one profit Rice doth produce 6. and 7. for one profit China ware 4. and 5. for one profit Cloves Mace Nutmegs and Pepper do produce two for one profit narrow and broad Baftas white 70. per cent Narrow Bastas blew Byrames and Canikeenes two for one profit Chaders Bralls Pentathose Barbers aprons Sallowes fine Shashes course Shashes course and fine Girdles doe produce two and a quarter for one profit Suger Ginger preserv'd Suger-candy Cotten-wooll Cardimons Sope and Shooes will produce two and three for one profit also all your Persian commodities will yeeld very good profit at Moco There is divers sorts of severall commodities which you bring from Surrat and out of the South-seas which produce 2 3 4 and 5. for one profit this I know to be true for I have sold many of these commodities as aforesaid at Moco And from Moco to Surrat Estridges Feathers Ruinas Opium Beazer Stones Cloth of Tissue many rich Gums and Druggs which doe produce two for one profit and upwards but for your Estridge-Feathers I do wish no man to sell them at Surrat but for to bring them for England for I have made ten for one profit selling of them in England And now I doe returne to the first center from which I began The Island of Madagascar or St. Lawrence a gallant commerce of trade may be made in few yeeres if wise and discreet men had but the managing of it in a very short time it might be made a second Ormus for it doth stand in the very center of the world for trade withall Nations and nearer by 2000. Leagues then Ormus was to all Nations in Asia for the Northermost part of this Island doth lye within eleven degrees and a half of the Equinoctiall which is very near to Cape Comrine which is the Southern most part of India so that most parts in India Asia Affrica doe lye neer adjacent to Madagascar and many commodities which this Island doth afford is transported to the neighbouring Countreyes as aforementioned and in short time all the Countreys in Asia and India would come and trade with you and Portugals and many other Nations if once a trade was settled Eccles. 34. 9 10 11. and 12. 9 A man that hath travelled knoweth many things and he that hath much experience will declare wisdome 10 He that hath no experience knoweth little but he that hath travailed is full of Prudence 11 When I travelled I saw many things and I understand more then I can expresse 12 I was oft times in danger of death yet I was delivered because of these things 1 Sam. 17. 29. What I have I now done is where not a cause There is yet another good way in my weak Judgement to raise a great fortune and increase of wealth thereby which me thinkes our rich usurers and money Mongers should looke after and that is by raising a banck or stock in India to be put out at interest at the usuall rates there that is one pound and one pound and five shillings a moneth or more accompting 28. dayes to a moneth the time of the moones circumference which makes 13. monethes in the yeere and so produceth 13.1 per cent interest per an. at the least rate and 16. pounds 5. shillings per cent at the highest rate which is double the rate in Christendome and not so offensive to God in letting out money to the hâ—athâ—n and Idolatrous people and the hazard of breaking and loosing of their principall nothing at all dangerous or farre lesse then in England the name of a Bankroupt being more odious and stricter Lawes to binde men to honest performance of such covenants and the usurers or money masters in banck may get more and advance their estates by furnishing men with moneys or wares at a dearer rate provided in fitting season upon their severall voyages to Persia Bantam Moco c. at 20. or 25. per cent profit or more at the ships return bendâ—s the over ratement of their goods 10. or 20. per cent which in all will produce 30. or 40. per cent profit or more which is usuall in 6. moneths or shorter time and at 60. per cent profit to Achin upon a yeares voyage or lesse more then the overratement and the superfluity of their stock may be returned home by exchange either to English at 50. per cent profit or dearer rates especially to Dutch and Portugals c. and away by exchange may peradventure be found from Persia into Turkey to Constantinople at a farre greater advantage for the usuall Rates of the exchange from India to Spahan in Persia at my being in those parts was 60. per cent profit and sure from Spahan to Constantinople will be an advantage gotten and so also raised from Constantinople to London to the Bankers great improvement of their stock and a good help or stay in these obstructive dangerous plundering times to have some part of their Estates abroad in security to great advantage rather then to hide it in the earth where no doubt but much treasure is at this time hidden in England to preserve it from the spoyling hands of Malignant Plunderers as it is often times to their griefes met withall or utterly lost to their posterity through great secresie thus much for the trade outwards and in India and now for the trade home wards from India that is most beneficiall and advantageous making 3. 