re from
Pegu, Opium was in great request, I went then to Cambaya to imploy a good
round summe of money in Opium, and there I bought 60. percels of Opium,
which cost me two thousand and a hundreth duckets, euery ducket at foure
shillings two pence. Moreouer I bought three bales of Bombast cloth, which
cost me eight hundred duckats, which was a good commoditie for Pegu: when I
had bought these things, the Viceroy commanded that the custome of the
Opium should be paide in Goa, and paying custome there I might cary it
whither I would. I shipped my 3. bales of cloth at Chaul in a shippe that
went for Cochin, and I went to Goa to pay the aforesaid custome for my
Opium, and from Goa I departed to Cochin in a ship that was for the voyage
of Pegu, and went to winter then at S. Tome. When I come to Cochin, I
vnderstood that the ship that had my three bales of cloth was cast away and
lost, so that I lost my 800. Serafins or duckats: and departing from Cochin
to goe for S. Tome, in casting about for the Island of Zeilan the Pilote
was deceiued, for that the Cape of the Island of Zeilan lieth farre out
into the sea, and the Pilot thinking that he might haue passed hard aboord
the Cape, and paying roomer in the night; when it was morning we were farre
within the Cape, and past all remedy to go out, by reason the winds blew so
fiercely against vs. So that by this meanes we lost our voyage for that
yere, and we went to Manar with the ship to winter there, the ship hauing
lost her mastes, and with great dilligence we hardly saued her, with great
losses to the Captaine of the ship, because he was forced to fraight
another ship in S. Tome for Pegu with great losses and interest, and I with
my friends agreed together in Manar to take a bark to cary vs to S. Tome;
which thing we did with al the rest of the marchants; and arriuing at S.
Tome I had news through or by the way of Bengala, that in Pegu Opium was
very deare, and I knew that in S. Tome there was no Opium but mine to go
for Pegu that yere, so that I was holden of al the marchants there to be
very rich: and so it would haue proued, if my aduerse fortune had not bin
contrary to my hope, which was this. At that time there went a great ship
from Cambaya, to the king of Assi, with great quantitie of Opium, and there
to lade peper: in which voyage there came such a storme, that the ship was
forced with wether to goe roomer 800. miles, and by this meanes came to
Pegu, whereas they arriued a