A Voyage to East India, Account of voyage · Section 8
SECTION. VIII.
Of our ſafe and ſecure living amongſt the Natives there, if we do not provoke them. Of their faithfulneſs unto thoſe that entertain them as ſervants: for how little they ſerve, and yet how diligent they are, &c.
WHere firſt for our living in Eaſt-India, it is with as much freedom and ſafety, in our journeys, and Tents, when we travell; in our houſes when we are more fix'd, as if we were in an army of Banners appointed for our guard; or as if the Vines and Fig-trees under which we there ſit were our own.
But there are ſpoylers ſometimes met withall, in thoſe Provinces, that live by their ſwords, and bowes, having nothing for their ſubſiſtence (becauſe they will take no other courſe) but what they get by rapine and ſpoyl; of whom ſomewhat more afterward.
And now by the way for thoſe villains who thus live, wherever they be, and thoſe ſturdy rogues who are next to them in guilt, by eating up the bread of the poor, having able limbs to carry them, that they may beg from houſe to houſe, and hands to receive Almes, but none to labour; both thefe being the very vermin of thoſe Commonwealths wherein they are ſuffered to breath, it were very well if ſuch of theſe as have not deſerved to be cut off by the hand of Juſtice, were all ſerved as Philip King of Macedon dealt with two Rogues, alterum é Macedonio fugere, alterum perſequi juſſit. He made one of them to whip the other out of his Countrey, and ſo he was rid of both of them.
But to return unto the place from whence I am now digreſſed. I travelled from Surat with four Engliſhmen more, and about twenty of the Natives in our Company, we beginning our journey the firſt of January towards Sir Thomas Row, at the Mogols Court, then above four hundred miles diſtant from Surat. We had ſix wagons drawn with Oxen, in our Company, laden with rich Engliſh goods (the principal part whereof was Engliſh broad cloth) aſſign'd to an Engliſh Merchant at the Court, and ſome other Carriages we had, of all which we made a ring every night neer ſome large Town or Village, where we reſolved to ſtay, and pitched our Huts within that Circle, ſome of us watching, and the Natives with us, every night; we went on that long journey very ſafely, only in ſome places where there was any ſuſpicion of danger, we had a guard of horſe appointed to go with us for our defence, by the Command of Sultan Caroon the Prince, and now King, (who had his revenue out of thoſe parts we then travelled thorough) who ſent a Footman, that continually kept us company, with his letters to command a Company of Souldiers that were horſemen, to guard us where he thought good, who as they did not expect, ſo they would take no recompence for their paines, though we freely offered it them. But the providence of God did ſo order it, that though we had their company in ſeveral places, we never had need of their help for our defence. The truth is, that the people there in general are very civil, and we never had any affronts or ill uſage from them, if we did not firſt provoke them.
But if we did, they would not well bear it, for twice in one week at my firſt comming to Surat the whole town in general were in an uproar, and ſurrounded our houſe there, both times ſome of our Engliſh Provok'd thoſe Natives to ſtir againſt us, but by our ſpeedy addreſſes unto the Governour of that place, we excuſing the fault of thoſe that miniſtred the occaſion of their diſcontent, they being newly come thither, and altogether unacquainted with their cuſtomes, he preſently commanded that wild Aſſembly to depart from our houſe, and ſo immediatly they did, we receiving no hurt at all from any of them.
When my Lord Ambaſſadour at firſt arrived at Surat, it ſo was, that an Engliſh Cook he carried with him, the very firſt day of his comming thither, found a way to an Armenian Chriſtians houſe, who ſold wine in that place, they call Armenian Wine. But (by the way) I do believe that there was ſcarce another in that populous City of that trade; the greater ſhame for thoſe whoſoever they be that ſuffer ſo many unneceſſary tipling-houſes (in the places where they have power to reſtrain them) which are the Devills nurſery, the very Tents wherein Sathan dwells, where Almighty God receives abundance of diſhonour, drun keneſs being a ſin which hath hands and fingers to draw all other ſins unto it; For a drunkard can do any thing, or be any thing but good. That Armenian Wine I ſpeak of is made of Reyſons of the Sun and Sugar, with ſome other things pur and boyled in water, which Wine, when it is ripe and cleer, is in Colour like to our Muſcadels, pleaſant enough to the taſt, but heavy and heady. The Cook had his head quickly over-freighted with it, and then ſtaggering homeward, in his way met the Governors Brother of Surat, as he was riding to his houſe, the Cook made a ſtand, ſtaying himſelf up upon his ſword & ſcabbard, and cry'd out to the Governours Brother, Now thou Heathen dog. He not underſtanding his foul language, replyed civilly in his own Ca-ca-ta, which ſignifies, what ſayeſt thou? the Cook anſwered him with his ſword and ſcabbard, with which he ſtrook at at him, but vvas immediatly ſeiſed on by his follovvers, and by them diſarm'd and carried to Priſon; the Ambaſſadour had preſent intelligence of the misbehaviour of his drunken ſervant, and immediatly ſent vvord unto the Governours Brother, that he vvas not come thither to patronize any diſorderly perſon, and therefore deſir'd him to do vvith him what he pleaſed, upon which he preſently ſent him home, not doing him the leaſt hurt. But before I leave this ſtorie, it will not be amiſs to enquire who was the Heathen dog at this time, whether the debaucht drunken Cook who call'd himſelf a Chriſtian, or that ſober and temperate Mahometan who was thus affronted.
