The Guzerates, tooke sea-coale to carry for a wonder to the Mogol. The Portugall Fleete was two hundred fortie sayle of Frigats, Merchants bound for Cambaya, which furnish the Carracks, foure Gallions, with twenty fiue or twenty sixe Frigats. The Admirall was Numo de Ancuna. When the Sabandar perswaded him to keep between vs and shoare; he answered proudly, that he scorned to spend a weekes prouision on his men in hindering vs, being able to force vs to yeeld in an houre. They had all red colours displayed. After three fights, they manned a Frigat, with sixe or seuen score best men to fire vs, which were all sunke.
Medhaphrabads is now ruined by the Mogols warres, which sometime hath beene a faire Ci∣tie, and walled. Here was a Castle kept by the Ratspuches, in which at that time a strong Rebell [ 10] to the Mogoll, was besieged by the Nabob, with fiftie or sixtie thousand people in his Campe. The Nabob had a stately and spacious Tent, couered aboue with Cloth of Gold, beneath spread with Turkie Carpets. The Generall would not stirre till he had taken the Castle. He sent a horse, and two Vests wrought with Silke and Gold to our Generall, and foure Vests for foure other. They haue store of good Grapes, yet none but Rasin wine.
The three and twentieth and foure and twentieth of December, in view of the whole Army we had a second fight, and forced them first to cut their Cables, and then flee from vs, being better of saile then we.
I rode to Surat in a Coach drawne with Oxen (which is most ordinary, though they haue store of goodly horses) here in the way was the goodliest Spring and Haruest together that euer I saw; the Fields ioyning, one greene as a Meadow, the other yellow as Gold, ready to bee cut: their [ 20] graine Wheat and Rice; they haue excellent bread. All along were goodly Villages, full of Trees yeelding Taddy, like new sweet wine, much strengthening and fatting. Surat hath stone and bricke houses faire, square, flat-roofed, goodly Gardens, with Pomegranats, Pomecitrons, Li∣mons, Melons, Figs, continuing all the yeere, with curious springs of fresh water: the people are graue, iudicious, neat, tall, goodly cloathed in long white Callico or Silke robes.
The Sabandar assured vs, that we had killed of the Portugals aboue three hundred and fiftie: we heard after that there were spoyled and killed aboue fiue hundred. The Generall sent Letters by land, and the Messenger with his Indian were poysoned by two Friers homewards: but a second Letter was deliuered to a Mariner, which came to their hands.
[ 30] The twelfth of Aprill, they anchored in the road of Achen, where the King welcomed our men. The Arancaia came riding in a Tent on an Elephants backe, with two or three of the Kings boyes (for he is attended with Boyes abroad, Women within) holding a Bason of Gold, to re∣ceiue the Kings letter. Our Generall followed with fortie or fiftie men. After the Letter and Present deliuered, the King told vs we should see some of his Pastime, and called for his Cockes, which after they haue fought about once or twice, they take them vp, bath them, picke their fea∣thers, and sow vp their wounds. After an houre thus spent in Cock-fighting: his Rammes fought very fiercely; then his tame Elephants more cruelly: then his Buffles most stomackfully. Finally, our Antilopes wherewith our Generall had presented him, whose fight best pleased him. Hee all this while drinkes Tobacco in a Siluer Pipe; giuen by his Women which are in close roome be∣hind [ 40] him. After this Supper was serued in by young Boyes of foureteene or fifteene yeeres in Swasse (a mettall halfe Copper halfe Gold.) This Supper continued from seuen till almost twelue, in which we had foure hundred dishes with hot drinkes. The next day the Kings sent the Gene∣rall an Elephant to ride on, and appointed one of his chiefe Arancaias to attend him alwayes. They had continuall free accesse granted, without the Kings Creese (which is vsed as a Scepter) and promise to ratifie the Articles agreed vpon by his Predecessors, and Sir Iames Lancaster.
The second of May, all Srangers were invited to a banquet sixe miles off, for which purpose two Elephants were sent for our Generall. Here were all the dishes brought by water, the boyes holding the dish with one hand, and swimming with the other: so did they carrie the strong drinke also, whereof when they had tasted (which they must of all) they threw the rest into the Riuer. It continued from one till fiue. In it were fiue hundred dishes well dressed. Our General [ 50] (weary with sitting by the King thus long in the water) was dismissed an houre before the rest. The Captaine of the Dutch house, taking there his bane, either with hot drinke, or cold sitting so long in the water, soone after died.
The Second of Iune, they were entertained with a fight of foure Elephants, with a wild Ty∣gre tied at a stake, which yet fastening on their Trunks and legges, made them to roare and bleed extreamely. This day we were told, that one eye of a Noble man was plucked out, for looking on one of the Kings women washing in a Riuer. Another Gentleman wearing a Shash, had his head round cut so farre as that was too large. Some he is said to boyle in scalding oyle, some are sawne a peices, others their legges cut off, or spitted aliue, or empaled on stakes.
The twentie fifth, was before the King a fight of wild Elephants, which would quickly kill [ 60] each other, but that some tame are made fast to them, which draw them backe, sometime eighty or an hundred men helping. They se•• one wild betweene two tame to tame them. He sent the King a Letter, for painting and writing most stately, a Creese, &c. for a Present.