Captain Downton, your overmuch care may work your own harms, and do me and my company no good, and therefore take nothing to heart more than is cause, for I have had and still have my full share.  And whereas you allege, you are loth to depart this road without me, I am more loth to stay behind, if there were any remedy.  I made a forced agreement with the pacha at Zenan, that our ships were to absent themselves from this road, till all the India ships were come in; and then, at the first coming of the westerly wind, I and all my company were to be set free.  If they fail to perform with me, then I would have you shew your endeavours.  In the mean time you must have patience, as well as myself.  I would be loth the agreement should be first broken on our side, without any cause given by them.

For the provision that should have been sent in the jelba, it was my fault it was not sent, in that I did not urge it to the aga.  After your departure to-morrow, as I desire you to see performed, I will go in hand with the lading of the goods in the jelba, which shall not be above three days absent from you.  I have promised the ships shall not come into the roads till the westerly winds be come, which will be a month hence at the farthest; in the mean time you shall hear from me by jelbas or boats, which I will send of purpose.  I doubt not but there will be good performance made with me by the Turks, in that my agreement was made with the pacha and not with Regib aga.  If I doubted any new stratagem, I would have attempted to have escaped away by this time.  I have had, and still have means for my escape, were it not to leave my people in danger of their lives:  Doubt not, if they perform not with me, when the westerly winds come, but I shall have good opportunity.  I had laid a plot to have escaped, if I could have persuaded Mr Femell, but he will by no means be drawn to any thing, till he see whether the Turks will perform or no, and he makes no doubt but to be sent aboard with the first of the westerly winds, when you shall come to demand us.  You may ride in your quiet road-stead on the other side with all your ships, till God send us that long-wished-for westerly wind, unless you get a slatch of wind to carry one of your ships to the bab, to see if all be well there, and so return back to you.  I know that all sorts of provisions waste apace in the ships; which, God sending me aboard, I hope quickly to renew.

The 27th March I sent over the Darling to Mokha, at the general’s request, and she returned on the 6th April to Assab road, to deliver the victuals and other provisions, which had so long been detained by the Turks, and brought me a very kind letter from the general.  The 21st, the King of Rahayta sent me a present of a fat cow and a slave, by a kinsman of his, who staid all night in the Trades-increase.  At various times the Budwees[359] brought us abundant supplies of bullocks, goats, and sheep, which they sold to us for cloth, preferring that to money:  But by the beginning of May, our cloth fit for their use being all gone, we could only purchase with money, after which our supply became scanty.  The 11th May, our general happily effected his escape from Mokha aboard the Darling, with fifteen more of his people.[360]