In our journey towards the Court (after we had been in our way about ſeven dayes from Surat) we reſted at a place called Ditat, where many of the Inhabitants offered to guard us and our goods, though we (obſerving there no danger) deſired it not, but they would do it, and in the morning expected and asked ſomething of us, by way of recompence. One of our Company (who had been in Eaſt India a year or two before) told them, that what they had done they did without ou… deſire, and therefore they ſhould have nothing from us, but ſome ill language which he then gave them. We ſet forward in the morning according to our wonted cuſtom they followed after us, to the number at the leaſt of three hundred men (for the place was great and populous) and when we were gone about a mile from that Town, ſtopped our carriages; he of our Company who told them they ſhould have no recompence, was preſently ready to ſhoot at them with his Muſket, which made them all to bend their Bowes at us, but I happily and ſuddenly ſtepping in, prevented his firing at them, and their ſhooting at us, which if I had not by Gods good Providence done, but we had madly engaged ſuch a great multitude, there could not have been leſs expected in the ſad iſſue thereof, than the loſs of all our lives, and goods, but having a little Parlee with them, for the value of three ſhillings of Engliſh money given amongſt them, they were all quieted and contented, and immediatly left us, wiſhing us a good journey.
After this, when we had gone forward about twenty dayes journey (which daily remooves were but ſhort, by reaſon of our heavy carriages, and the heat of the weather) it happened, that another of our Company, a young Gentleman about twenty years old, the Brother of a Baron of England, behaved himſelf ſo ill, as that we feared it would have brought very much miſchief on us.
This young man being very unruly at home, and ſo many others that have been well born, when their friends knew not what to do with them, have been ſent to Eaſt India, that ſo they might make their own Graves in the Sea, in their paſſage thither, or els have Graves made for them on the Indian ſhore, when they come there. A very cleanly conveyance (but how juſt and honeſt, I leave to others) for Parents to be rid of their unruly Children; but I never knew any who were thus ſuppoſed to be ſent thither, but they outlived that voyage.
For the young Gentleman I ſpake of, his imployment was to wait upon our chief Commander in his Cabin, who very courteouſly when he came to Sea, turn'd him before the maſt amongſt the common ſaylors [a great preferment for a man of his birth,] but for all this he outliv'd that harſh uſage, and came ſafely to Eaſt India, and my Lord Ambaſſadour hearing of him, and being well acquainted with his great kindred, ſent for him up to the Court, and there entertain'd him as a Companion for a year, then giving him all fit accommodations, ſent him home again as a paſſenger for England, where after he ſafely arrived.
But in our way towards that Court, it thus happened, that this hot-brains being a little behind us, commanded him [then neer him] who was the Princes ſervant [before ſpoken of] to hold his horſe, the man replyed, that he was none of his ſervant, and would not do it. Upon which this moſt intemperate mad youth, who was like Philocles that angry Poet; and therefore called Bilis, & Salſigo, Choler and Brine, [for he was the moſt haſty and cholerick young man that ever I knew] as will appear by his preſent carriage, which was thus; firſt he beat that ſtranger, for refuſing to hold his horſe, with his horſe-whip, which I muſt tell you, that people cannot endure, as if thoſe whips ſtung worſe than Scopions. For of any puniſhments that carry moſt diſgrace in them, as that people think one is to be beaten with that whip, where with all they ſtrike their beaſts; the other to be beaten [and this they eſteem the more diſgracefull puniſhment of the two) about the head with ſhooes. But this ſtranger (being whipt as before) came up and complained to me, but to make him amends, that frantick young man (mad with rage, and he knew not wherefore) preſently followed him, and being come up cloſe to him, diſcharg'd his Piſtol laden with a brace of bullets directly at his body, which bullets, by the ſpecial guidance of the hand of God, ſo flew, that they did the poor man no great hurt, only one of them firſt tearing his coat, bruſed all the knucles of his left hand and the other brake his bow which he carried in the ſame hand. We preſently diſarmed our young B…dlam, till he might return again to his witts. But our greateſt buſineſs was how to pacifie the other man whom he had thus injured: I preſently gave him a Roopee; in our money two ſhillings and nine pence; he thanked me for it, and would have taken it with his right, but I deſired him to take it with his maym'd hand, and ſo he did, and could clinch it very well, which I was glad of. Then we did