Page 82 - Gulf Precis (I-A)_Neat

2
disburthonod of 90 muoh lading our ship would bo more priddio our lower
ordnance at liberty for dofonco, which are got by the doepnes of our shippes,
and are 00 useful, and our room iu liould the more for pleasuring of the
Moors and increase of four reight and customs in Persia. That in rospect of
your commission, in ordering the next yoars’s 6ilk, to bo down at port in that
year's 1st August at the furthest, it would be a great forwarding thcrounto
by the advance this way of four or five mouths’ time for tho furtherance
of that mayne design, which otherwise, in my opinion, may runno some
hazard of prolongation; that I myself shall have a faire opportunity of
conference with the factors there, whoroby to bo informed of many parti­
culars which by letters at so far a distance as India from thence they will
I
either neglect or poradvorture not dare at all to advise; and lastly the advan­
tage of forestalling of tho Duttch in our markets, chiefly in the choyse
and accomodating of ourselves with the fittingest assortments of silk, aud so
leave the refuse upon the Duttch, which I consider to be a point of weighty
I
consideration. On these foundations we have built our resolution (at the least
to endeavour our purpose) for Persia, qnd shall hasten the prosecution thereof
with all possible diligence, than what the winds and faire success in our
voyage shall administer, for in case of anything occurring in the passage to
crosse, we shall then disturb this inttention, and apply ourselves for Surratt
first as other fleets hereto.
Your most faithfull servi at comm*.,
I
THOMAS RASTELL.
On Board Ship James,
! St Augustine's Bay,
The 26th July 1630.
1
II.
* Thomas Rastell and Factors at Surat to the Factors at Agra.
Our good ffreinds Mjl Fframbin Es!£.-
Appointing Persia The ffleet out of England (whose names and Commanders you shall find
for the lut port.
in the inclosed page) setting sayle out of the Downes the 19th March last
past and voluntaryly missing of the Cape most happilie met first wl^. the home
bound " Charles ” and " Jonas ” att SJl Lawrence,t and afterwards w^. the
" Discovery ” and “ Reformation ” at Johana J w whom in CompJL together
(to God be the praise) wee arrived here the very instant day of the date hereof.
And by the inclosed coppie of such clauses as in the Compel lettor are thought
fit to communicate unto you for the present, you will perceave how they have
disposed of their affaires in these pit, and uppon whom they have conferred
their power and authorytie for the ordering thereof, that soe from hence forth
you may addresse yourselves for directions accordingly. And in the rueane
while take tymely knowledge, that for the better forwarding of our dispatches
this yeare for England and to pJLvent the wintring of our shipp by the way,
• Reprinted from Forrest’s Selections, Bombay (Home 8eries) with notes.
+ The 22nd of July we disoovered the great island Madagascar, commonly callod St. Lawronoe, we being,
then betwixt it and the African shore, whioh has almost every part of it under or without the southern
tropick.—Terry’s Voyage to East India (1605), p. 31.
J The island of Johanna is one of the four isles of Comora; their names are, Comora, Monilla, Johanna,
and Mayotta. Johanna lies near the foot of St. Lawrence, betwcon that and the main land of Africa, in about
121° of south latitude, by our observations wo made no more than 12° and 6 minutes. ’ Tie guessed to be
stretched in length about thirty miles and in latitude half the numbor. Its fortuity invites all the Europe ships
tending towards Suratt, and the northern parts of India, to refresh themselves there.—Ovington’a Voyago to
8uratt (1680), p. 108.