on the 17th of August. We could not procure payment of
our promised money, and were told by our broker, that some one of our
debtors would procure a respite from the governor, by means of a bribe,
on which the rest would refuse till they all paid. On the 24th, the
Zamorin's sister sent us word, that she would both cause our debtors to
pay us, and to lend us any money we needed; but we found her as false as
the rest The queen mother also made us fair promises, and several others
made offers to get letters conveyed for us to Surat; but all their words
were equally false. Thus wronged, Mr Needham farther wronged himself by
his indiscretion, threatening, in presence of a nayre who attended us,
and who revealed his threats, that he would go to the king of Cochin,
making shew of violent revenge to put the governor in fear. He behaved
outrageously likewise to a _scrivano_,[181] who is the same as a justice
with us, taking him by the throat, and making as if he would have cut
him down with his sword, for detaining some of our money which he had
received. Our broker also told Mr Needham, that it was not becoming to
go up and down the streets with a sword and buckler; and indeed his
whole conduct and behaviour more resembled those we call
_roaring-boys_,[182] than what became the character of a merchant. For
my admonitions, he requited me with ill language, disgracing himself and
injuring the affairs of the company.

[Footnote 181: This term is obviously Portuguese, and cannot be the
proper appellation for a judge on the Malabar coast.--E.]

[Footnote 182: This character is now only to be met with in some of our
old plays such as Captain Bobadil in Every Man in his Humour.--E.]

A Dutch ship, which had been trading in the Red Sea, arrived here on the
23d of September, with the intention of settling a factory, and they
were referred by the governor to the Zamorin, promising to carry a
letter for us, but went without it; so that our delays continued. Mr
Needham went himself to the Zamorin on the 4th November, and returned on
the 25th, having got a present of a gold chain, a jewel, and a gold
armlet, with orders also from the king to further our purposes; but the
performance was as slow as before. The 20th December, a Malabar captain
brought in a prize he had taken from the Portuguese, and would have
traded with us; but we could not get in any of our money, due long
before. We also heard that day of four English ships being at Sura