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SIVAJI'S RAID UPON SURAT IN 1664.
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not, threatening to come and force us, and vowed to kill every person in the house and to dig up the houses foundation. To this it was answerd by the messenger that came along with Mr. Smith that, as for his 2 propositions, he disired tyme to mak answer to them till the morrow, they being of soe great moment; and as for Mr. Smith, that hee would and did keep him by force and hee should not returne till than, when, if hee could consent to either proposition, hee would send him.
DECEMBER, 1921]
Mr. Smith being thuss returned to us, youe may bee sure each man was inquise. tive to know news; whoe told us for their number they do give themselves out to bee 10,000 and thay were now at least a very considerable armey since the comming of tow Rayors with their men, whosse names hee knew not that their horss were very good (and soe indeed those wich wee saw were): that when hee came away hee could not [but] guess, by the mony heaped up in tow great heapes before Sevagee his tent, than that hee had plundered 20 or 25 lack of rupees that the day when hee came away in the morning there was brought in neere upon 300 porters, laden each with 2 baggs of rupees, and some hee guessed to be gold; that thay brought in 28 sere of large pearle, with many other jewells, great diamonds, rubies, and emeralds (40 sere make 37 pound weight), and these, with an increedable quantety of mony, they found at the house of the reputed richest marchant in the wourld (his name is Verge Vora, his estate haveing beene esteemed to bee 80 lack of rupees): that they were still, every hower while hee was there, bringing in loods of mony from his house His disire of mony is soe great that he spares noe barbour[ou]s cruelty to extort confessions from his prisoners; whips them most cruely, threatens death, and often executeth it [if] thay doe not produce soe much as hee thinks they may or disires they should; at least cutts off one hand, sometymes both.
A very great many there were who, hearing of his comeing, went forth to him, thinking to fare the better, but found there fault to there cost; as one whoe came to our house for cure. Hee went forth to meete him and told him hee was come from about Agra with cloth and had brought 40 oxen loaded with it, and that hee came to present him with it all or elss what part hee should please to comand. Sevagee asked him if hee had noe mony. Hee answered that hee had not as yet sold any cloth since hee came to towne, and that hee had noe mony. The villaine made his right hand to bee cutt off imediatly and than bid him begone: hee had noe need of his cloth. The poore old man returns, findes his cloth burnt, and himselfe destetute of other harbor comes to the English house, where hee is dresed and fed.
But to proceed: Mr. Smith farther tells us that on Thursday their came a young fellow with some conditions from the Governour, wich pleased Sevagee not at all; soe that hee asked the fellow whether his maister, being now by him cooped up in his chamber, thought him a woman to accept such conditions. The fellow imediatly returns "and wee are not women: I have somewhat more to say to youe," drawes his dagger, and runs full at Sevagee[s] breast. A fel. low that stood by with a sword redy drawne striks betweene him and Sevagee
