219 



near the governor; strictly commanding no man to molest them, by 

 sea or land, or to take any custom of them, or any way trouble them 

 under colour thereof. Finally, that they might buy, sell, and 

 transport any commodity at their pleasure, without any molesta- 

 tion ; concluding that they should expect to hear no other from 

 him, and therefore they should be careful in the execution. I re- 

 ceived with it a letter from himself, which was more civility than 

 all the Indies yielded me, full of courtesy and humanity, and 

 great respect, protesting his desire to give me content, and that 

 what I had demanded I should make no doubt of performance; 

 and if I had any other occasion to use him, he desired me to write, 

 and it should be performed. The copies are worthy the seeing, 

 for the rareness of the phrase. The phirmaun I caused to be sent 

 to Sural, in order to be forwarded by the agency there to Baroche: 

 so that Baroche is provided for a good retreat for the prince's in- 

 juries, and the custom given; whereby fifteen hundred pounds per 

 annum will be saved, besides all manner of searches and extor- 

 tions. For the performance of this no man maketh any doubt; 

 for that all men confess, that he careth not for the prince, and so 

 feareth not, nor needeth any man; being the only beloved man 

 of the kino-, and second person in his dominions; and in all his 

 life so liberal of his purse, and honourable of his word, that he 

 hath ingrossed good reports from all others: and concerning cus- 

 tom, the king takes none; the governors make it their profit, 

 which he professeth to scorn, that he should abuse the liberty of 

 the king's ports." 



The trade of the ancients with India, as recorded by Ptolemy, 

 Arrian,and other writers having been mentioned at Surat andMirjee, 



