Permission Ships.

These fifteen Ships beforementioned, Consign'd to Bombay and the Coast of India, their Cargoes amounting to above Three Hundred and sixty Thousand pounds Sterling.

Permission Ships.

[Page 6] These Thirteen Ships afore-mentioned, were Consign­ed to Fort St. George, &c. on the Coast of Choromandel, and to the Bay of Bengal, their Cargoes amounting to near five hundred and seventy thousand pounds sterling.

Permission Ships.

These seven ships before-mentioned were Consigned to China and the South Seas, their Cargoes amounting to near one hundred thousand pounds.

Besides about thirty other armed small ships and Vessels, constantly remaining in the Countrey.

The Company have now upon their hands in England unsold, above the value of seven hundred thousand pounds in East-India Goods, for the supply of this and Foreign Nations, whereas they do not know of fifty thousand pound value of East-India Goods in Europe un­sold, in any other European Companies hands, except the Dutch Spice, of which they always keep great Stores, ha­ving in the last age secured that Trade intirely to them­selves.

[Page 7] The Company have within the said seven years last past, so enlarged, and Fortified the English Fort of St. George and their City of Madrass, upon the Coast of Choromandel; that it is now one of the finest, and largest Cities in those parts of the world, and secured by a good Garrison, and containing at least one hundred thousand Families of all Nations, which inhabit within that City, and the Territory about it, all subject to such Laws for Life and Goods, as the Company by vertue of their Char­ter think fit to impose upon them.

The Customes and New Impost paid His Majesty by the Company for two years, from August, 1685. to Au­gust, 1687. amounted to two hundred fifty five thou­sand three hundred twenty six pounds, ten shillings and one penny, as by particulars presented His late Majesty. Since the Wars in India, it hath been less, by reason of those Wars, but now the Wars are over the Companies Customs are like to be more yearly, then they were in either of the two years before-mentioned.

The Company have built new Forts in, and otherwise strengthened their Island of Bombay, and have ordered a dry Dock to be built there, which they hope may be finisht by this time, and all other conveniences for re­pairing and fitting the biggest English ships, and sent thi­ther all Stores needful for such purposes: which dry Dock was the principal want, the English Nation underwent for some ages before.

And which is the most considerable National advan­tage, that ever was attempted by Englishmen in those parts of the World, the Company have reduced the prin­cipal part of their Trade of Surrat, to their own Island of Bombay; The Inhabitants whereof from four thousand Families, which they were computed at, when the Com­pany [Page 8] first possessed that Island, are since increased to fifty thousand Families, all subject to the Companies Laws. And that Island lying upon the North Coast of India, near Surrat, the Emporium of the Indian Trade, to Arabia, Persia, Bussorah, and the Red-Sea, is of inestimable value to this Kingdom. The said Island hath cost the Company in Fortifying, Garrisoning, &c. at times above five hun­dred thousand pounds sterling; and never produced any return to the Company, nor ever would have been of use to England, nor in a posture to defend it self; though it be one of the best Ports in the Eastern World, if the Eng­lish Trade had not been brought thither, and consequent­ly the English shipping to ride there, and load home (and not at, and from Swally, or the River of Surrat as formerly.) This was known to the former Committees, and lamented long since, that such a Jewel as the Island of Bombay should be in English hands, and we should not have the heart to make use of it. But the truth was, those former Committees durst not attempt such a change of their Affairs, for fear of the charge of such a remove; but especially for fear of angrying the Mogul, whose people gained exceedingly by our ships riding in their Ports, as well as by our Trade, and were out of fear of Bombay, while it was in such a forlorn neglected conditi­on; and therefore durst boldly injure and affront the English, while they had the President, and all the Chief of the Nation, and all their Estates as a Pawn continually in their hands, to secure their patient suffering of all contempts whatsoever. But the Case is now altered by the Conduct, Cost, and Courage of the late Committees, and the Moors must and will be civil hereafter. For as there is no people kinder than those India Governours, when they have to do with men, that Can and Will re­revenge [Page 9] themselves, so there are no Men more Unjust, False, Treacherous and Tyrannical than they are, when they have to do with such, as are intirely within their power.

