try,
were already in the waste, and ready to go on shore. When Nazerbeg had
communicated his news, we were as ready to change our purpose as we had
been before to go ashore. The purport of what he had learnt from _Haji
Comul_ was as follows:--

The viceroy and governor had agreed together to entice as many of us as
they possibly could ashore, on purpose to cut all our throats; which
done, they meant to have set upon the ship, and having taken her, to
seize every thing she contained. They had made minute enquiry into our
numbers, and had got a particular enumeration of the state and condition
of every person in the ship, all of whom they intended to put to death
without mercy, except the surgeon, the musicians, the women, and the
boys. Their reverence for the king of Persia, of which they had so
boasted, was all a mere pretence to deceive; for they were all rebels,
and it was death to talk of the king of Persia in Guadal. Though we now
understood their intended plot, for which God be praised, and were
sufficiently put upon our guard to prevent its execution by arming
ourselves, knowing that we were able to defend ourselves from injury on
board, although they had great numbers of boats, and above 1500 men
armed with muskets, besides others; yet were we at a loss how we might
recover his lordship's goods, and his three men who were ashore along
with them. But God, who had thus miraculously delivered us from their
cruel treachery, opened likewise our understandings, so that we
recovered all according to our wish, in the following manner:--

As the viceroy and his fellows expected the immediate landing of the
ambassador and followers, together with the captain and others of us, we
sent Nazerbeg again ashore, with instructions what to do. He was to
inform the viceroy that the ambassador was not very well, and had
therefore deferred his landing till next morning, which was Monday the
20th September. He was also directed to request the viceroy and
governor, to send two or three of their boats for him very early, to
bring the women and others of his company ashore, as the ship's boats
were too small; and to say, that the ambassador expected to be attended
by some men of condition from the viceroy, to come in the boats, out of
respect to the king of Persia, whose person he represented. This
message, being well delivered, took the desired effect, and the viceroy
readily promised to comply with every thing required. Having finishe