UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT LOS ANGELES e EAST INDIA COMPANY'S RECORDS VOL. III. Y 3138. I. 1563 LETTERS RECEIVED BY THE East India Company jfrom its Servants in tbe East TRANSCRIBED FROM THE 'ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE' SERIES OF THE INDIA OFFICE RECORDS VOL. III. 1615 EDITED BY WILLIAM FOSTER, B.A. ' Joint Editor 0/ ' The Register of Letters 0/ the E. India. Co., 1600-19 PUBLISHED UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF HER MAJESTY'S SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA IN COUNCIL LONDON SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON & COMPANY (LIMITED) St. Bunstan's Iftouse FETTER LANE, FLEET STREET, E.C. 1899 «w<-. , r CONTENTS * PAGE 251. Thomas Elkington to the Company. Swally Road, Feb- ruary 25, 1614-15 1 252 (1). Duplicate of No. 177 14 252 (2). William Edwards to the Company. Ajmere, February 26, 1614-15 14 253. Christopher Farewell to Sir Thomas Smythe. Swally Road, February 27, 1614-15 21 254. William Biddulph to the Company. Surat, February 28, 1614-15 23 255. Consultation at Surat, February 28, 1614-15, regarding the disposal of the stock left there 25 256. Nicholas Downton to Sir Thomas Smythe. [Swally Road] February 28, 1614-15 26 257. Memorandum by Nicholas Downton for the information of succeeding Commanders. Swally Road, March 1, 1614-15 29 258. John Sandcroft to the Company. Swally Road, March 1, 1614-15 32 259. Edmond Aspinall to the Company. Swally Road, March 1, 1614-15 34 260. Samuel Juxon to Sir Thomas Smythe. Swally Road, March 2, 1614-15 35 261. Humphrey Elkington to the Company. Swally Road, March 3, 1614-15 37 vi EAST INDIA COMPANY'S RECORDS PAGE 262. Edward Holmden to Sir Thomas Smythe. Aboard the * Hector,' March 7, 1614-15 39 263. Timothy Mallory to the Company. Aboard the ' New Year's Gift,' March 8, 1614-15 42 264. Samuel Squire to Sir Thomas Smythe. [Off the Indian Coast] , March 9, 1614-15 45 265. Ralph Preston to Sir Thomas Smythe. At sea, to the south- ward of Dabul, March 9, 161 4-1 5 50 ' 266. John Oxwick to [Maurice Abbot ?] . Aboard the Hector,' [at sea] , March 9, 1614-15 52 267. Commission from David Middleton to John Millward and William Nicholls for a voyage from Bantam to Sumatra in the 'Thomas.' March 12, 1614-15 56 268. Richard Welden to George Ball. [March, 16 14-15] . 61 269. John Oxwick to [Nicholas Downton ?] . Aboard the ' Hector [at sea], March 19, 1614-15 62 270. Thomas Keridge to the Company. Ajmere, March 20 1614-15 63 271. The Rev. Peter Rogers to the Company. Ajmere, March 23 1614-15 72 272. William Edwards to the Company. Ajmere, March 24 1614-15 79 273. Thomas Mitford to the Company. Ajmere, March 25, 1615 84 274. Thomas Keridge to Sir Thomas Smythe. Ajmere, March 26, 1615 88 275. John Jourdain to Richard Wickham, in Japan. Bantam, April 6, 1615 94 276. List of presents, etc., given at Achin by the factors of the 'Hector.' April 15-July 1, 1615 95 276A. Arthur Spaight to Nicholas Downton at Bantam. Achin Road, April 18, 1615 101 277. Consultation at Siam (Ayuthia), April 20, 1615 . 106 278. Ditto, April 21, 1615 iog ' CONTENTS vii PAGK 279. John Jourdain to Richard Wickham at Firardo. Jacatra, May 12, 1616 in The same to the same. Bantam, May 29, 16 16 . .112 279A. Charges against John Oxwick. Achin, June 10, 1615 . 114 280. Nicholas Bangham to the Company. Saldania Road, June 18, 1615 117 281. Consultation at Achin between the merchants of the ' Hector and the • Thomas.' June 23, 1615 120 282. Consultations at Achin by the merchants of the ' Thomas.' June 30 and July 21, 1615 ...... 123 283. Instructions left with Samuel Juxon and William Nichols at Achin. July 3, 1615 125 284. Arthur Spaight to Nicholas Downton, at Bantam. Achin, July 4,1615 127 285 & 287. John Skinner to Adam Denton [at Patani] . Macassar, July 12, 1615 130 286. George Cokayne to Sir Thomas Smythe. Macassar, July 16, 1615 . .136 288. Robert Youart to the Company. Bantam, August 8, 1615 . 147 289. John Jourdain to Richard Wickham at Firando. Bantam, August 10, 1615 149 290. George Cokayne to John Jourdain at Bantam. Sambopa (Macassar), August 17, 1615 . 150 291. Memoranda left at Siam by Lucas Antheunis. August 27, 1615 153 292. Consultation at Siam. September 7, 1615 .... 157 293. Journal of a voyage from Bantam to Jambi, and proceedings 11 there. September —October 25, 1615 . 160 294. John Jourdain to the Company. Bantam, September 30, 1615 169 295. Thomas Elkington to the Company. Bantam Road, October 2, 1615 172 296. Account by Richard Steel of the moneys, weights and measures current in Persia. [October, 1615] . 176 Y 3138. 1. 1563. b ,. viii EAST IXDIA COMPA.VY'S RECORDS 297. Consultation at Patani. October 9, 1615 .... 