I saw that he was jesting with me, but ’twas impossible for me to take offence, so kindly and sweet-tempered a person was he, and that friendship which was begun upon my landing at Surat hath continued ever since, to my much advantage. For although the Company hath made, and doth still make, many rules and advices for the better governing of the younger among its servants, yet rules are not always kept, and more than once hath Mr Martin brought me out of some trouble into which I was fallen, either through the natural heat of youth, or through the ill offices of Mr Spender.

For our life at Surat, there was in it always an admirable good order. We all ate in company, saving only the snack taken on rising for to comfort the stomach. Many of the gentlemen for this lunch[39] drank burnt wine, made hot with cinnamons and other spice, but I always followed Mr Martin’s advice, who told me that so much wine-drinking was like to breed fevers and other disorders. For himself, he was wont to drink thé[40] (the which is now well known in England, but then only to those in our factories in the Indies), and I did likewise, seeing that this herb doth much benefit the health both of the mind and the body by the operation of a certain temperate heat that is particular[41] to’t, and hath been observed by many curious travellers.

This life of ours in company, where so many persons of divers humours and originals were gathered together, made it necessary that all our behaviour should be civil and respectful, and this towards our chief and the chaplain in especial. The gentleman that occupied this last place was commonly a person of excellent parts and wise discourse, while his pay was higher than that even of the senior factors, and his precedence was fixed next after the Members of Council,—a station contrasting happily with the treatment accorded in these days to many parsons in England.

On Fridays was there an assembly held by Mr President, whereto the chief merchants of the other factories was used to come, and whereat much sack was drunk, and also palepuntz,[42] a drink compounded by the factors out of acquavitæ,[43] rosewater, sugar, and the juice of lemons, and one that has, I believe, been brought by some of them into England. But at the shipping-time was there small opportunity for such gaieties, for all day long was the banyans coming in with their accounts, and below in the courtyard the packers and warehouse-keepers must needs be looked after, and the merchants seen and spoken with that had brought musters[44] of their goods. More than once, also, I had the advantage to go with Mr Martin a journey among the towns and villages of the vicinage, when he must oversee the weavers of cotton fabrics, buying up the yarn from the spinners and intrusting it to the said weavers, that so they might have wherewith to occupy themselves during the rains. Nor was I idle when ’twas neither shipping-time nor occasion for a journey, for, learning from Mr Martin that the Company did furnish a master for to teach to the writers the tongues of the country, and did promise also an annuity unto such as learnt them well, but that few ever gained this, I applied myself to this study, so that I gat a fair knowledge both of the Persian and the Indostan[45] languages, and received the promised annuity. And this to my no small contentment, although his honour the President, being worked upon by Mr Secretary, was ill-pleased that he must give it to me and not to Mr Spender, that would never learn nothing that he could by any means avoid.

Now in these first years that I spent in Surat was many great things happening, both at home and also in the Indies. The first whereof I won’t recount, as knowing and hearing little of them; but of the latter I may mention that that famous Moratty prince, Seva Gi, of whom I have before spoke, being attempted[46] by the whole power of the emperor Auren Zeeb, submitted himself and made his peace, and was kindly received and his demands granted, so as he dared even adventure himself in the city of Dhilly itself, on a visit to that great prince. But here he quickly discovered himself to have been entrapped, for the Mountain-rat was not accustomed to the ways of courts, and did quarrel grievously with the emperor’s ministers. Having thus offended Auren Zeeb, he found he was almost a prisoner, and must needs bend his wits to the getting safely out of the place. And this he did by a stratagem so cool and so ingenious as caused all that heard on’t to admire, and one that I myself did imitate thereafter, as you shall in due time hear. For having sent away his soldiers, and feigning himself to be sick, he had himself and also Samba Gi,[47] his son, conveyed out of the town in great baskets, such as the Moors use to send fruits and succades[48] in as gifts to their mosqueys. And thus reaching a place of safety, he returned to Moruchtraw, and fought against the Great Mogul with good success during almost all the remaining part of his life. And of the consequences of these wars you will see that I myself participated, but not yet.

Now during all this time I was not content to enjoy only my wage as a writer and the annuity I had earned, but engaged myself also in ventures to the Eastern Seas, whereby my wealth was much increased.[49] But of my venture for cloves to the Manillas, or of my sending of Europe goods in a caphalay[50] (which is a pack-train) bound for the city of Dhilly, you won’t care to hear, and ’twould be tedious to tell. But I may say to you that these ventures prospered marvellously, so that when I had been four years in East India, I had been able to put by moneys sufficient to pay the further bond of £500 demanded from factors, when I should have been five years a writer and so have reached my promotion, and something also to adventure once more in trading. And all this I did regard as a step towards the fulfilment of that work which my father had set before me, and towards my marriage with Dorothy, and in my letters sent home I writ with great delight of this happy hope. Happy is it for us poor mortals that we can’t read the future, for at this very time, when all looked so bright before me, I was about to part with all I had gained, yea, with all that I had ever had, and barely to escape with life itself.

CHAPTER IV.
OF MY SENDING TO GOA BY MY EMPLOYERS, AND OF THOSE THINGS THAT BEFELL ME THERE.

Now this is the manner in which these untoward matters befell, of the which I spake only on my last page. For I was called one day into the Council, which is the highest in the Indies, and found there his honour the President, together with Mr Accountant, that is next in place to him, the Warehouse-keeper, the Purser Marine, the Secretary, and divers of the senior merchants of the Factory, that have the honour to be members of the board. And I, much fearing that I was to be chidden for some failure in my duty, did answer to the summons with little joy, standing before their honours like some poor rascal of a poacher awaiting his sentence from the bench of justices, but my friend Mr Martin, being among the merchants present, did cheer me with a look, so as I was made happy again. Then saith Mr Accountant—

“Mr Carlyon, you have now been near five years in the Company’s service at this place, and we learn from Mr Martin, who is set over you, that you have a fair knowledge of the East Indian tongues, and have always deserved to be well spoken of, as a zealous and careful servant of the Committee.”

I bowed in answer to these compliments, and he continued—