4. or 5. for one or more as before I have related The commodities from thence are innumerable and of many sundry sorts all beneficiall yet the India company looks after noon but the chiefe as Callocoes or Bastas broad and narrow white and coloured Dimmities Necaines Saloes Pintadoes and other sorts of Lynnen or Stuffes made of Cotten Yarne and Cotten Yarne it selfe and Cotten wool and Spices of all sorts as Pepper Cloves and Mace Cynomon and Ginger Suger Wormeseed Rubarb and Green-Ginger China Roots and many sorts of druggs and Salt-Peeter Indico Gulmack muske Civet Amber-greece Pearle and Diamonds c. of which sorts some also they regard not but permit their Merchants servants and sea-men to trade in also excepting Chiefly Linnens Spices and Indico and some other of speciall note for most profit But India affordeth and would afford many more rich commodities to industrious understanding Merchants either in an open free or interloping trade if men might have liberty and convenience to passe into India Those which Judgement leads me to conceave beneficiall and which if I could have obtained liberty for my passage into India for considerable fraight which was maliciously denied me a member of the company and granted to Aliens and strangers of forraign Nations Enemies in religion and to the accord of commerce gratis I would have put in practice and made tryall to mine own and Countreyes welfare according to that small insight I had attained by my short time of abode in that Country are these as followeth besides those before mentioned and neglected by
exportation and importation whose welfare prosperitie and felicity I wish as my owne these Merchants I say or other if they have lived at whom or abroad in credit which the Banians of India make good inquiry after and demean themselves civilly in India not rioting and lavishing in those unhealthfull and dangerous sinnes to purse body and soule Sha viva venus deport themselves affably and courteously towards the Banians who themselves will doe no great wrongs nor offer affront to any but will patiently beare all affronts and not resist in word or deed but yet perhaps will conceale malice along time untill opportunity to wreake private revenge they shall never want credit to far greater summes then they shall either need or reasonably desire I will yet make bold to adde somewhat more to the furtherance of this plantation If such course or better as wiser men then my selfe shall conceive be taken to encourage adventurers as was used at the first plantation of Virginia it would peradventure prove succesfull in my weake apprehension this is to allot every adventurer a 100 acres of Land for every 12 pound 10 shillings or lesse disbursed upon superscription in a brooke to that purpose and proportionable for smaller summes of monies though but 20 shillings adventure but none lower which my foolish conceit leades me to imagine will make the adventures to rise to a greater and more considerable sum to set that worke afoote more speedily laying aside the advancement by way of Lottery so much asperced with infamy for robbing of poore people and waste ull expence of a vast summe so collected as in the last project for Virginia unlesse upon better approbation and prevention by the States of this Kingdome moreover to allot every labouring man or artificer that will adventure his person and beare his owne charge a 100 acres of land free inheritance and if some reasonable proportion be alotted to women in that kinde it may peradventure adde incouragement to them the sooner to adventure their persons in the voyage also to proportion to every apprentice youth boy or young maide or girle transported at their matters câ—arge after the expiration of seven yeares the inheritance of a 100 acres more or lesse as wiser judgements shall better approve of And no doubt but if Commission be given to the Iustices of every County and Corporation in England with incouragement of the Godly Ministers in their severall parishes to incite men thereunto by application of the glory done to God to conver ignorant soules to Christianity to adde honour and renowne to their gratious Soveraigne and is royall posterity by enlargement of his dominions to accommodate the welfare of their own native Country and comfort to their poore Christian Brethren therein with the great hopefull assurance to raise their owne fortunes and posterity to great wealth and dignity to frame bookes for superscriptions to that purpose and shew their forwardnesse by their owne good example it will draw on adventurers apace and cause that most worthy famous Plantation to flourish suddenly And if freedome of customes be for a time remitted as at present to the adventurers to Trenedado in America it will also adde greater incouragement to the undertakers of this worthy noble action CHAP. XV The valour of the English Nation against the Salvages in Virginia and new-England also of the Spaniards against a civil nation in America or the west Indies also of the