from thence, the scriuano sent the goods on shore,
and here they remained a day and a night, and no body
to receiue them. In the end they suffered this
bringer to receiue them, who came with me from Ormus,
and put them into an house which he had hired for me,
where they remained foure or fiue daies. But
afterward when they should deliuer the money, it was
concluded by the justice, that both the money and goods
should be deliuered into the positors hands, where
they remained fourteene dayes after my comming out
prison. At my being in Aleppo, I bought a fountaine
of siluer and gilt, sixe kniues, sixe spoones, and
one [’oue’ in source text—KTH]
forke trimmed with corall for fiue and twentie chekins,
which the captaine of Ormus did take, and payed for
the same twentie pardaos, which is one hundred larines,
and was worth there or here one hundred chekins.
Also he had fiue emrauds set in golde, which were woorth
fiue hundred or sixe hundred crownes, and payed for
the same an hundred pardaos. Also he had nineteene
and a halfe pikes of cloth, which cost in London twenty
shillings the pike, and was worth 9 or 10 crownes the
pike, and he payed for the same twelue larines a pike.
Also he had two pieces of greene Kersies, which were
worth foure and twentie pardaos the piece, and payd
for them sixteene pardaos a piece: besides diuers
other trifles, that the officers and others had in
the like order, and some for nothing at all. But
the cause of all this was Michael Stropene, which came
to Ormus not woorth a penie, and now hath thirtie
or fortie thousand crownes, and he grieueth that any
other stranger should trade thither but himselfe.
But that shall not skill, for I trust in God to goe
both thither and hither, and to buy and sell as freely
as he or any other. Here is very great good to
be done in diuers of our commodities, and in like
manner there is great profite to be made with commodities
of this countrey, to be carried to Aleppo.
It were long for me to write, and tedious for you to read of all things that haue passed since my parting from you. But of all the troubles that haue chanced since mine arrinal in Ormus, this bringer is able to certifie you. I mind to stay here: wherefore if you will write vnto me, you may send your letters to some friend at Lisbone, and from thence by the ships they may be conueyed hither. Let the direction of your letters be either in Portuguise or Spanish, whereby they may come the better to my hands. From Goa this 20 day of Januarie. 1584.
* * * * *
A Letter written from Goa by Master Ralph Fitch to
Master Leonard Poore
abouesaid.