Page 267 - Early English Adventurers in the Middle East_Neat

THE ENGLISH SECURE A FOOTHOLD IN INDIA 2G7

sented himself at Goa about the middle of 1662, he found
the Portuguese Viceroy altogether disinclined to surrender
the island. This functionary at first questioned the valid­
ity of the envoy’s credentials, and when convincing evidence
had been supplied as to their genuineness and sufficiency
he raised fresh difficulties. Nor was he to be moved by
any arguments that could be adduced to sanction the fulfil"
ment of the treaty.
The position for the English was most embarrassing.
The Royal expedition which had gone out was an imposing
one, consisting of five ships and a considerable military
force, the latter under the command of Sir Abraham Ship-
man. To keep these vessels in Indian waters while the
difficulty was referred to Europe was out of the question;
on the other hand, to send home the force intended for the
occupation would have the most serious effect on the situa­
tion at Surat in that it would appear in the guise of a con­
fession of failure. After due deliberation, the decision was
come to to land the military on Angediva, an island not far
from Goa, and to send the ships home with the Earl of
Marlborough, who would be able personally to report the
facts to the Government. This course was pursued, with
the result that imperative orders were sent out from Europe
to the obstinate Viceroy at Goa to hand over Bombay.
It was, however, not until the middle of 1664 that the
English in India were able to take advantage of the new
situation. In the meantime, disease had played havoc with
the force at Angediva. Sir Abraham Shipman and every
one of his officers had died, and failing a suitable military
successor the command had devolved upon Shipman’s
secretary, Humphrey Cooke. Cooke, however, seems to
have been a man of resource. He had no sooner been put