A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 09: Arranged in Systematic Order: Forming a Complete History of the Origin and Progress of Navigation, Discovery, and Commerce, by Sea and Land, from the Earliest Ages to the Present TimeKerr, Robert
History
A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 09: Arranged in Systematic Order: Forming a Complete History of the Origin and Progress of Navigation, Discovery, and Commerce, by Sea and Land, from the Earliest Ages to the Present Time
Kerr, Robert
Voyages and travels
He then desired to know the kinds and quantities of the commodities we
had brought, and what amount we had in money? To all which we gave him
distinct answers, as nearly as we could remember; adding, that though we
now brought but small store, we would engage to furnish his port at our
next coming, which would be in about twenty-two months, with such
commodities as were now brought by the Portuguese, and with such
quantities of each kind as might be requisite to satisfy the demands of
that port. He appeared to approve of this, and concluded by saying, as
our present stock of commodities were so small, the Portuguese would
only laugh at him and us if we were now admitted to trade, wherefore he
wished us to defer all trade till our next coming; but that he was ready
to give us a writing under his hand and seal to assure us of good
entertainment at our next coming, provided we came fully prepared as we
said, and on condition we should leave him a written engagement not to
molest any of the ships or goods of the king of the Moguls, or his
subjects. We agreed to all this, and requested he would allow us to sell
those goods we now had; but which he would by no means consent to, for
fear of offending the Portuguese, as stated before.
We then desired that we might have leave to provide our ship with water,
and other necessary refreshments, for our money, after which we should
depart as soon as possible. To this he said, that as soon as we sent him
the writing he desired, he would send us the one he had promised, and
would give orders to his officers to see our wants supplied; but desired
that the Portuguese might know nothing of all this. Seeing no remedy, we
then desired to know what kinds of commodities he wished us to bring,
and also what were the commodities his country could afford in return.
We were accordingly informed, that the commodities in request in Sinde
were broad-cloths of various prices, and light gay colours, as stammels,
reds, greens, sky-blues, indigo-blues, azures, &c. also elephants teeth,
iron, steel, lead, tin, spices, and money. The commodities to be had
there were, indigo of Lahore, indigo of _Cherques_, calicoes of all
sorts, pintadoes, or painted chintzes of all sorts, all kinds of
Guzerat and Cambay commodities, with many kinds of drugs. We then took
our leave, and returned to the ambassador's house, whence I sent him a
letter, according to his desire, signed by Mr Salbanke and me, on which
he sent us another, in the Persian language, which is written backwards,
much like the Hebrew, and which was interpreted to us by the ambassador,
in English, as follows:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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