ſhew (as we had cauſe) all the diſlike we could againſt that deſperat act of him, from whom he received his hurt, telling him, that we were all ſtrangers, and for our parts had done him no wrong at all, and therefore hoped that we ſhould not be made any way to ſuffer for the faults of another, and we further told him, that if he would be quiet till we came up to the Con…t, he ſhould have all the ſatisfaction he could deſire. He told us, that we were good men, and had done him no wrong, and that he would til then reſt contented; but he did not ſo, for about two houres after we met with a great man of that Countrey, having a mighty train with him, (as al the Grandees there have when they travel (of whom more afterward) He preſently went towards him, that to him he might make his complaint; and ſo did, telling him, that he was the Princes ſervant, why he came to us, and how he had been uſed by us, ſhewing him his hand and his other breaches. The great man replied, that it was not well done of us, but he had nothing to do with it, and ſo departed on his way. That night, after we came to a ſtrong large Town, and placing our ſelves on the ſide of it, he did what he could (as we imagined) to rayſe up that people againſt us, ſome of them comming about us to view us, as we conceived, but putting on the beſt confidence we could, and ſtanding then upon our guard, and all of us watching that night, but (in a ſpecial manner) by the good providence of God, who kept us in all our journey, we here felt none of that miſchief we feared, but early in the morning quietly departed without the leaſt moleſtation. After which, with a little money, and a great many good words, we ſo quieted this man, that we never after heard any more complaining from him. So that (as before I obſerved) we were not at any time in any dangers of ſuffering by that people, but ſome of our own Nation were the procuring cauſes of it.
For the people there, they are generally very Civil, and uſually keep themſelves ſo within the bounds of command received from their ſuperiours, over which they do not paſs, as that they are not apt to take fire, and to throw off their voak, that they might do miſchief; They happily conſidering, that as in a natural, ſo in a body Politick, there muſt be hands and feet, as well as head and ſhoulders, all parts as well as any, the defect of the leaſt being ſo prejudicial to both thoſe bodyes, that they know not how to want it; But for both, when they are fitted with all their integral parts, all members muſt do their ſeveral offices, the foot not medling with the buſineſs of the Head, further than to receive Commands from it. And therefore that precept of the Apoſtle, Epheſ. 6. 5. Servants be obedient unto them that are your Maſters according to the fleſh &c. though they never learn'd it from S. Paul, yet having found that leſſon cleerly written even in the Law of Nature, with all carefulneſs they remember, and with all diligence they practiſe it, as well knowing the abſolute neceſſity of ſuperiority, and inferiority amongſt men, that ſome muſt give, others muſt take command; for were it not for thoſe cords to lead ſome, and to hamper and reſtrain others, there were no living for men amongſt men, but one would deſtroy another, as the Beaſts of the field, the Fowles of the Air, and Fiſhes of the Sea do; were it not for thoſe ligaments and tyes, the very ſinewes and nerves of every Kingdom and Commonwealth would crack aſunder, and all would run into confuſion.
I have often heard it obſerved of the Welſh, that they are Optimi ſervi, but Peſſimi Domini, ill Maſters, but good ſervants. I ſhall not further enquire into the truth of that proverbial ſpeech; but, for this people, this I can affirm; that they are excellent ſervants, who are as much at the command of their Maſters, as the people of Iſrael, after the death of Moſes, were unto Joſhua, Joſh. 1. 17. there telling him, all that thou commandeſt us we will do, or whitherſoever thou ſendeſt us we will goe; Or as the Centurions ſervants in the Goſpel were at the word of command to their Captain, Matth. 8. 9. who, if he bad them go, they went, if come, they came, if do this, or that, they did it: So theſe, if they be commanded to carry letters of a ſudden many miles diſtant, from one place to another, they yield obedience in this, as to all other the commands of their Maſters, without regret or diſpute, not objecting againſt, but doing the wills of thoſe that imploy them.
Before I obſerved, that for the generality of this people they have very low and timorous ſpirits, but there are ſome I named in my laſt Section, who are ſtout daring men, as the Baloches, Patans, and Raſhbootes, who, as they have the honour above all the reſt of the people in thoſe large Provinces to be accounted valiant; ſo, as occaſion is offered, they will ſhew themſelves ſo to be: and therefore they are much hyred as Convoyes to ſecure mens Perſons and goods, from place to place.
