force, and lances or darts very artificially made, in the use of which
they are very expert, and even with them kill many fish. They are in use
to wear the guts of sheep and oxen hanging from their necks, smelling
most abominably, which they eat when hungry, and would scramble for our
garbage like so many dogs, devouring it quite raw and foul.

[Footnote 96: Captain Saris told me that some have two; but these are of
the baser sort and slaves, as he was told by one of these marked by this
note of gentility.--_Purch._]

At Surat, although Sir Henry Middleton had taken their ships in the Red
Sea, they promised to deal fairly with us, considering that otherwise
they might burn their ships and give over all trade by sea, as _Mill
Jaffed_, one of the chief merchants of Surat, acknowledged to us. While
at Surat, every one of us that remained any time ashore was afflicted
with the flux, of which Mr Aldworth was ill for forty days. The custom
here is, that all strangers make presents on visiting any persons of
condition, and they give other presents in return.

Finding it impossible to have any trade at Surat, as the Portuguese
craft infested the mouth of the river, our general removed with the
ships to Swally roads, whence we might go and come by land without
danger, between that place and Surat. Mr Canning had been made prisoner
by the Portuguese, but the viceroy ordered him to be set ashore at
Surat, saying, "Let him go and help his countrymen to fight, for we
shall take their ships and all of them together." He was accordingly
liberated, and came to us at Swally. The purser had likewise been nearly
taken; but he escaped and got on board. The 3d October, _Seikh Shuffe_,
governor of _Amadavar_, [Ahmedabad], the chief city of Guzerat, came to
Surat and thence to Swally, where he entered into articles of agreement
for trade and friendship.

The 29th of October, four Portuguese galleons and a whole fleet of
frigates, or armed grabs, hove in sight. Our general went immediately to
meet them in the Dragon, and fired not one shot till he came between
their admiral and vice-admiral, when he gave each of them a broadside
and a volley of small arms, which made them come no nearer for that day.
The other two galleons were not as yet come up, and our consort the
Hosiander could not get clear of her anchors, so that she did not fire a
shot that day. In the evening both sides came to anchor in the sight of
each other. Next morning the f