The Mogul being as is generally known, so great and powerful a Prince, it was vulgarly thought a Vain or ra­ther a Distracted attempt in the Company, to make any War upon him, as well in respect of his boundless Riches, and Power, as of the vast charges the Company should be at, in sending and maintaining Warlike Ships, into so remote parts of the World. Yet such hath been God's blessing upon the Companies Armes, their unavoidable necessity, and their righteous Cause, that That War be­yond all mens Opinion has ended to the Eternal Honour of the English Nation, in those parts of the World, and a Peace concluded upon such honourable Articles. (The Ratifications whereof from the Mogul himself in the Persian Language, are brought home now by the Ship Modena) that if a Blank had been delivered to the Company in England, to write down their own Terms, They would not have desired more than is granted by the said Articles; The substance of which are as follows, viz.

First, The Customes at Surrat to be two per Cent. and no more, for Goods and Money; and for what hath been taken more than that, to be paid back and made good out of the Customs.

Secondly, That at but one place in the Kings Dominions any Custom be paid, and having paid Custom at one place, not to be disturbed [Page 10] by any other, nor no manner of duty de­manded.

Thirdly, That no Custom be taken for any manner of Provisions, and what Custom hath been paid on that account, to be paid back.

Fourthly, Whatever hath been Robbed from the English, to be made good to them, by that Place or Government, where the loss was su­stained.

Fifthly, That no Custom be demanded for what Goods may come from Mocha, and what hath been taken for Custom of those Goods to be paid back.

Sixthly, That we have a room in the Mint­house to our selves, and appoint whom we please to do our business there, and Coin our own Money, and the Governour to have no Command over those Sheroffs or Moneyers, that are appointed by us for that work.

Seventhly, What Goods may have passed the Custom-house, and brought up again, not to be lyable to pay Custom the second time.

Eighthly, No Englishman shall serve in the Mogul's Dominions, and if any runs away from Ships or Factories, to be seized and delivered up to us.

[Page 11] Ninthly, Indico Custom to be at Rupees 2 and three fourths per bale, and no more, and what taken more then that, to be paid back.

Tenthly, No demands nor no trouble to the English at Surrat, must be given for what mis­chief hath, or may be done by the English at Bengala.

Eleventhly, That whatever is bought by one Governour for the King, although he should be turned out before the Money should be paid for such Goods, yet the Money to be made good, and no abatement made, nor any Goods so Sold returned.

Twelfthly, That whatever any Officers may buy or take, the Governour on the place to see that we be paid for it.

Thirteenthly, None shall offer any abuse to our English, or other Servants of the Countrey.

Fourteenthly, That whoever be our Debtors, the Governour of the place see us paid, on complaining to him out of hand.

Fifteenthly, That no one give us any the least disturbance at Swally, but we Land and Ship Goods as we please there, without any di­sturbance, or paying any Custom or other duties.

Sixteenthly, That no Goods be over rated [Page 12] at the Custom-house, and that Custom be ta­ken for goods bought in the Moguls Dominions, as first cost at the place where bought, and not to be rated at the place Exported, as worth there.

To open the foregoing Articles, and to demonstrate to persons unacquainted with the East-Indies, the Hon­our of this Peace, and the inestimable value of those Ar­ticles to the English Trade and Nation, would interrupt the designed Brevity of this Addition. It is sufficient, that the worst Enemies the Company have, must confess if they will say what they think, they are much more worth than all the Charge of the War, which they cannot compute at less than Ten Hundred Thousand pound Sterling, and were by themselves thought impossible to be ever attained; and that no Englishman could live with­out unsufferable Assronts and Exactions in the Interlop­ing times, before the Company began their late War up­on the Mogul, whereas now no Nation in India hath such Honourable Terms with that great Monarch, nor none so much respect from his Governours in all places; which Honourable and Advantageous Terms the English Com­pany are like to enjoy forAges, because the former Pri­viledges the English had (which were never in any degree comparable to these) were onely purchased by money from his grear Governours, and broke at their pleasure, when more Money could be got from other Nations vy­ing with us in Trade, or English Interlopers; Whereas these are not onely acquired by Armes, and confirmed by the Mogul's own Phirmaund and Husball Hoocombe, but secured by maintaining a strong English Garrison at Bombay, and making that Island (which lies upon the principal parts of [Page 13] the Mogul's Country, as the Islands of Scilly do upon England) the seat of the English Dominion, and the Cen­tre of their Trade on the North Coast of India, as Bata­via is to the Dutch East-India Company on the South. Which Transition alone, from Surrat to Bombay, could never have been done without a War as was before­said.