The report of John Huighen van Linschoten concerning M.Newberies and M. Fitches imprisonment, and of their escape, which happened while he was in Goa.
IN the moneth of December, Anno 1583, there arrived
in the towne and
Iland of Ormus foure English men,
which came from Aleppo in the countrey of Syria
, having
sailed out of England, & passed thorow the straights of
Gibraltar to Tripoli
a towne and haven lying on the
coast of Syria
, where all the ships discharge their wares
& marchandises, & from thence are caried by land unto
Aleppo, which is nine dayes journy. In Aleppo there
are resident divers marchants & factours of all nations, as
Italians, French men, English men, Armenians, Turks
and Moores, every man having his religion apart, paying
tribute unto the great Turke. In that towne there is
great traffique, for that from thence every yeere twise,
there travell two Caffyls, that is, companies of people and
camels, which travell unto India, Persia, Arabia
, and all
the countreys bordering on the same, and deale in all
sorts of marchandise, both to and from those countreys,
as I in another place have already declared. Three of
the sayd English men aforesayd, were sent by the company of English men that are resident in Aleppo, to see
if in Ormus they might keepe any factours, and so
traffique in that place, like as also the Italians do, that
is to say, the Venetians which in Ormus, Goa, and
Malacca have their factours, and traffique there, aswell
for stones and pearles, as for other wares and spices of
those countreys, which from thence are caried over land
into Venice
. One of these English men had bene once
before in the sayd towne of Ormus, and there had taken
good information of the trade, and upon his advise and
advertisement, the other were as then come thither with
him, bringing great store of marchandises with them,
as Clothes, Saffron, all kindes of drinking glasses, and
Haberdashers wares, as looking glasses, knives, and such
like stuffe: and to conclude, brought with them all kinde
of small wares that may be devised. And although those
wares amounted unto great summes of money, notwithstanding it was but onely a shadow or colour, thereby
to give no occasion to be mistrusted, or seene into: for
that their principall intent was to buy great quantities
of precious stones, as Diamants, Pearles, Rubies, &c.
to the which end they brought with them a great summe
of money and golde, and that very secretly, not to be
deceived or robbed thereof, or to runne into any danger
for the same. They being thus arrived in Ormus, hired
a shoppe, and beganne to sell their wares: which the
Italians perceiving, whose factours continue there (as I
sayd before) and fearing that those English men finding
good vent for their commodities in that place, would be
resident therein, and so dayly increase, which would be
no small losse and hinderance unto them, did presently
invent all the subtile meanes they could to hinder them:
and to that end they went unto the Captaine of Ormus,
as then called Don Gonsalo de Meneses, telling him that
there were certaine English men come into Ormus, that
were sent onely to spie the countrey; and sayd further,
that they were heretikes: and therefore they sayd it was
convenient they should not be suffered so to depart, without being examined, and punished as enemies, to the
example of others. The Captaine being a friend unto the
English men, by reason that one of them which had bene
there before, had given him certaine presents, would not
be perswaded to trouble them, but shipped them with all
their wares in a shippe that was to saile for Goa, and
sent them to the Viceroy, that he might examine and
trie them, as he thought good: where when they were
arrived, they were cast into prison, and first examined
whether they were good Christians or no: and because
they could speake but badde Portugall, onely two of them
spake good Dutch, as having bene certaine yeres in the
Low countreyes, and there traffiked, there was a Dutch
Jesuite born in the towne of Bruges in Flanders, that had
bene resident in the Indies for the space of thirty yers,
sent unto them, to undermine and examine them: wherein
they behaved themselves so well, that they were holden
and esteemed for good and Catholicke Christians: yet still
suspected, because they were strangers, and specially
English men. The Jesuites still tolde them that they
should be sent prisoners into Portugall, wishing them to
leave off their trade of marchandise, and to become
Jesuites, promising them thereby to defend them from
all trouble. The cause why they sayd so, and perswaded
them in that earnest maner, was, for that the Dutch
Jesuite had secretly bene advertised of great summes of
money which they had about them, and sought to get
the same into their fingers, for that the first vowe and
promise they make at their entrance into their Order, is,
to procure the welfare of their sayd Order, by what
meanes soever it be. But although the English men
denied them, and refused the Order, saying, that they
were unfit for such places, neverthelesse they proceeded
so farre, that one of them, being a Painter (that came
with the other three for company, to see the countreys,
and to seeke his fortune, and was not sent thither by the
English marchants) partly for feare, and partly for want
of meanes to relieve himselfe, promised them to become
a Jesuite: and although they knew and well perceived he
was not any of those that had the treasure, yet because
he was a Painter, whereof there are but few in India,
and that they had great need of him to paint their Church,
which otherwise would cost them great charges, to bring
one from Portugall, they were very glad thereof, hoping
in time to get the rest of them with all their money into
their felloship : so that to conclude, they made this Painter
a Jesuite, where he continued certaine dayes, giving him
good store of worke to doe, and entertaining him with
all the favour and friendship they could devise, and all
to winne the rest, to be a pray for them: but the other
three continued still in prison, being in great feare,
because they understood no man that came to them, nor
any man almost knew what they sayd: till in the end
it was tolde them that certaine Dutch men dwelt in the
Archbishops house, and counsell given them to send unto
them, whereat they much rejoyced, and sent to me and
an other Dutch man, desiring us once to come and speake
with them, which we presently did, and they with teares
in their eyes made complaint unto us of their hard usage,
shewing us from point to point (as it is sayd before) why
they were come into the countrey, withall desiring us
for Gods cause, if we might by any meanes, to helpe
them, that they might be set at liberty upon sureties,
being ready to endure what justice should ordaine for
them, saying, that if it were found contrary, and that
they were other then travelling merchants, and sought
to finde out further benefit by their wares, they would
be content to be punished. With that we departed from
them, promising them to do our best: and in the end we
obtained so much of the Archbishop, that he went unto
the Viceroy to deliver our petition, and perswaded him
so well, that he was content to set them at libertie, and
that their goods should be delivered unto them againe,
upon condition they should put in sureties for two
thousand pardawes, not to depart the countrey before
other order should be taken with them. Thereupon they
presently found a Citizen of the towne that was their
surety for two thousand pardawes, to whom they payed
in hand one thousand and three hundred pardawes, and
because they sayd they had no more ready money, he
gave them credit, seeing what store of marchandise they
had, whereby at all times if need were, he might be
satisfied: and by that meanes they were delivered out of
prison, and hired themselves an house, and beganne to
set open shoppe: so that they uttered much ware, and
were presently well knowen among all the marchants,
because they alwayes respected gentlemen, specially such
as bought their wares, shewing great courtesie and
honour unto them, whereby they woon much credit, and
were beloved of all men, so that every man favoured them,
and was willing to doe them pleasure. To us they shewed
great friendship, for whose sake the Archbishop favoured
them much, and shewed them very good countenance,
which they knew well how to increase, by offering him
many presents, although he would not receive them,
neither would ever take gift or present at any mans hands.
