When at Surat, the Guzerats took some of our sea-coal to send to their sovereign, the Great Mogul, as a curiosity.  At this place there came against us a Portuguese squadron of four galleons, attended by twenty-five or twenty-six armed barks or frigates, commanded by an admiral named Nuno de Accunna, and having all red colours displayed, in token of defiance.  When advised by the sabander to keep between us and the shore, he proudly answered, That he scorned to spend a week’s provisions on his men in hindering us from trade, as he was able to force us to yield to his superior force in an hour.  After three fights, they sent one of their frigates against us, manned with six or seven score of their best men, intending to set us on fire, but they were all sunk.

Medhaphrabad,[93] formerly a fine walled city, has been entirely ruined in the wars of the Moguls.  It has still a strong castle, held by a refractory chief of the Rajapoots, and was besieged by the nabob, having fifty or sixty thousand men in his camp.  The nabob dwelt in a magnificent tent, covered above with cloth of gold, and spread below with Turkey carpets, having declared he would not desist from the siege till he had won the castle.  He sent a horse, and two vests wrought with silk and gold, to our general Captain Best, with four vests for four others.  On the 23d and 24th of December, we fought again with the Portuguese, in view of the whole army of the Moguls, and forced them to cut their cables and flee from us, being better sailing vessels than ours.

[Footnote 93:  Called Madafaldebar in the preceding section, and there supposed to be the place now named Jaffrabat, on the coast of Guzerat.—­E.]

I rode from Swally to Surat in a coach drawn by oxen, which are ordinarily used in this country for draught, though they have plenty of excellent and handsome horses.  On the way I was quite delighted to see at the same time the goodliest spring and harvest combined I had ever seen any where, often in two adjoining fields, one as green as a fine meadow, and the other waving yellow like gold, and ready to cut down; their grain being wheat and rice, of which they make excellent bread.  All along the road there were many goodly villages, full of trees which yield a liquor called toddy, or palm-wine, which is sweet and pleasant, like new wine, being strengthening and fattening.  They have grapes also, yet only make wine from the dried raisins.  In Surat there are many fair houses built of stone and brick, having flat roofs, and goodly gardens, abounding in pomegranates, pomecitrons, lemons, melons, and figs, which are to be had at all times of the year, the gardens being continually refreshed with curious springs and fountains of fresh water.  The people are tali, neat, and well-clothed in long robes of white callico or silk, and are very grave and judicious in their behaviour.  The sabander assured us that we had slain 350 of the Portuguese; but we heard afterwards, that above 500 were killed or maimed.  Our general sent letters for England by land, but the messenger and his Indian attendant were poisoned by two friars.  A second letter was entrusted to a mariner, which reached its destination.