Page 249 - Early English Adventurers in the Middle East_Neat

THE ENGLISH IN THE PERSIAN GULF 249

Not unnaturally, in the circumstances the Persians hailed
the advent of the English fleet with delight. Their hatred
of the Portuguese was intense, and they’realized that in the
English they might obtain an ally whose assistance would
be invaluable to them. Without loss of time they made
overtures to the English commanders for co-operation,
offering substantial inducements in the shape of trading
concessions and backing their requests for assistance with
the argument that as the fight with the Portuguese had
been precipitated by the favour shown by the Shah to the
English the latter were in duty bound to stand by them.
The Persian appeal had a warm advocate in Edward Mon- !
nox, the chief English factor in Persia, who had come down
to the coast on his recall by the Company, and who had
>
brought with him a strong impression of the supreme im­
portance of making a bold bid for the reversion of the posi­
tion which Portugal had so long maintained in the Shah’s
dominions.
Neither Blyth nor Weddell was eager to take upon him­
self the burden of the great responsibility of joining the
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Persians against the Portuguese. It was one thing to resist
an unprovoked attack and quite another thing to enter a
conflict in which the Company had no direct interest and
that as an ally of an Asiatic power. And quite apart from
considerations of moral expediency there was the danger
to be faced of taking the offensive against the well-equipped
vessels of Ruy Freire’s fleet. A reverse would be disastrous
to the Company’s position in the Gulf, and it would seriously
imperil the whole fortunes of the English in the East.
i
Probably, if left to themselves, the two commanders would
have found some excuse for non-compliance, butMonnox
was at their elbow in their councils, and his zeal for a
Persian understanding eventually carried the day.

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