Spaniards and Portugals against the Brasilians and against the Indians a mighty warlike nation also the designe of other Nations jeering us for not setling a plantation somewhere in India for our succour and defence ought to stirre us up to such an enterprize the honour and blessing of a pious christian nation to settle true religion among Idolatrous heathen people to Gods glory and honour The barbarous cruell oppression of the Dutch against the English at Amboyna in east India being to mighty and to strong for the English to resist IF any yet object the difficulty of setling a hrme plantation in this excellent country of Madagaicar in regard of the large extent thereof and multitude of inhabitants therein as Moses foretold what the children of Israell might pretend saying in their hearts this nation is more then I how can I cast them out Moses made reply and said thou shalt not feare them but remember what the Lord thy God did unto Pharoah and unto all Egypt for the Lord thy God is among you a God mighty and dreadfull and surely if we of England take this worke in hand to Gods glory as they did though not to cast out but to convert soules so shall the Lord our God doe unto all the people whose face we feare either to convert or to confound them let us againe consider this peoples nakednesse their want of Armes and unskilfullnesse in managing warre against experienced and well fenced souldiers and let them also take notice of our nations valour paines and enterprizes of greater difficulty and hazard and no way so comparable for pleasure profit conveniency and accommodation as in Virginia and New England and let them moreover call to minde the valour of the Spaniards in America in conquering the great and rich Empire of west India with a handfull of men in comparison of the multitudes of the people therein who as I take it being long since and many yeares past since I read that story with 300 orse entred the great City of Mexico and tooke their Emperour prisoner in the company of multitudes of this people riding in his throne of State upon mens shoulders Let them yet not also forget the Spaniards or Portugals their conquest over Brasillia that populous nation and of the Portugals in East India forceing trade and commerce and building strong Cities and Forts inhabiting therein in very prime places of India as Goa Dua Damon Dabull Muscat Mallaco c. maugre the opposition of a mighty warlike Emperous the great Mogull and the like at Ormus in Persia volens nolens that most famous antient warlike Nations King and Kingdome of Persia in an Island within three leagues of his maine Land that afforded not the planters any succour at all not so much as timber to build or wood to make fires withall or cattell or graine to feed upon or grasse to sustaine cattell no not so much as a drop of fresh water to quench their thirst in so hot a clymate but what the dewes from heaven afforded them or they brought with them or forced their sustenance from the Persian and Arabian coasts neare adjacent and yet brought their admirable worke to royall perfection building that famous sumptuous rich strong City and Castle therein surpassing the chiefe Cities of the world for wealth for which it was accounted as the Diamond in the Ring so the chiefest Citie for wealth in the round ring of the world untill the English for wrong ' sustained by or from the Portugals over came it and beate them
sorts as appeareth by the aboundant divers shapes of of their shels curious to behold and the shels of esteeme in England by Iohn Tredescant and Master Slade dwelling about Lambeth who treasured up such to please curious people and to adornish rocks and water-workes in gardens of great persons of which sort Master Slade had of me gratis some quantity And without all question this Country farre transcends and exceeds all other Countries in Asia Affrica and America planted by English French Dutch Portugall and Spaniards and is likely to prove of farre greater value and esteeme to that Christian Prince and Nation that shall plant and settle a sure habitation therein then the West Indies is to the King and Kingdome of Spaine And it may well be compared to the land of Canaan that floweth with milke and hony a little world of it selfe adjoyned to no other land within the compasse of many leagues or miles or the chiefest paradice this day upon Earth This gallant Island of Madagascar doth afford these severall rich commodities as followeth Amber-Greece Gold the old Earle of Denbigh brought from this Island of Madagascar Gold land which he presented to the Kings Majesty and the Councel board and I was at the Councell board when this Gold sand was in question and approved of And there is also Tortle shels which doe sell at Surrat for twelve shillings per pound Copper Alloes Cicatrina excellent good Rice Honey and Wax Dragons Bloud divers rich Gums Ebbany Sandle wood Cohooe wood which doth sell at Surrat for foure pence per pound Tamerin and divers rich Drugs you may get by slaves of both sexes and timber either to Persia or