ea-faring
or commercial matters belonged to Mucrob-Khan, to whom at Cambaya he
promised to dispatch a _footman_, and would write a letter in my behalf
both for the unloading of my ship and the establishment of a factory. In
the meantime he appointed me to lodge with a merchant who understood
_Turkish_, who was my _trucheman_, or interpreter, being the captain of
that ship which was taken by Sir Edward Michelburn.

In consequence of the great rains and heavy floods it was twenty days
before the messenger returned from Cambaya; in which interval many of
the merchants entertained me in a very friendly manner, when the weather
was such that I could get out of doors; for, during almost the whole
time of the messenger's absence, it rained almost continually. At the
end of twenty days, the messenger came back from Cambaya with the
answer of Mucrob Khan, giving licence to land my goods, and to buy and
sell for the present voyage; but that he could not grant leave to
establish a factory, or for the settlement of future trade, without the
commands of his king, which he thought might be procured, if I would
take a two months journey to deliver my king's letter to his sovereign.
He likewise sent orders to the customer, that all the goods I might land
were to be kept in the custom-house till the arrival of his brother
_Sheck Abder Rachim_, who was to make all convenient dispatch, on
purpose to chuse such goods as were fit for the king's use. It may be
noticed, however, that this pretence of taking some part of the goods of
all men for the king, is merely for their own private gain. Upon this
answer I made all dispatch to ease my ship of her heavy burden of lead
and iron, which must of necessity be landed, and were placed under the
care of the customer till the arrival of the great man. The time being
precious, and my ship not able to stay long, I sent on board for three
chests of money, with which to purchase such commodities as are vendible
at Priaman and Bantam, being those which the Guzerates carry there
yearly, and sell to great profit. I then began to make purchases, to the
great dissatisfaction of the native merchants, who made loud complaints
to the governor and customer of the leave granted me to buy these
commodities, which would greatly injure their trade at Priaman and
Bantam, supposing I meant only to have bought such goods as were fit for
England. At the end of this business the great man arrived from Cambaya,
who allow