at nine p.m. they sent a frigate down towards us, which came driving
right _athwart halse_ of the Hosiander, and being discovered by their
good watch, was speedily saluted by shot. The first shot made them hoist
sail, the second went through their sails, and, they immediately made
off.[82] Their intention certainly was to have set our ships on fire, if
they had found us off our guard.[83]

[Footnote 82: This frigate was sunk by the shot, as I was assured by Mr
Salmon the actor, and eighty of her men were taken up drowned.--_Purch._]

[Footnote 83: On this occasion the Portuguese had four great galleons
and some twenty-six frigates, or armed barks. In these fights they lost
all their _quondam_ credit, and 160 men, or as others say 500; and the
English settled trade at Surat in spite of all their efforts.--_Purch._]

We remained at anchor all the first December, the Portuguese not coming
to us nor we to them; though they might easily have come to us without
danger from the sands, but not so we to them. This day I called a
council, and it was concluded to go down to the south, that we might
have a broader channel, hoping that the galleons would follow us. We
accordingly went down some six or seven leagues on the 2d, but they did
not follow us; wherefore on the 3d we stood up again, and anchored
fairly in sight of them. We weighed again on the morning of the 4th, and
stood away before them, they following: But in the afternoon they gave
us over, and hauled in with the land, and at night we directed our
course for Diu. At night of the 5th, we anchored in fourteen fathoms
near the shore, four or five leagues eastwards of Diu.

The 9th we came to _Madafaldebar_[84] which is ten or eleven leagues E.
by N. from Diu, the coast between being very fair, and having no unseen
dangers. The depth near Diu is fifteen or sixteen fathoms, halfway to
_Madafaldebar_ twelve fathoms, then ten and nine, but not less; and in
nine fathoms we anchored in a fine sandy bay, on the west side of which
is a river coming from a considerable distance inland. This place is
some five or six miles west from the isles of _Mortie_[85] The 15th we
set sail to explore the bay of _Mohar_,[86] having been reported by some
of the people who had belonged to the Ascension to be a good place for
wintering in, or waiting the return of the monsoon for sailing to the
southwards. We accordingly anchored that night in the bay, which is nine
or ten leagues E.N.E. from M