For thoſe Provinces, they are not without Mountains of prey, and Tabernacles of Robbers, as David and Job ſpeak, where deſperate men keep in ſome woods and deſerts, which are not far from great road-wayes, moſt frequented & uſed, and there, like the wild Arabs, in Companies meet, and ſpoyl, and deſtroy poor paſſengers, when they expect them not; it being the curſed manner of thoſe ſpoylers, if they prevail againſt; them whom they ſurpriſe, to kill them before they rifle them, and therefore the firſt thing heard from them is, Mor, mor, mor, that is, Kill, kill, kill, which they all ſpeak out as loud as they can. We were often told of them as we travelled ſometimes in the night, by reaſon of the extreme heat of the day, after we had taken leave of the King; and ſo wer jour| journeying towards Surat, that we ſhould meet with thoſe cruell villans, but, through Gods mercy, we were never in danger of them but once, and that was about midnight, neer a large City called Brodera, but we being a competent number of Engliſh men together, about twenty, and all of us reſolved to fell our lives at as dear a rate as we could, and having twice ſo many Indian ſervants with us, which are very nimble with their Bows and Arrowes, we with our Piſtols and Carbines, which we preſently diſcharged amongſt them, and our Indians plying them with their arrowes, made them ſuddenly to retreat, we receiving little hurt from them, but after this we made no more night marches.
Thoſe Indians I named before, are ſo faithfull to their truſts unto whomſoever they engage, to the Engliſh as well as to any other, that if they be at any time aſſaulted, they will rather dye in their defence, than forſake them at their need. So that I am very confident, that if an Engliſh Merchant ſhould travel alone with a very great treaſure in gold, and Jewels, both, or either, from Surat to Lahor, which is more than one thouſand Engliſh miles, and take thoſe Indian ſervants only for his company, and guard, and all they knew what be carried with him, He paying them their wages, they would be ſo far from injuring him of the leaſt penny of his wealth, that whoſoever beſides ſhould attempt his ſpoyling, muſt make a way through their blood, before they ſhould be able to do it
Here is a great and good example of Faithfulneſs, and it is very true. But I much doubt, that if a great Indian Merchant, I mean a native of that Countrey, ſhould come for England with the like treaſure, with a deſire to paſs through this whole nation, and ſhould for his more ſafe paſſage take a guard of ſwordmen here, and pay them well for their ſervice, they might lye under ſuch a ſtrong tentation, as might make them to ſpoyl the Egyptian, by ſhortning his journey, dividing his ſubſtance, and by diſpoſing ſo of his perſon, that it ſhould never tell tales.
But for that people, as their faithfulneſs is very remarkable, ſo is their diligence very exemplary likewiſe; for they keep continually within the call of their Maſters, and will not at any time depart thence without ſpecial leave. And the plenty of all proviſions being very great throughout the whole Monarchy, they ſerve at very low rates, which I never knew them to rayſe, not requiring more than five ſhillings ſterlings every new Moon, payd the next day after its Change, which is all the recompence they do deſire, or expect from their Maſters, to provide themſelves with all neceſſaries
—quibus hinc toga, Calceus hinc eſt,
Et Panis, fumuſ que Domi.—
Juvenal-ſat. 1.
Their coat, their ſhooes, their bread, their fire,
And all beſides, bought with this hire.
And for this do as good ſervice, as if they had ten times as much wages.
They ſtand to be hyred in the Bazar or Market-place, an antient cuſtom, as may appear, Matth. 20. 3. where ſome of them may be at all times had.
But it is their manner, when they are hyred to receive advance-money, that is, one moneths pay before hand, and to have their pay thus in hand every monethmonth ſo long as they ſerve, and ſo honeſt they are, that if they be bidden to provide themſelves of other Maſters, they will ſerve out the time for which they have received pay, to an hour before, they depart.
Now theſe who are ſo exact in performing their dutie by their faithfulneſs and diligence, muſt be exactly paid their Salary at the time they expect it, otherwiſe they will be ready to quit their ſervice, as one of them whom we thus hyred, left us as we we were travelling up to the Court, the reaſon, becauſe our money was almoſt quite gone (though we were ſupplyed again a day or two after) and we could not punctually pay him at his day, as we had formerly done. This fellow led one of our Camels, and had been with us two moneths before, but upon this little fayling him, would needs leave us, but before he departed he made a ſpeech to his Camel, telling him, that he had led him thus long, and had during that time lived by him, but now our money (as he ſuppoſed) quite fayling, he told him that he muſt begon, deſiring God to bleſs him, and that he might have ſome other to lead him that might not be leſs carefull of him than he had been. So he took leave of his Camel, though not of us, and departed. All the reſt of his company were perſwaded to continue with us, and had their pay a day or two after, and ſo we proceeded on our journey, and ſo ſhall I further in this diſcourſe. And now I have ſpoken ſomething of the people, I ſhall ſpeak