in Delisha road, the original of which I retained, and returned an accurate copy for the information of future ships.[407] The 19th we went ashore in state, and were welcomed by the king, who feasted the whole company.  He was superbly dressed in crimson velvet, richly decorated with gold lace.  His house was built of freestone, in the fashion of a castle, and he had above an hundred attendants, fifty of whom were well clothed according to the Moorish fashion, the rest being natives of the island.  His name was Sultan Amur Bensaid,[408] being the son of the king of Cushin [Caixem, Caxem, Kushem, or Kessem] on the coast of Arabia.  After many compliments and courtesies, we took our leave of him at night, and returned on board.  At this place we paid for cattle twelve dollars each, three shillings for sheep, and a dollar for goats; which, though dear, were hardly fit for men’s meat, being so vilely and in a more than beastly manner abused by the people, that they were quite loathsome to see when opened.  For rice we paid three-pence a pound, and the same price for dates.  Hens a shilling each.  Tobacco 700 leaves for a dollar.  Eggs a penny each.  And the king, who is universal merchant, would only take Spanish dollars, refusing our English money.

[Footnote 407:  This letter was a brief summary of the disadventures of Sir Henry in the Red Sea by Turkish perfidy; as in his own journal has already appeared, with a caveat to all English ships, and notice of the road of Assab.—­Purch.]

[Footnote 408:  The editor of Astley’s Collection, who appears to have been an orientalist, gives this name and title, Soltan Amor Ebensayd.—­E.]

The 27th, I called a meeting of the merchandizing council, to whom I read the company’s instructions, and the letter from Sir Henry Middleton, received from the king of Socotora.  By the instructions, we were led to expect good store of aloes at this place, but the king was quite unprovided, and could not furnish any before next August.  And as we were appointed to go from hence to Aden and Mokha, in the Red-sea, in case the monsoon did not serve for Surat, which we were now strongly dissuaded from by an account of the wrongs done there by treachery to Sir Henry, I represented that we should find it very chargeable to remain here or in Delisha roads for six months waiting the monsoon, as there was no getting to the coast of Guzerat until the end of September.  My opinion was therefore, notwithstanding the bad tidings from Sir Henry, that we should proceed for Mokha, having with us the pass of the Grand Signior, which the former ships had not; by which means we would be able to certify to the company of what avail the pass might be, taking, care, however, to stand well on our guard, and not to trust any one ashore without a sufficient pledge.  In this way we might ride securely, and might obtain trade aboard, if not on shore, our force being able to defend us, or to offend,