else to Moco in the red sea 50000 pounds per annum and your slaves will put you to little charges for they doe live upon rice and water This Island of Madagascar is about nine hundred miles in length There is many Kings upon this Island the south part of it lies in 25 degrees and 35 min. and the northerne part short of the equinoctiall the inhabitants goes handsome in their accoutrements and speake the Arabian Tongue and they have Juncks which they Trade to and fro to the foure Islands which lies about thirty leagues off viz Joanna Malalo Combro and the Majottes and to the Coasts of Malindia The Island of Saint Laurence is a gallant place for to have a Magazine or Randezvouze for the Coast of Malindia lies off this Island forty or fifty leagues The Portugals hath a great fortification at Mussambeg therein and upon these coasts the Portugals get most of their riches and drives all their Trade in India otherwise it was impossible for them to hold out so long because of their great losse both by the English and Dutch The Portugals drives such a gallant Trade upon this Coast from 26 degrees south latitude to 3 degrees north latitude they get great store of Gold Elephants teeth Wax Amber-greece and divers sorts of rich Gums and comodities which cost the Portugals a very small matter for they trade with Knives Bels Pentathoes Barbars-aprons course Calicoes looking-glasses c. I have been taking of a Juncke twenty eight yeeres since which came from this coast of Malindia laden with Elephants teeth Amber-greece and rich Gums The Portugals comming from Mussambeg and bound for India they alwayes touch at the Island of Saint Laurence and there they buy slaves for their plantation I have beene about seaventeen yeeres since taking of a Junck which was laiden with slaves of both sexes and Sandall wood which came from Mussambeg and so to Saint Laurence and their laden and bound for Goa as we found by a Portugall passe If I may be worthy to advice after a trade is once setled at Madagascar what a brave gallant trade may be had upon the coast of Malindia three or foure smal ships may be imployed all the yeere long coasting and trading along the coast from 26 degree south latitude to 3 degrees north latitude and putting off course Indian commodities may lade your ship with rich Commodities much acceptable and vendable in those parts so that you need not to carry any Mony out of England into India CHAP. III. Hogs in Malinda have stones in their mawes as pretious as rich Iewels the affection of the inhabitants to our Nation above all others Portugall Fryers slaine to accompany the King of Madagascar at his death to heaven great store of wildo Foule and Turkies the Envy of the East India Company against a plantation may give the better incouragement thereunto no Gold Silver nor any rich commodity of so high esteeme in Madagascar as red Cornelian Beads THe East India Company they have sent out about twenty five yeeres since Elephants teeth in the ship by me for the Elephants teeth is in great request all over India the Portugals doe put 2000 Tuns yearely off which they get on the coast of Malindia also on this coast there are many wilde Hogs and in the mawes of them there growes stones which the Portugals cals Petra le Porkco which is mighty in request and esteeme in all India and Asia for expelling of Poyson The like thing is not to be had in the world for that purpose for your Beazor stone is not in that request by many degrees and little esteemed of in those parts for the Portugals do drive a very great Trade in India and Asia by this excellent Jem which they call Petra le Porkco I have read of it and likewise in a Manuscript of the Right Honourable Sir Thomas Row when he was imployed Lord Embassador by His Majesty King Iames into the East India for to settle the Trade for the East India Company in those orientall parts wherein he doth write farre more at large then I doe expresse It is conceived by divers wise men where these Hogs are on the coast of Malindia that the soyle is very good and that it doth afford excellent good grasse herbs fruits and drugs which is the chiefe cause of the extraordinary goodnesse and vertue of the stones which growes in the said Hogs mawes which is in that great esteeme and request all over India and Asia that none can parallel it This said coast of Malindia is neare adjoyning to Madagascar likewise there is above 1500 Tuns of Wax yeerely which is brought from the coast of Malindia to India which is in great request rich Gums and divers sorts of Drugs also the Portugals bring great store of very sine Gold and Amber-greece from Mussambeg to Goa So that all the world may understand what rich Trade the Portugall hath on the coast of Malindia and hath for this many hundreds of yeares maintained a very strong Garrison at Mussambeg for their is 100 peeces of Ordnance in their Castle I am confident the richest and best trade the Portugall hath in Asia cannot parallel this on the coast of Malindia furthermore if Saint Laurence Island had once a plantation set led what