, which likewise is much too far
south.--E.]

The 17th I sent ashore the Malabar pilot, with a letter I had got when
at Mokha from Malek Ambar to the governor, desiring him to use me well,
and to trade with me if I came to that place. In the afternoon, both the
governor and Malek Ambar sent me a small present of refreshments, with
many compliments, offering me every thing the country afforded, and to
deal with me for my commodities if I chose to send on shore for that
purpose. I accordingly sent two of my merchants with a good present, who
were kindly welcomed and well entertained while there. The 18th, 19th,
and 20th, were spent in the sale of goods, boats going every day between
the ship and the shore, the particulars of which I refer to the
merchants accounts, as not fit to be here expressed. By the 23d we had
delivered all the goods bargained for, and had no farther hope of sales
at this place.

The 24th I called a council of my principal officers and merchants, to
consider what was best for us to do; whether to proceed for Priaman,
Bantam, and the Spice islands, or to return to the Red Sea to meet the
ships of India, and, as they would not deal with us at their own doors,
after we had come so far with commodities only vendible there, I thought
we should do ourselves some right, and them no wrong, to cause them to
barter with us, we taking their indigos and other goods at what they
were worth, and giving ours in return. All were of this opinion for the
following reasons: 1st, The putting off our English goods, and getting
others in their place fit for our country; 2d, to take some revenge of
the great wrongs suffered from the Turks; 3d, to save a ship, with her
goods and men, which we heard were bound there, by letters received from
Masulipatam, and which we thought could not possibly escape being
betrayed as we had been.

Having concluded to return to the Red Sea, we were employed till the
27th in getting fresh water aboard, and taking back our red-lead, which
we had sold and delivered at Dabul, but they disliked. In the evening we
saw a sail in the offing, which some Malabar vessels beside us said was
a Portuguese ship of Cochin bound for Chaul; on which I sent the
Pepper-corn, Darling, and Release, to bring her in, which they did on
the 28th. Finding my people in the Release had pillaged the Portuguese
vessel, I took every thing away from them, and gave them back to the
owners. Her lading was mostly cocoa-nuts