ll, but he is a very lewde fellow, and therefore I will not
take him with me.

Here follow the prices of wares as they are worth here at this instant.

Cloues and Maces, the bateman, 5 duckats.

Cynamon 6 duckats, and few to be gotten.

Nutmegs, the bateman, 45 medins, and 40 medins maketh a duckat

Ginger, 40 medins.

Pepper, 75 medins.

Turbetta, the bateman, 50 medins.

Neel the churle, 70 duckats, and a churle is 27 rottils and a halfe of
Aleppo.

Silke, much better then that which commeth from Persia, 11 duckats and a
halfe the bateman, and euery bateman here maketh 7 pound and 5 ounces
English waight. From Babylon the 20 day of Iuly, 1583.

Yours, Iohn Newberie.

* * * * *

Master Newberie his letter from Ormus, to M. Iohn Eldred and William Shals
at Balsara.

Right welbeloued and my assured good friends, I heartily commend me vnto
you, hoping of your good healths, &c. To certifie you of my voiage, after I
departed from you, time wil not permit: but the 4 of this present we
arriued here, and the 10 day I with the rest were committed to prison, and
about the middle of the next moneth, the Captaine wil send vs all in his
ship for Goa. The cause why we are taken, as they say, is, for that I
brought letters from Don Antonio. But the trueth is, Michael Stropene was
the onely cause, vpon letters that his brother wrote him from Aleppo. God
knoweth how we shall be delt withall in Goa, and therefore if you can
procure our masters to send the king of Spaine his letters for our
releasement, you should doe vs great good: for they cannot with iustice put
vs to death. It may be that they will cut our throtes, or keepe vs long in
prison: Gods will be done. All those commodities that I brought hither, had
beene very well sold, if this trouble had not chanced. You shall do well to
send with all speed a messenger by land from Balsara to Aleppo, for to
certifie of this mischance, although it cost thirtie or fortie crownes, for
that we may be the sooner released, and I shalbe the better able to recouer
this againe which is now like to be lost: I pray you make my heartie
commendations, &c. from out of the prison in Ormuz, this 21 of September,
1583.

* * * * *

His second letter to the foresaid Master Iohn Eldred and William Shales.

The barke of the Iewes is arriued here two daies past, by whom I know you
did write, but your letters are not like to com