Some days after this we took an Arabian junk, going from the Gulf of
Persia to Mocha, with a good quantity of pearl on board. We gutted him
of the pearl, which it seems was belonging to some merchants at Mocha,
and let him go, for there was nothing else worth our taking.
We continued cruising up and down here till we began to find our
provisions grow low, when Captain Wilmot, our admiral, told us it was
time to think of going back to the rendezvous; and the rest of the men
said the same, being a little weary of beating about for above three
months together, and meeting with little or nothing compared to our
great expectations; but I was very loth to part with the Red Sea at so
cheap a rate, and pressed them to tarry a little longer, which at my
instance they did; but three days afterwards, to our great misfortune,
understood that, by landing the Turkish merchants at Dofar, we had
alarmed the coast as far as the Gulf of Persia, so that no vessel would
stir that way, and consequently nothing was to be expected on that side.
I was greatly mortified at this news, and could no longer withstand the
importunities of the men to return to Madagascar. However, as the wind
continued still to blow at S.S.E. by S., we were obliged to stand away
towards the coast of Africa and the Cape Guardafui, the winds being more
variable under the shore than in the open sea.
Here we chopped upon a booty which we did not look for, and which made
amends for all our waiting; for the very same hour that we made land we
spied a large vessel sailing along the shore to the southward. The ship
was of Bengal, belonging to the Great Mogul's country, but had on board
a Dutch pilot, whose name, if I remember right, was Vandergest, and
several European seamen, whereof three were English. She was in no
condition to resist us. The rest of her seamen were Indians of the
Mogul's subjects, some Malabars and some others. There were five Indian
merchants on board, and some Armenians. It seems they had been at Mocha
with spices, silks, diamonds, pearls, calico, &c., such goods as the
country afforded, and had little on board now but money in pieces of
eight, which, by the way, was just what we wanted; and the three English
seamen came along with us, and the Dutch pilot would have done so too,
but the two Armenian merchants entreated us not to take him, for that he
being their pilot, there was none of the men knew how to guide the ship;
so, at their request, we refused him; but we made them promise he should
not be used ill for being willing to go with us.
We got near 200,000 pieces of eight in this vessel; and, if they said
true, there was a Jew of Goa, who intended to have embarked with them,
who had 200,000 pieces of eight with him, all his own; but his good
fortune, springing out of his ill fortune, hindered him, or he fell sick
at Mocha, and could not be ready to travel, which was the saving of his
money.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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