Sir Randolph Spencer studied the leatherbound packet for a long
moment, turning it apprehensively in his hand. Then he meticulously
untied the wrapping and smoothed the weathered parchment against the
top of his desk. Around the timbered room the Company's secretaries
waited nervously, in prim wigs and doublets, watching as he quickly
scanned the contents. Then he looked up, beamed, and with a loud voice
began to read.
JAVA, Port of Bantam the 3rd of May,
George Elkington, Chief Merchant,
to the Right Honorable Sir Randolph Spencer, Director of the Worshipful
Company of the East India Merchants in London
Honorable Sir,
My duty premised, etc. and expecting your Worship's favorable perusing
of this letter. May it please God, the _Discovery_ will be fully laded
within the month and ready to sail. In the meanwhile I forward this
letter by Capt. Otterinck of the Spiegel, bound this day for Amsterdam,
to advise you of certain New Conditions affecting the Company's trade.
I have inform'd you by earlier letter of our Entertainment provided the
Portugals in the Surat Bay, with the two of their vessels set to fire,
by which they were all consumed and between four and five hundred men
slain, burnt, and drowned, and of ours (God be praised) only two and
some few hurt, with all Commodity safe. I have reported also the loss
of the _Resolve_ at Surat by lamentable Circumstance. Yet I maintain
great Hope that we are like to discover profitable Trade with the
Country of India.
I write now to advise you the Hollanders have late brought News of a
new King of that Country. Reports have reached the Moluccas that the
Moghul Arangbar died suddenly some two months past, to be succeeded by
one of his Sons, whose Pleasure toward England is uncertain. The full
Events are not clearly known here, but this will doubtless require our
new Petition for license to trade.
As is oft the way in Heathen lands, the story of the Son's succession
is a marvelous convoluted Tale. There were said to be two Sons in
contention, belike both Knaves, and the Hollanders have deduced that
the late Arangbar's Queen, named Janahara, favor'd one Son over the
other, for reasons known best to her Self, and intrigued in his
succession. They have concluded thus because the new Moghul is said to
have promptly rewarded her with a large secluded Estate of her own
outside of Agra, with his personal Guards to protect her, something the
Dutchmen claim has never before been done for a Moorish Queen in India.
The Hollanders further deduce that this Queen effected the favored
Son's succession through her Prime Minister, a subtle Rogue called
Sharif, who, when the Moghul Arangbar died, secretly arranged the
Assassination of the other Son before he could reach Agra and make his
own claim for the Throne. This said Sharif was again appointed Prime
Minister by the new Moghul, doubtless a Reward for his cunning Service.
So it is His Majesty King James may now desire to dispatch another
Ambassador to Agra, to petition this new Moghul to grant English trade.
If a Petition is to be sent, know that before taking the Throne this
Son was called by the name Prince Jadar, though doubtless he is now to
be addressed formally as The Moghul.
I have as yet been unable to discover whether the Mission of Capt.
Hawksworth to Agra, authorized by Your Worship in your Wisdom, met
success. (Though his Mission will no longer assist the Company in any
instance, since he would not be known to this new Moghul, Jadar.)
However, the Hollanders have advised that an English seaman named
Hawksworth was taken from an Indian vessel off Malabar one month past,
in company with a Moorish woman, by a Frigate of theirs that later was
caught by a Storm off the same Malabar Coast. Her mainmast split in
that Storm, and the vessel was lost sight of soon after, leaving the
Hollanders to lament it may have sunk or gone aground on the Coast,
together with over five hundred ton of their Malabar pepper. If this
was our former Captain-General, he is either gone to God or is now
again in India (if the vessel haply made landfall and saved the
Hollanders' pepper).
In closing (for the Dutchmen advise they are preparing to hoist sail),
I am content to report that Indian commodity is readily vendable at the
port of Bantam, particularly fine calicoes and indigo, and I adjudge
the Company would be well advis'd to dispatch a new Voyage to Surat
upon receipt of this letter. The Monopoly of the Portugals holds no
more, esp. after their Humiliation in the late engagement off Surat. On
condition the Company post a Gentleman of Quality to Agra (One less
susceptable to Moorish ways than Capt. Hawksworth, and therefore, in my
Judgement, like to be better respected by the new Moghul) our
Subscribers stand to enjoy great Profit in the Company's Indies trade.
So desiring God to add a blessing to all endeavours tending to this
business of ours and of all that may succeed us to God's glory and the
Company's benefit.
Your Worship's faithful servant,