Hamilton’s account of the east indies. •

3-15

months time, deflroyed more men than the war had done, and, for joy, made a mali-cious bonfire of his head quarters Mazagun fort.

Now we may fee the Mogul’s ftyle in his new Phirmaund to be fent to Surat , as it.hands translated by the Company’s;interpreters, which runs thus in the printed copy an-nexed to Sir John Child’s 35 articles of grievances;

THE occafion of your writing to me, was your being in fault of all thefe troubles,that you have repented of what you have done, that you madefeveral complaints againftformer governors, all which I have here from feveral of my Umbras, and the feveralabufes received from them, and their officers, all which you fhould have ac-quainted me with, before you proceeded fo violently. Having acknowledged yourerror, and defired pardon, I do not only grant your requeft, pardoning what is paft*but granting you a Phirmaund according to your delire, and have ordered AffitCaun to forward it to the governor of Surat , with fuch particulars as he will acquaintyou with.

At the arrival of my Phirmaund, receive it with great refpedb, acknowledging thegreat glory you have got in obtaining the fame, that you may trade as formerly at yourpleafure, and as accuftomary. That you deliver the merchants, that have complainedagainft you, their fliips with their effects. That, for the future, you do not commit thelike error, in doing as you have done, and proceed according to my will and pleafure,and be not forgetful of the fame.

If you receive any affronts from my governors, or their officers, or any of my fub-je£ts, be not negligent in acquainting me of the fame. I have ordered Affit Caun towrite accordingly.

What you write concerning former governors, protecting Me. Boucher, that youhave feveral demands of him, that you cannot call him to an account, defiring thathe may be delivered to you. My order is, that you prove your demands according tolaw, that juftice may be done accordingly.

Dated the 31ft year of Aurengzeb’s reign.

It feems the King was not ignorant of the hard ufage his fubje&s had met with,nor was he defirous to ufe feverity in punifhing offences and affronts; but, like an.indulgent prince, only told them of their faults, and prudently admonished themnot to be guilty of falling into fuch like errors, and, in a majeftic ftyle, advifed themto receive his favours and graces with great refpecl, and that they ought to makethe law the ftandard of juftice, and, in all his words and actions, ufed a Cfiriftianmoderation. <

General Child being dead, Mr. John Vaux fucceeded him in the government ofBombay ; but Mr. Bartholomew Harris, who had been prifoner a't Surat (all the.timeof the rupture) had the feigniority in the Company’s fervice; but it being not thecuftom for one that had been the Mogul’s prifoner (for any crimes judged to becapital) to receive public marks of efteem from the ftate, without a fmgular amneftyfrom the King, Mr. Vaux was obliged to go to Surat and receive the Phirmaund andthe King’s ferpaw or prefent, which, on fuch occafions, is generally a fine horfe,a nd a fuit of clothes from head to foot, made of rich atlaffes or zeerbaftas. Thofeare fatins and taffetas full of gold or filver flowers wrought in them. The horfe muftnever after be fold, on no account whatfoever. They have alfo a fine turban, em-broidered Shoes, and a dagger of value, ftuck into a fine cummerband or fafh; and,being equipt in that habit, the Phermaund is prefented (by the goofberdaar orbolbalhouckain, or, in English , the King’s meffenger,) and the governor of the pro-ven. vm. v Y vince