rade, he detained all
three, pretending he did so that he might procure payment for anchorage
and other duties, for which he demanded 1500 gold _Venetianoes_, each
worth a dollar and half, or 6_s_. 9_d_. I continued unprofitably before
Aden till the 16th December, in continual danger of shipwreck if any
storm had happened, and always fed with promises of trade, but no
performance, and our three officers continuing in confinement.

Being informed by my boatswain that he was much in want of small cordage
for many purposes, and that he wished he and others might go ashore to
lay some on the strand by the town wall, I sent to ask permission from
the governor, with assurance of their safely. This was immediately
granted with the utmost readiness and complacency, desiring that they
might use the most convenient place for their purpose, and offering the
use of a house in which to secure their things during the night Yet
after all these fair promises, every man who went ashore was seized,
stript of their money and every thing they had, and put in irons. My
pinnace was lost, all the ropes taken away, together with the implements
for laying it over again. Thus there were now prisoners, two merchants,
the purser, a man to wait upon them, a prating apothecary, my surgeon,
master-caulker, boatswain, one of his mates, two quarter-masters, the
cooper, carpenter, gunner's mate, cockswain, and five of his crew, in
all twenty persons.

Monday, 16th December, I weighed anchor from the southermost road of
Aden, and directed my course through the straits for Mokha. The 20th I
came to the road of Mokha, where I saw the Trades-increase riding alone,
but no appearance of the Darling. The Trades-increase was about four
miles from shore, riding with two anchors ahead, on account of the
vehemence of the weather. On coming near, the people of the
Trades-increase lowered their flag, as a signal of bad news, by which I
suspected some misfortune had befallen our general. When I had anchored,
Mr Thornton, the master of the Trades-increase, came aboard, when he
began with a heavy heart to unfold by degrees all that had happened
since we parted at Aden.[357]

[Footnote 357: The incidents that happened at Mokha having been already
related in the preceding section, we here omit a long account of them by
Downton.--E.]

The 21st I sent ashore a letter to the general, informing him of the
misfortunes that had befallen me at Aden. In answer, he gave me a