Page 8 - Journal of the Cenral Asian Society (1960)

AND THE PKL’SIAN GULF 77
70 SOME EARLY TRAVELLERS IN PER .
wont through aovoral editions before its place in public favour was
from tho pens of Faria y Sousa,* tho younger Albuquerque,! Duarto
taken by lator narrations.
Barbosa, | Pedro Teixeira,^ and others, whose narrations aro without Tho Shorleys, Shirleys, or Schorleys were an ancient family con-
exception of much interest and historic value. nocted with some of tho best blood of England, having branches in
They are followed by a batch of letters, pamphlets, and “ relations ”
Derbyshire, Leicestershire, and Sussex. Of the latter the representa­
from the pens of British master mariners and merchants—John tive in the middle of the sixteenth century was Sir Thomas Sherley
Nowbery, Ralph Fitch, John Niouhoff, and others—bent on opening up of Winston, who married Ann, daughter of Sir Thomas Kemp, by
trade routes to Ormuz, Gombrun, Balsara, and other ports. Before *
whom he had three sons, Thomas, Anthony, and Robert, “ a leash
this time, as a recent writer has remarked, our heroes—common
of brethren severally eminent,” as Fuller* terms them. Sir Thomas,the
soldiers and seamen—were for the most part unable to write, while
eldest of the three, was the latest in making any public reputation for
subsequent to the eighteenth century the pall of elementary education
himself, “ men’s activity not always observing the method of their
has descended, so that they are now unable to write for other reasons.
register,” as the quaint old author just quoted observes, and who
The intervening centuries form an agreeable interval between two
further remarks, with reference to the successes of the two younger
illiteracies, daring which the rank and file pipe up here and there with
members of the family instigating Sir Thomas to endeavour to dis­
surprising spirit, and make remarks that would not have occurred to
tinguish himself:
admirals, or that the latter at least would not have recorded.||
“ As the trophies of Miltiades would not suffer Themistocles to
The seventeenth century is the great era at once of Persian grandeur
sleep, so the achievements of his two younger brothers gave an alarm
and of additions in almost every European tongue to the literature
unto his spirit. He was ashamed to see them worn like flowers in the
of travel. A succession of instructed visitors on diplomatic missions, •.vj; breasts and bosoms of foreign princes, whilst he himself withered upon
or drawn to the country by commercial interests, missionary zeal, or the stalk he grew on.”
by a taste for exploration—the first fruits in the case of England of the
Sir Thomas accordingly equipped three vessels, and collected a
wonderful expansion of natural interests and vision under Elizabeth—
body of 500 military adventurers, apparently of the most worthless
have bequeathed to us a series of works of extraordinary interest and description, with whom he sailed on his strange and questionable
dealing with every aspect of national life in Persia. In their pages we
enterprise in the latter end of 1601. He was captured and held to
find a contemporary record of the habits and customs of the Persian ransom at Constantinople, where for nearly three years he was con-
people, set down with an accuracy which, except for the immortal ;v
fined in a loathsome dungeon in the Seven Towers, fed only on bread
“Hajji Baba,” had scarcely any parallel until the last ten years or so, 3 and water, heavily chained, frequently put in the public stocks,
when Sir P. M. Sykes, Colonel D. C. Phillott, and a few lady mis­ twice ordered out for execution, and subjected to every possible hard­
sionaries, notably Mrs. C. Colliver Rice, have thrown a flood of light ship. The English Ambassador at th<3 Porte, Sir Paul Pindar, was
upon various aspects of Persian manners and customs. The narratives 1 earnestly solicited to interfere on his-behalf, “but prisons are like
are notably free from any trace of religious prejudice or racial arro­
graves, where a man, though alivil, is nevertheless barred from the
gance, although the authors are at no pains to avoid religious matters K regard or respect of any,” and it was not until December, 1605, that he
or to hide their own convictions. 4;
% was ransomed.
The brothers Sherley,H the first of a succession of embassies who
He was in trouble again twelve months later, having been com­
flocked to the Court of Shah Abbas at Isfahan, mostly by way of the
mitted to the Tower on a charge of intriguing to obtain the traffic of
Persian Gulf, recorded their experiences in a modest volume which
Constantinople for Venice and the Florentine States, but apparently he
* •< was speedily released. In “ Dalrymple’s Memorials” there is a petition
History of the Discover}* and Conquest of India by the Portuguese ”
Faria y Sousa. Translated by Captain John Stevens. London, 1695. from him to King James dated January, 1615, representing his own and
t “The Commentaries of the Great Afonso Dalbuquerque." •• 4 vols. his father’s past services and his ruined condition, in which he states
Hakluyt Society, 1884.
♦ “ Tiie Book of Duarte Barbosa.” 2 vols. Hakluyt Society, 1918. ■*3 that his father, “ being a man of excellent and working wit, did find
' “ The Travels of Pedro Teixeira.” Hakluyt Society, 1902. out the device for making of baronets, which brought to your Majesty's
'
Nation and Athencevvi, October 4; 1924, p. 22.
«r “ Sir Anthony Sherley : His Relation of his Travels into Persia, the coffers well nigh £100,000, for which he was promised by the late Lord
Dangers and Distresses which befel him in his passage, both by sea and land, Salisbury, Lord Treasurer, a good recompense which he never had.”
and his strange and unexpected Deliverances, his magnificent Entertainment in Of his subsequent career we hstve no further trace; but we find, in
Persia, his honourable imployment there-hence, as Embassadour to the Princes
of Chri8tendome.” London, 1613. * T. Fuller, “ The History of the Worthies of England.” 1840.