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 marchants, 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 evil 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 principal 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.

The voyage of M. John Eldred to Trypolis in Syria by sea, and from thence by land and river to Babylon and Balsara. 1583.

I DEPARTED Out of London in the ship called the Tiger, in the company of M. John Newbery, M. Ralph Fitch, and sixe or seven other honest marchants upon Shrove munday 1583, and arrived in Tripolis of Syria the first day of May next insuing: at our landing we went on Maying upon S. Georges Iland, a place where Christians dying aboord the ships, are woont to be buried. In this city our English marchants have a Consull, and our nation abide together in one house with him, called Fondeghi Ingles, builded of stone, square, in maner like a Closter, & every man hath his severall chamber, as it