Page 47 - Early English Adventurers in the Middle East_Neat

HOW LANCASTER INITIATED EASTERN TRADE 47

The note struck by the Queen’s disdainful sentences about
Portuguese and Spanish pretensions awakened a congenial
echo in the heart of the Malay prince, who had only too
good cause to appreciate their truth. But, though all
graciousness about the desirability of an alliance with so
high and mighty a potentate as Elizabeth, he was in no
hurry to make the definite concession which was asked.
The proposal was referred by him for consideration to two
of his principal officials—“ one the chief bishop of the
realm and the other a member of the ancient nobility.”
Meanwhile the Englishmen were granted a general freedom
to trade—a favour which, while it committed the King to
nothing, was calculated to enrich his coffers both directly
and indirectly.
Lancaster speedily found that trading at Acheen, on
anything like profitable terms, was practically impossible.
ITe had been led by Davis to expect that lie would be able
to purchase pepper—the staple commodity—at a price
of four Spanish reals of eight the hundred pounds weight,
but the actual cost was about five times that sum. In the
circumstances, it is not surprising that he “ grew daily full
of thought how he should lade his ships.” To increase his
perplexities a Portuguese ambassador appeared on the
scene, pruned with instructions to do his best to defeat the
Englishmen’s schemes. His first move was to make a bold
demand to the King for a factory and for a site for a fort at
the entrance to the river for its security. The insolence of
the request aroused the ire of the prince.
Addressing the Portuguese envoy, according to the nar­
rator of Lancaster’s voyage, he said : “ Hath your master
a daughter to give that he is so careful of the preservation
of my country ? He shall not need to be at so great a