governments, in which
they all practise every kind of tyranny against the natives under their
jurisdiction, oppressing them with continual exactions, and are
exceedingly averse from any way being opened by which the king may be
informed of their infamous proceedings. They grind the people under
their government, to extract money from them, often hanging men up by
the heels to make them confess that they are rich, or to ransom
themselves from faults merely imputed with a view to fleece them. Thus
my complaints against exaction and injustice made me hated of all about
the court, as an informer.

The 25th I received a letter from Captain Pepwell, then in Dabul roads,
stating,--That, according to advice, he had stopped the junk bound for
Mokha; but having well weighed the caution I had given him respecting
the correspondence between that prince and Masulipatam, where the
Solomon then was, he had freed her without spoil. By this courtesy he
had procured such good entertainment as is seldom had in the Indies,
being allowed free trade, with a promise of taking 300 pieces of
broad-cloth yearly, and had sold a good quantity of lead for ready
money, besides some ordnance. This part of his procedure I do not like
much, as tending to arm the Indians, and the Portuguese, their friends,
against the Moguls. If these courtesies proceeded not from the junk
being still under his command, they give good prospect of an yearly sale
at that port. However, the freeing of this junk gives me good assurance
that Captain Pepwell will do nothing prejudicial to the Company, and
will deliver himself honestly from the jealousies entertained of him at
Dabul. He signifies his intention of proceeding to Calicut, and if that
factory be not likely to succeed, he proposes transferring it to Dabul.

The 27th, by a foot-post from Masulipatam, I received advice that the
Solomon had put to sea, and that the Hosiander was arrived from Bantam,
with the bad news of the loss of the Hector and Concord, while careening
in the roads of Jacatra, in the island of Java; but with the good news
that the Dragon, Clove, and Defence were laden homewards from Bantam. I
took the opportunity of this post to convey a letter to the governor of
Dabul respecting the overture made by him of trade to that port; and,
though I had no great opinion of the place, I would neither have it
entirely neglected, nor would I encourage the next fleet to proceed
there, unless on better assurance