The Travels of the Abbé Carré in India and the Near East, 1672 to 1674 by Sir Richard Burn Sir Charles Fawcett

Author:Sir Richard Burn, Sir Charles Fawcett [Sir Richard Burn, Sir Charles Fawcett]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781317013082
Barnesnoble:
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Published: 2017-05-15T00:00:00+00:00

GUESTON. BARRON.

Brother AMBROISE DE PRÉVILLY, Capuchin.

My business with these gentlemen being thus concluded, I prepared all that was necessary for my journey. I found a vessel going to Daman, in which I had no trouble in securing a passage, as it was commanded by M. Nicolas Vidal, a Frenchman from Provence, who had lived in this country for twenty years. He had married a beautiful Portuguese lady at Daman, whither his ship was returning. I hoped to continue my journey by land from Daman to Goa, and thence to the kingdom of Vijapour [Bijapur].

Some days before my departure the directors dispatched two pattamars [MS. patmards, runners], one to the Viceroy at St. Thomé, and the other to Rajapur with orders to M. Boureau, chief of the factory there,1 to go to the factory of Tilcery [Tellicherry], settle its accounts with M. Flaccour2, remove all the goods of the Company, and close this agency3. They did not consider the prejudice to the Company and the dishonour to our country which that would cause. Was it not a fine thing and a great honour to our nation to abandon factories on which we had spent large sums in building houses, warehouses, and other accommodation! We had also been obliged to give large presents there in recognition of the protection and goodwill of the princes and nobles of the country. We had got to know the nature of the local merchants and the way to trade with them. We were also beginning to be esteemed by the local inhabitants, from whom we received all sorts of civilities and obtained privileges and exemptions never accorded to other European nations. When these factories [at Baliapatam and Tellicherry] were first established, I had seen with much pleasure the joy and eagerness with which the princes and nobles of these places had invited us there, though they had always refused them to the Portuguese, the English and the Dutch4. What could they now think or say of our nation, seeing how we were thus lightly abandoning the trade we had begun so well! Was it not a fine thing for our nation that in the previous year we saw the Dutch at Mirzeo [Mīrjān] taking possession of a fine factory with its detached buildings, warehouses, a garden and other accommodation, which they found complete! I had myself seen them built by our French, who actually abandoned the factory as soon as it was finished. The Persian Governor, Coja Abdella [Khwāja Abdullah], whom I have already praised in my first Journal1, was so surprised and disgusted that, because of the affection he had for our nation, he opposed the Dutch for a long time, wishing to prevent them settling in this place2, which is one of the most convenient on the coast for spices and other merchandise, with a river very suitable for the transport of goods3. He always hoped the French would return, but he was dispossessed by another governor, who was very fond of presents. The

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