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MABCR, 1902.)
LETTERS FROM MADRAS IN 1659.
185
my affliction. Now I shall begin to confort my selfe with the hopes of your being all in good health, for which I shall ever pray. Remember me to all my freinds as if I should name them; bid my Cosen J[ ] write unto me, and Roger alsoe. I doe not take any felicity (of or in my life, though I live in greate pompe, eating and drinkeing and wearing noe worse then the best in this Town, yea, rather Citty, for it is built to a marvelous biggnesse in few years. We have a Citty of the Portugalls within three miles [St. Thomé]; but they leave that famous place, for the Moors have it, and they are come to us for protection against the Dutch. Theire is a brave Church built for them heare, and they have a convent of franciscans in it, very learned men. The Moors army are round about us; yet wee feare them not. They have beaten our king out of his country; they have gallant horses and are good horsemen, well armed; they bave gunns, both greate and small. They bring up theire youth heare to Letters, fencing and dancing, and all sort of the Liberall Sciences, a thing I thought very strange att my first comeing; exelent Astronomers. If I live long among them I shall not onely give you, but all that read English, a larger accompt of them. If a man have in this place but two or three hundred pounds he might quickly raise an Estate, but he that is poore lett him be soe still. I pray lett me beare of all passages in the Country. Tell cosen Chambres that his namesake and I remember him oftener than he doth any of us ; alsoe Champers of Petten.
P. S.The President, my noble freind, is dead, 5 and I have been soe busie this five dayes, that I could not] close my letter in all that tyme. He bath left me tenn pounds to buy mourning, and a gould Ring. Besides, this is an expensive place, and from the drunkenesse thereof good Lord deliver me - all gamsters and much adicted to veuery. I lost yesterday my best ffalcon. Tell Cosen Samm Audrewes one Gurnay remembers him, whom, with his wife, I alsoe salute; alsoe att Coddington Brumbo my good cosen Meredith with her family. I should write to my uncle Lloyd, but this may serve for an Epistle generall. Comending me to Cosen ffoulke, Ann, Betty, and Mall; remember me to Cosen Peeter ffoulkes and Mr. Parry and all our parishe ners ; unto włom with your selfe, bed fellow, and children, be peace from God your father and the Lord Jesus Christ, both now and ever. From my lodgeings in the Castle
Your ever loving within Fort St. George,
ever serving Brother, 12° January, 1658 [i, e., 1659).
ever praying J
ROGER MYDDELTON.
Jonathan Treviss's Acoount. As supplement to the foregoing narrative, a second and fuller account of the two shipwrecks may be quoted from a letter written to the East India Company by Jonathan Trevisa, dated from Madras, December 30th, 1658 (India Office Records: 0. C. 2682), and first printed by Mr. Donald Ferguson in a privately issued work on Robert Knox, the Ceylon captive. It is as follows:
It will be my unhappiness to begine my Correspondensy with you Relatinge the sad disaster of the losse of the Percia Merchand, on which my selfe, Mr. Vassell, Mr. Chorleton and Mr. Salsburey Imbarked; which shippe on the Maldiva Ilands was cast away the 9th of August last, at about ten of the Clocke at night. Our first sight of these Ilands was the night before, when ware almost in the Breach before did see it, or could sertainely tell what Breach it should be, for every one accounted themselves 100 leages and more past said Ila[n]d. Bnt in the mor[n]ing we see to our great greef our selves to wind wards of them. All this day was used wat dilligence they could to weather them, and did before night gaine some thinge, and hoped next morninge to be cleare of them. Bat Contrary to expectation about ten of the Clocke at night (by reasent of a Corrant' or tyde that sett into the Ilands and a gust of winde at about eight of the Clocke) oor ship was Close on the
. Greenhill died January 4th, 1688-59. • William Gurney, a faotor employed in Bengal in 164 and in Madru itaell (
• Vol. III. pp. 189, 193).
mocountant) in 1659 (Badges'
