, were
only barks, grabs, or praws of the country, armed with small guns.--E.]

Long before our arrival, the Portuguese had intelligence that we were in
the Red Sea, and bound for Surat, so that these frigates were sent
purposely to prevent us from trading at Surat, or any other place on
that coast. Don Francisco de Soto-major was captain-major of this
flotilla, being what is called captain-major of the north, and reaped
great profit from granting _cartasses_, or passports, to all ships and
barks trading on that coast, all being confiscated that presumed to
navigate without his licence. I discharged my pilots that night, paying
them well, and sent by them a letter to such Englishmen as might be in
Surat, as I could not learn how many or who were there resident.

The 29th, came a small Portuguese frigate from the admiral of the
_armada_, as they term it, in which was one Portuguese and his boy,
bringing me a letter from the captain-major, in answer to one I wrote
him the day before. He expressed his satisfaction to hear that I
belonged to a king in friendship with his sovereign, and that he and his
people would be ready to do me every service, provided I brought a
letter or order from the King of Spain, or the Viceroy of India,
allowing me to trade in these parts; if otherwise, he must guard the
port committed to his charge, in which the king his master had a
factory. I answered by word of mouth, by the Portuguese messenger, that
I neither had letters from the King of Spain nor the viceroy, of which I
had no need, being sent by the King of England, with letters and rich
presents for the Great Mogul, and to establish the trade already begun
in these parts. As for the Portuguese factory there, I meant not to harm
it, as both it and our factory might continue to trade, and I saw no
reason they had to oppose us, as the country was free for all nations,
the Mogul and his subjects not being under vassalage to the Portuguese.
I therefore desired him to tell his captain, that I expected he would,
in a friendly manner, permit any English who were at Surat to come on
board to confer with me, and hoped he would not reduce me to the
necessity of using force, as I was resolved to have intercourse with
them by one means or the other.

I went that day in the Darling to examine the bar, but seeing we could
not possibly go over the bar without a pilot, I returned in the evening
to the road. On going aboard the Increase, I found a lette