[Footnote 303:  This assuredly alludes to Ahwas in Khosistan, to the N.W. of the lower Euphrates, opposite to Bussrah, which, though not in Arabia, is in its immediate neighbourhood, and principally inhabited by people of Arabian origin.—­E.]

The 10th of January we returned to Costack, and going on board, acquainted our commanders with the success of our mission.  When the news of this agreement became known among the several ships companies, they consulted among themselves, and with one voice refused to take any share in the business.  This broke out first in the London, in which ship fifty or sixty of her crew took part in refusing to have any thing to do with this warlike measure; but, after taking much pains to reconcile them to the propriety and necessity of joining with the Persians, Captain Blithe at last prevailed with them, and they promised to go with him wherever he chose to lead them.  In a day or two, the flame of discontent and opposition spread among the other ships, alleging that it was no mercantile business, and that it might lead to a breach of the peace between our nation and Spain; but formal protests being taken against the crews, what with the fear of forfeiting their wages, and a promised gratification of a month’s pay, they all at last yielded.

We set sail for Ormus on the 19th of January, and anchored on the night of the 22d before the town, about two leagues from the castle, expecting that the enemy’s armada would come out to fight us, consisting of five galleons, and some fifteen or twenty frigates, or armed barks; but they hauled in so near the castle, that we could not get nigh them.  For which reason, and because our avowed enemy, Ruy Frere de Andrada, was in his newly-erected castle of Kismis, we sailed to that place, where we arrived the next day, and were just in time to save the lives of the Portuguese, who were no longer able to hold out against the Persians, and were willing rather to yield to us than them.  After many meetings and treaties, they yielded up both themselves and their castle into our hands on the 1st February, it being concluded that the whole garrison was to depart with their private property to any place except Ormus, their commander only remaining in our hands as a pledge for the fulfilment of the capitulation.  In this service two of our people were slain, one of whom was Mr Baffin.[304]

[Footnote 304:  Mr Baffin was a mathematician and mariner, to whom our northern and north-western voyages are much indebted.—­Purch.

Hence almost certainly the person to whom Baffin’s bay, in the north-east of America, owes its name.—­E.]

There were about a thousand persons of all sorts in this castle, of whom the Portuguese and some Mahometans were sent away:  But the Khan required certain Mahometans to be given up, who he pretended had revolted from him.  They were accordingly delivered up, and, though he had formerly promised them mercy, he put them all to death.  This castle had seventeen pieces of ordnance, one of which was a brass pedro, two iron demiculverins, four brass sackers, two iron minions, and six iron falcons.[305]