His third Letter to Maister Leonard Poore, written from Goa.
MY last I sent you was from Ormuz , wherby I certified you what had happened there unto me, and the rest of my company, which was, that foure dayes after our arrivall there, we were all committed to prison, except one Italian which came with me from Aleppo, whom the Captaine never examined, onely demaunded what countryman he was, but I make account Michael Stropene, who accused us, had informed the Captaine of him. The first day we arrived there, this Stropene accused us that we were spies sent from Don Antonio, besides divers other lies: notwithstanding if we had beene of any other countrey then of England, we might freely have traded with them. And although we be Englishmen, I know no reason to the contrary, but that we may trade hither and thither as well as other nations, for all nations doe, and may come freely to Ormuz , as Frenchmen, Flemmings, Almains, Hungarians, Italians, Greekes, Armenians, Nazaranies, Turkes and Moores, Jewes & Gentiles, Persians, Moscovites, and there is no nation that they seeke for to trouble, except ours: wherefore it were contrary to all justice and reason that they should suffer all nations to trade with them, and to forbid us. But now I have as great liberty as any other nation, except it be to go out of the countrey, which thing as yet I desire not. But I thinke hereafter, and before it be long, if I shall be desirous to go from hence, that they wil not deny me licence. Before we might be suffered to come out of prison, I was forced to put in suerties for 2000 pardaus, not to depart from hence without licence of the viceroy: otherwise except this, we have as much libertie as any other nation, for I have our goods againe, & have taken an house in the chiefest streete in the towne, called the Rue drette, where we sell our goods. There were two causes which moved the captaine of Ormus to imprison us, &. afterwards to send us hither. The first was, because Michael Stropene had accused us of many matters, which were most false. And the second was for that M. Drake at his being at Maluco, caused two pieces of his ordinance to be shot at a gallion of the kings of Portugall, as they say. But of these things I did not know at Ormus: and in the ship that we were sent in came the chiefest justice in Ormus, who was called Aveador generall of that place, he had beene there three yeeres, so that now his time was expired: which Aveador is a great friend to the captaine of Ormus, who, certaine dayes after our comming from thence, sent for mee into his chamber, and there beganne to demaund of me many things, to the which I answered: and amongst the rest, he said, that Master Drake was sent out of England with many ships, and came to Maluco, and there laded cloves, and finding a gallion there of the kings of Portugall, hee caused two pieces of his greatest ordinance to be shot at the same: and so perceiving that this did greatly grieve them, I asked, if they would be revenged of me for that which M. Drake had done? To the which he answered, No: although his meaning was to the contrary. He said moreover, that the cause why the captaine of Ormus did send me for Goa, was, for that the Viceroy would understand of mee, what newes there was of Don Antonio, and whether he were in England, yea or no, and that it mght be all for the best that I was sent hither, the which I trust in God wil so fall out, although contrary to his expectation: for had it not pleased God to put into the minds of the archbishop and other two Padres or Jesuits of S. Pauls colledge to stand our friends, we might have rotted in prison. The archbishop is a very good man, who hath two yong men to his servantes, the one of them was borne at Hamborough, and is called Bernard Borgers: and the other was borne at Enchuysen, whose name is John Linscot, who did us great pleasure: for by them the archbishop was many times put in minde of us. And the two good fathers of S. Paul, who travelled very much for us, the one of them is called Padre Marke, who was borne in Bruges in Flanders, and the other was borne in Wiltshire in England, and is called Padre Thomas Stevens. Also I chanced to finde here a young man, who was borne in Antwerpe, but the most part of his bringing up hath beene in London, his name is Francis de Rea, and with him it was my hap to be acquainted in Aleppo, who also hath done me great pleasure here. In the prison at Ormus we remained many dayes, also we lay a long time at sea comming hither, and forthwith at our arrivall here were carried to prison, and the next day after were sent for before the Aveador, who is the chiefest justice, to be examined: and when we were examined, he presently sent us backe againe to prison. And after our being here in prison 13 daies, James Storie went into the monastery of S. Paul, where he remaineth, and is made one of the company, which life he liketh very well. And upon S. Thomas day (which was 22 dayes after our arrival here) I came out of prison, and the next day after came out Ralph Fitch, and William Bets. If these troubles had not chanced, I had beene in possibility to have made as good a voyage as ever any man made with so much money. Many of our things I have solde very well, both here and at Ormus in prison, notwithstanding the captaine willed me (if I would) to sell what I could before we imbarked: & so with officers I went divers times out of the castle in the morning, and solde things, and at night returned againe to the prison, and all things that I solde they did write, and at our imbarking from thence, the captain gave order that I should deliver all my mony with the goods into the hands of the scrivano, or purser of the ship, which I did, and the scrivano made a remembrance, which he left there with the captaine, that my selfe and the rest with money & goods he should deliver into the hands of the Aveador generall of India: but at our arrivall here, the Aveador would neither meddle with goods nor money, for that he could not prove any thing against us: wherefore the goods remained in the ship 9 or 10 daies after our arrivall, and then, for that the ship was to saile from thence, the scrivano sent the goods on shore, and here they remained a day and a night, and no body to receive them. In the end they suffered this bringer to receive them, who came with me from Ormus, and put them into an house which he had hired for me, where they remained foure or five daies. But afterward when they should deliver the money, it was concluded by the justice, that both the money and goods should be delivered into the positors hands, where they remained fourteene dayes after my comming out of prison. At my being in Aleppo, I bought a fountaine of silver and gilt, sixe knives, sixe spoones, and one forke trimmed with corall for five and twentie chekins, which the captaine of Ormus did take, and payed for the same twentie pardaos, which is one hundred larines, and was worth there or here one hundred chekins. Also he had five emrauds set in golde, which were woorth five hundred or sixe hundred crownes, and payed for the same an hundred pardaos. Also he had nineteene and a halfe pikes of cloth, which cost in London twenty shillings the pike, and was worth 9 or 10 crownes the pike, and he payed for the same twelve larines a pike. Also he had two pieces of greene Kersies, which were worth foure and twentie pardaos the piece, and payd for them sixteene pardaos a piece: besides divers other trifles, that the officers and others had in the like order, and some for nothing at all. But the cause of all this was Michael Stropene, which came to Ormus not woorth a penie, and now hath thirtie or fortie thousand crownes, and he grieveth that any other stranger should trade thither but himselfe. But that shall not skill, for I trust in God to goe both thither and hither, and to buy and sell as freely as he or any other. Here is very great good to be done in divers of our commodities, and in like manner there is great profite to be made with commodities of this countrey, to be carried to Aleppo. It were long for me to write, and tedious for you to read of all things that have passed since my parting from you. But of all the troubles that have chanced since mine arrivall in Ormus, this bringer is able to certifie you. I mind to stay here: wherefore if you will write unto me, you may send your letters to some friend at Lisbone, & from thence by the ships they may be conveyed hither. Let the direction of your letters be either in Portuguise or Spanish, whereby they may come the better to my hands.From Goa this 20 day of Januarie. 1584.
