t to entice him to poison the well whence
we had our water, which he would not consent to, and had therefore put
some live tortoises into it, that these might shew by their deaths, if
poison should be put therein by the Portuguese. At night, part of the
120 bales of indigo we had purchased came to the water side, and was
presently got aboard. This day _Isaac Beg_ sent me a present of fruit
from his own garden; and this day likewise the rest of the timber for
repairing the Hope's mast was brought down to us.

The 27th, I sent all our boats to sound the _Swash_ at low water, being
chiefly on purpose to keep the Portuguese in ignorance of my real
intentions. They sent one galley and five frigates, thinking to have cut
off our boats; but in this they failed, as in every thing else they
attempted against us. The 28th, the nabob sent great store of provisions
to the viceroy, as goats, bread, plantains, and the like, together with
a banquet of sweetmeats. Coge Nozan sent me a present of five bullocks.
Several of our men died about this time of fluxes and other diseases.
The 31st, we received aboard from Cambay, fifty bales of indigo. In the
afternoon, one _Coge Arson Ali_ came aboard, and presented me with
several goats, a large supply of bread, roast-meat, plantains, sugar,
and other such things. Along with him came an old acquaintance of mine,
a Persian, who said there were news from Damaun, that the Portuguese had
sent there 350 men to be buried; and we computed, that there could not
be less than 100 more, killed and burnt in their ships, besides those
who were drowned. They also told me, that not only were the Portuguese
opposed here in India, but also by the Persians at Ormus, and that the
Malays were in arms against them at Malacca. They likewise assured me,
that the negociations between Mucrob Khan and the viceroy were entirely
at an end, and that no peace would take place between them.

I had long wished to see this man, who, till now, could never get leave
of the nabob, without which no one dared use that freedom. This jealousy
of the nabob proceeded, as he said, from a great charge enjoined by the
king to procure for his use all curious things of value, and he is
fearful lest any of these should pass through other hands, to his
disgrace, which forces him to employ strange and severe means to prevent
this happening. Day being nearly spent, I sent them ashore, making them
a present, and giving money to all their people