Likewise they behaved themselves so discreetly that no
man caried an evill eye, no, nor an evill thought towards
them. Which liked not the Jesuites, because it hindered
them from that they hoped for, so that they ceased not
still by this Dutch Jesuite to put them in feare, that they
should be sent into Portugall to the King, counselling
them to yeeld themselves Jesuites into their Cloister,
which if they did, he sayd they would defend them from
all troubles, saying further, that he counselled them therin
as a friend, & one that knew for certaine that it was
so determined by the Viceroyes Privy councell: which
to effect he sayd they stayed but for shipping that should
saile for Portugall, with divers other perswasions, to put
them in some feare, and so to effect their purpose. The English men to the contrary, durst not say any thing
to them, but answered, that as yet they would stay a
while, and consider thereof, thereby putting the Jesuites
in comfort, as one among them, being the principall of
them (called John Newbery) complained unto me often
times, saying that he knew not what to say or thinke
therein, or which way he might be ridde of those troubles:
but in the end they determined with themselves to depart
from thence, and secretly by meanes of other friendes
they imployed their money in precious stones; which the
better to effect, one of them was a Jeweller, and for the
same purpose came with them. Which being concluded
among them, they durst not make knowen to any man,
neither did they credite us so much, as to shew us their
mindes therein, although they tolde us all whatsoever
they knew. But on a Whitsunday they went abroad to
sport themselves about three miles from Goa, in the
mouth of the river in a countrey called Bardes, having
with them good store of meate and drinke. And because
they should not be suspected, they left their house and
shoppe, with some wares therein unsolde, in custody of
a Dutch boy, by us provided for them, that looked unto
it. This boy was in the house not knowing their intent,
and being in Bardes, they had with them a Patamar,
which is one of the Indian postes, which in the Winter
times carieth letters from one place to the other, whom
they had hired to guide them: and because that betweene
Bardes and the firme land there is but a little river, in a
maner halfe drie, they passed over it on foot, and so
travelled by land, being never heard of againe: but it is
thought they arrived in Aleppo, as some say, but they
know not certainely. Their greatest hope was that John
Newbery could speake the Arabian tongue, which is used
in all those countreys, or at the least understood; for
it is very common in all places there abouts, as French
with us. Newes being come to Goa, there was a great
stirre and murmuring among the people, and we much
woondered at it: for many were of opinion, that we had
given them counsell so to do: and presently their surety
seised upon the goods remaining, which might amount
unto above two hundred pardawes; and with that and
the money he had received of the English men, he went
unto the Viceroy, and delivered it unto him: which the
Viceroy having received, forgave him the rest. This
flight of the English men grieved the Jesuites most,
because they had lost such a praye, which they made
sure account of: whereupon the Dutch Jesuite came to
us to aske us if we knew thereof, saying, that if he had
suspected so much, he would have dealt otherwise, for
that he sayd, he once had in his hands of theirs a bagge
wherein was forty thousand veneseanders (ech veneseander
being two pardawes) which was when they were in prison.
And that they had alwayes put him in comfort to accomplish his desire: upon the which promise he gave them
their money againe, which otherwise they should not so
lightly have come by, or peradventure never, as he openly
sayd: and in the end he called them hereticks, and spies,
with a thousand other railing speeches, which he uttered
against them. The English man that was become a
Jesuite, hearing that his companions were gone, and
perceiving that the Jesuites shewed him not so great
favour, neither used him so well as they did at the first,
repented himselfe; and seeing he had not as then made
any solemne promise, and being counselled to leave the
house, and tolde that he could not want a living in the
towne, as also that the Jesuites could not keepe him there
without he were willing to stay, so they could not accuse
him of any thing, he tolde them flatly that he had no
desire to stay within the Cloister. And although they
used all the meanes they could to keepe him there, yet
he would not stay, but hired an house without the Cloister,
and opened shoppe, where he had good store of worke:
and in the end married a Mestizos daughter of the towne,
so that he made his account to stay there while he lived.
By this English man I was instructed of all the wayes,
trades, and voyages of the countrey, betweene Aleppo and
Ormus, and of all the ordinances and common customes
which they usually holde during their voyage over the
land, as also of the places and townes where they passed.
And since those English mens departures from Goa, there
never arrived any strangers, either English or others,
by land, in the sayd countreys, but onely Italians which
dayly traffique over land, and use continuall trade going
and comming that way.
