off the greater part of the staff.
In resolute fashion the ambassador approached once
more the question of permanent facilities for trade, and
by a persistent course of advocacy, with the exercise of
strict moderation in his demands, he at length in Septem­
ber, 1618, obtained a satisfactory arrangement. The chief
points in the agreement were: (1) that the English should
be well treated; (2) that they should have free trade on
payment of Customs dues; (3) that their presents to the
Emperor should not be subject to search at Surat; (4)
that the effects of any Englishman who died should be
handed over to Englishmen. A supplementary agree­
h ment made with Prince Khurrum stipulated (1) that the
governor of Surat should lend ships to the English in the
event of an attack by the Portuguese; (2) that resident
English merchants might wear arms; (3) that the English
might be allowed to build a house in Surat; (4) that they
should have free exercise of their religion; (5) that they
should be allowed to settle disputes amongst themselves.
Such, in brief, were the terms of this concordat, which

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