178 298. Sir Thomas Roe to the Governor of Surat. October 12, 1615 182 299. John Sandcroft and Edmund Aspinall to the Company. Tiku, October 12, 1615 164 300. Richard Cocks to William Eaton, etc. Firando, October 12, 1615 192 301. Richard Cocks to Richard Wickham. Firando, October 14, 1615 194 302. William Keeling to Sir Thomas Roe. Swally Road, October 17, 161 5 195 303. Sir Thomas Roe to the Governor of Surat, October 19 [15] 1615 196 Sir Thomas Roe to the Viceroy of Goa, October 20, 16 15 . 197 304. [The Merchants at Jambi to the Agent at Bantam ?] October 22, 1615 ........ 199 [The same] to Richard Hounsell. October 22, 1615 . 201 [Richard Westby ?] to the same. [Jambi] , October 24, 1615 202 [The same ?] to the same. Jambi, October 31, 1615 . 204 305. William Eaton to Richard Wickham. Miako, October 23, !6i5 205 306. William Keeling to Sir Thomas Roe. Swally, October 27, 1615 207 307. William Adams to Richard Wickham at Edo. Surunga, October 29, 1615 208 308. Richard Rowe to the Company. Tiku, November 6, 16 15 . 210 309. Consultations on board the ' Solomon,' November 9, 1615, and at Masulipatam, January 14, 1615-16 . 212 310. Arthur Spaight to the Company. Aboard the 'Hector,' November 12, 1615 ........ 216 311. John Sandcroft and Edmund Aspinall to the Company. Tiku, November 13, 1615 220 312. John Millward to the Company. Tiku, November 13, 1615 223 — CONTENTS ix PAGE 313. Abstract of letters received from Bantam by the ' New : Year's Gift ' , (1) From John Jourdain. Bantam, December, 1615 . 230 (2) From Cassarian David. Bantam, December 23, 1615 . ...... 230 (3) From Richard Stanley. Tiku, November 12, 1615 230 (4) From John Sandcroft and Edmund Aspinall. Tiku, November 13, 1615 . .231 (5) From George Chauncey . .231 Notes to be remembered in the letters to Bantam . .231 314. Ralph Coppindall to Richard Wickham at Miako. Osaka, November 19, 1615 ........ 232 315. William Nicolls to John Millward and John Yates at Tiku, Achin, November 24, 1615 ...... 233 315A. Consultation at Tiku, November 30, 1615 .... 237 316. Ralph Coppindall to the Chief Factor at Siam. Firando, December 5, 1615 ........ 238 317. The same to Robert Larkin and Adam Denton at Patani. Firando, December 5, 1615 241 318. The same to Adam Denton at Patani. Firando, Decem- ber 5, 1615 . .244 319. Richard Cocks to [the Chief Factor at Siam]. Firando, December 6, 1615 245 320. The same to Adam Denton at Patani. Firando, Decem- ber 6, 1615 249 321. The same to Richard Wickham at Osaka. Firando, Decem- ber 10, 1615 252 322. The same to John Jourdain at Bantam. Firando, Decem- ber 6, 1615 254 323. Hugh Greet to Sir Thomas Smythe. Bantam, Decem- ber 18, 1615 -257 324. Samuel Boyle to the Company. Bantam, December 20, 1615 259 x EAST INDIA COMPANY'S RECORDS PAGE 325. Richard Cocks to John Gourney at Siam. Firando, Decem- ber 20, 1615 263 326. Richard Rowe to the Company. Bantam Road, Decem- ber 21, 1615 265 327. Cassarian David to the Company. Bantam, December 23, 1615 266 328. Missing. 329. Richard Baker to Sir Thomas Roe at Ajmere. Surat, December 25, 1615 269 330. John Jourdain to the Company. [Bantam, December, 1615] 272 331. William Eaton to Richard Wickham at Osaka. Miako, December 26, 1615 279 APPENDIX. PAGE I. Thomas Elkington to [John Ox-wick and Christopher Fare- well at Broach] . Surat, December 23, 1614 . 281 II. James I. to the Great Mogul. Westminster, February 7, 1613-14 283 III. The Great Mogul to James I. [Ajmere, March, 1615] . 284 IV. George Ball to John Jourdain at Bantam. Macassar, June 24, 1615 286 V. Richard Wickham to Sir Thomas Smythe. Edo, Octo- ber 23, 1615 289 VI. Sophony Cozuck to the Company. Bantam, December 21, 1615 293 -^ <v; INTRODUCTION. N the preceding volume (p. 245) a brief note from William Edwards announced his arrival at Ajmere, •' and his very honourable entertainment ' by the Great Mogul. We have now a full account of his reception in letters from Edwards himself (p. 14), from Thomas Mitford, one of his companions (p. 84), and from Thomas Kerridge, who had up to that time represented the Company at court (pp. 63, 89). When on February 2, 1615, the little party of Englishmen reached Ajmere, Jahangir was absent on one of his frequent hunting excursions ; but in his impatience to see the presents they had brought, he would not wait until his return to the city, and Edwards and his companions were directed to pro- ceed to his temporary headquarters. There, on the evening of February 7, they were brought into his presence, and delivered the royal missive which was ostensibly the chief motive of their journey, together with portraits of King James, Queen Anne and the Princess Elizabeth, 1 a rich cloak, some strong waters, a mirror, a case of knives, and a young mastiff—sole survivor of several shipped from England for this purpose.