Page 85 - Gulf Precis (I-A)_Neat

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Let us have a word or two of the prices *of auger and suger candy, as also
quantityos there p.yidable, and the seasons when most cheapest, that
of the
against another yeare wee may make a fitting provision thereof for Persia.
Upon oi- shipps retourno againo into porte, w5k wee doe expect within 8
or 10 dayes at the furthest, weo will send you yoi. p.tioular letters, if any out
of England, where there is little alteration since the last yeares ffieet, only
that the treaty of peace w^. Spaino was in agitation by reciprocall embasies
fiom each King to other, w$ yet by their non-cessation of armes, the successe
is somewhat to be doubted, and soo not remembering ought elce att P^-sent,
wee commend you to Gods mercies and with freindly salutes rest.
Your very loving ffreinds,

THOMAS RASTELL.
JOHN SKIBBOW.
JOSEPH HOPKINSON.
RICHARD BARBER.
JAMES BICKFORD.
ARTHUR SUFFEILD.

JOHN HORRIS.
Surratt;
7' 30« September 1680.

in.
* Thomas Rastell to Mr. Burt and Counoil in Persia.
Worp-L and our very loving ffreinds M_fr Burt EsqJL
But first you may* take a knowledge that the “ James William ** and
“ Blessing ” dep^s England the 19A March last, and passing by the Cape,
arrived att SA Lawrence the 14A Julye, where they founde the “ Charles ”
and “ Jonas ” intending to make that their place of wintering, for the more
seasonable arrivall upon the ooast of England ; and proceeding thence for
Johanna they as prosperouslye met there the “ Discovery” and “ Reformation,”
in whose compJL together they all safely arrived at the Barr of Surratt the 22
passed, to that God that guided us hether be the glorye.
Heere at our very first appearance wee were confronted by a Sleet of about sharp aotion
30 sailo ffrigats and smaller vessells who had away ted, as well the Junckesf jfn'uSiand
of this place as toJL owne shipps neare uppon 20 dayes before o-rr coming, and in Portuguew in the
that intrim had made seasure, and carried hence yJL Mussahee of this port w*k SwallY 11°**"*
a very great wealth of treasuree. Our landing heere for oertayne dayes they
also hindred, for untill wee had conference wlk the ffactors here residing wee
held it not safe to adventure into the hole of Swally, not knowing what
hindrances might have been p^Lpared to indanger us uppon the Barr by the
sinkeing of some vessells oJL other materialls to that purpose, and dureing thi s
■
• Reprinted from Forrost’s Selections, Bombay, Home Series, with notes.
t Juuk is a large eastern, cspeoially (in lator use) a Chinese ship. This is one of the oldest words in the
Europeo*Inoian vocabulary. It occurs in the travels of Friar Odorioo. written down in 1331. and a few years !
later in the rambling reminiscence, of John do* Marignolli. The French translators of Ibn Batuta derive the
word from the Chinese tchonen (chwon). The old Arab traders must have learnod the word from Malay pilots
for it is certainly the Javanese and Malay jong and ajong a ship or large vessel. In Javanese the great Bear il
called Lmtaug jong "The constellation junk ".-Colonel Yule's Hobson* Jobson. p. 860.
3889 F. D. i
l