or of Batavia, desiring
in return an European habit for himself and another for his queen.

Gambroon is a disagreeable place to live in, as in August it is
unbearably hot; and yet the winter is so cold that they wear English
cloth lined with furs. They have here beeves, sheep, goats, poultry,
and fish, all good of their kinds, and tolerably cheap. They have also
grapes, melons, and mangoes in the utmost perfection, and excellent
wine, which is esteemed superior to that of all other countries,
insomuch that it still preserves its flavour after being diluted with
four times its quantity of water. At the time when our author was in
India, intestine wars raged to such a degree in Persia, that a ship
had to be constantly stationed at Gambroon to bring off the factory,
in case of danger. Another inconvenience to the trade on this
coast proceeded from the multitude of pirates on those seas, mostly
Europeans, who, having run away with the ships of their owners,
subsisted by robbing all nations. Among these at this time was a stout
ship named the Hare, which had been sent from Batavia to Persia: But
the crew mutinied, and forced their officers to turn pirates. After
committing many depredations on this coast, they sailed to the
Red-Sea, where they attacked and plundered many Arabian pirates. At
length, being short of provisions, and not daring to put into any
port, they resolved to return; and finding themselves also in want
of water, they resolved to supply themselves at an island. With this
view, most of them crowded into the pinnace and put off from the ship,
which gave an opportunity to the officers to resume their authority;
wherefore they cut the cable, and brought the ship into the harbour
of Gambroon, by which means the ship and cargo were restored to the
Company.

In 1701, the Ballorches, who rebelled against the Shah, attempted
to make themselves masters of the English and Dutch factories at
Gambroon, with a body of four thousand men, but were beat off at both
places; but a warehouse belonging to the Dutch, at some distance from
the factory, fell into their hands, in which were goods to the value
of twenty thousand pounds. A short time afterwards, the famous rebel
_Meriweys_ made himself master of Ispahan, where he plundered both the
English and Dutch factories, taking from the former goods to the value
of half a million, and from the latter to the value of two hundred
thousand pounds.

SECTION XII.

_Account