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If eer Mobaon*. 12. Tho Court disapproved of your attacking Meer Mahanna, or taking
possession of Carrack, or even residing upon the island sup posing Meet Mahanna
•would admit of it, judging it very improper that our effects and servants should
bo under the protection of a Man who is a publick Robber, his present situa­
tion at tho entrance of Bussorah river makes it necessary for us to keep on good
terms with him, as otherwise many of tho small vessels trading from tho
different settlements in India belonging tp our servants and Inhabitants might
be molested by him, and wo now positively order that you do not attack him
unless he begins, which there is no reason to think ho will find it his intoroat to
do, or that you receive positive orders from our President and Council for
doing it.
13. We have been allways apprehensive that our settlement at Bushire
might he attended with many disagreeable circumstances, if our servants were
not very attentive not to keep to any large amount of our effects there which we
have signified in many of our letters, to which wo hopo due regard has been paid.
14. The uncertainty and Risk in procuring Gilan Silks appear to us too
great to expect any success from the orders we have before given, and have
laid aside any thought of it for the present.
16. We shall now make some observations of your transactions at
Bussora, which appear in your last letter.
16. The Court were sorry to observe that the Turks have not kept up
t^eir stipulated payments for the expence of the fleet which induced you very
properly to apply to the Mussaleem and inform him that if the balance was
not paid you should be obliged to send away the fleet, his a nswer gives us little
hopes of his complying, as he seems to think we have already had what we
ought to deem fully sufficient, we still hope we shall recover all, but if it
happens otherwise we shall lose a large sum of money, the lives of many
people, besides wear and tear of our vessels, etca, and the worst of all the Honor
and reputation of the nation, and we are sorry to 6ay principally owing to the
•ndiscretion and b ad management of our Servants.

Courts' ordon. 22. Upon the whole from the best judgment we can form, we totally dis­
approved of our system of Politicks particularly with regard to Oarim Caun
and the Expedition to Ormu8e. "We think you should by no means quarrel
with Meer Mahanna, for the Reasons given in the foregoing part of this
jetter; as long as he sees you are upon that plan you will allways have some
weight with him; when you complain of injuries the trade of Bussora may
receire by his depredation. If the news you have heard proves true that
some Dutch ships were arrived at Gombroon, it may probably be to attaok
him, if so, they will either destroy him, or put him into a Situation to
be no more troublesome, we are persuaded that when our servants and
effects are withdrawn from Bushire, our affairs will be conducted with
much more case and security than at present. It will be proper for you to
keep on good terms with the Bussora Government, but we cannot think of
keeping the present force there unless they will pay the expence of it, or at
least the much greater part of it, this you must represent to them in the
strongest manner; you must avoid if possible going upon any expedition on
shore, jointly with their forces or by any other in the Gulpb, for you may he
assured they will leave the whole work to be done by our Forces, besides great
Inconveniences from their delays, in short avoid any alliance with the Arabs
otherwise than to be on Friendship; but in case of any difference thaJ eithe