fores[3] Ships arriving, their people sent the Governour
word, that they were plundered by an English Vessell, severall of
their Men killed in fight, and others barbarously used; Upon which
there was a great noise in Towne, and the Rabble very much incensed
against the English, which caused the Governour to send a Guard to Our
Factory to prevent their doing any violence to Our People. the 13th in
the Morning, the _Gunsway_, one of the Kings Ships, arrived from Judda
and Mocho,[4] the Nocqueda[5] and Merchants, with one voice,
proclaiming that they were robbed by four English Ships near Bombay of
a very great Sume, and that the Robbers had carryed their plundered
Treasure on Shoar there, on which there was farr greater noise than
before. upon this the Governour[6] sent a very strong Guard to the
Factory and clapt all our People in Irons, shut them up in a room,
planked up all their windows, kept strict Watches about them, that no
one should have pen, ink, or paper to write, stopped all the passages,
that no Letters might pass to Us. att this time Captain Brown being
att Surat, with some of his Officers and Boats Crew, faired in Common
with the rest, and so did some others, that were on shoar, to look
after their sick att Swally;[7] and their Long boat and Pinnace going
on Shoar there, for Water and Provisions, They sent one Man to the
Choultrey,[8] to inquire what News, (having heard somewhat of the
Rumour). this person they seized on, by severall Peons, which caused
them immediately to putt their boats off, which they had no sooner
done, but sundry small Armes were discharged at them. This Caused the
Boats to repair to their Ship, att the Rivers mouth, where the Dutch
told them, they durst not supply them with any thing while there. But
one of them, being ready to sail for Batavia, said, if they would sail
in Company with them, they would supply them with what they wanted,
as soon as they were out of sight of the Rivers Mouth, which was done
according to promise, and so the _Benjamin_, by the Generall Consent
of their Officers, came hither, having left her Captain and thirty
nine more of her Company behind. as soon as we had a full relation of
these things, we immediately wrote to Court, to one Issa Cooley, an
Armenian, whom wee intend to make our Vakeel[9] to represent Our Cause
to the King, and to Excuse Our Selves from being concerned in those
barbarous Actions. Wee Also wrote to the Governour of Surrat and all
the Gr