I think I was now near a thousand leagues farther off England by sea, than at my little kingdom, except this difference, that I might travel by land over the Great Mogul’s country to Surat, from thence to Baffora, by sea up the Persian Gulph, then take the way of the caravans over the Arabian desert to Alleppo and Scanderoon, there take shipping to Italy, and so travel by land into France, and from thence cross the sea to England.

My nephew left me two persons to attend me; one of them was his servant, and the other clerk to the purser, who engaged to be mine.  I took lodging in an English woman’s house, where several French, one English, and two Italian merchants resided.  The handsome entertainment I met with here, occasioned me to stay nine months, considering what course I should take.  Some English goods I had with me of great value, besides a thousand pieces of eight, and a letter for more, if there was such necessity.  The goods I soon disposed of to advantage, and bought here several good diamonds, which I could easily carry about with me.  One morning the English merchant came to me, as being very intimate together, countryman, said he, I have a project to communicate to you, which I hope will suit to both our advantage.  To be short, Sir, we are both in a remote part of the world from our country; but yet in a place where men of business may get a great deal of money.  Now, if you will put a thousand pounds to my thousand pounds, we will hire a ship to our satisfaction; you shall be Captain, I will be merchant:  and we’ll go a trading voyage to China, for why should we lie still like drones, while the whole world is in a continual motion.

This proposal soon got my consent, being very agreeable to my rambling genius; and the more so, because I looked upon my countryman to be a very sincere person; it required some time before we could get a vessel to our mind, and sailors to man it accordingly; at length we bought a ship, and got an English mate, boatswain, and gunner, a Dutch carpenter, and three Portuguese foremast men; and, for want of others, made shift with Indian seamen.  We first sailed to Achin, in the island of Sumatra, and then to Siam, where we bartered our wares for some arrack and opium, the last of which bore a great price among the Chinese; in a word, we went up to Suskan, making a very great voyage; &, after eight months time, I returned to Bengal, very well satisfied with this adventure, having not only got a sufficient quantity of money, but an insight of getting a great deal more.

The next voyage my friend proposed to me, was to go among the spice islands, and bring home a load of cloves from the Manillas, or thereabouts; islands belonging partly to Spain, but where the Dutch trade very considerably.  We were not long in preparing for this voyage, which we made no less successful than the last, touching at Borneo, and several other places which I do not perfectly remember, and returning home in about five months time.  We soon sold our spices, which were chiefly cloves and some nutmegs, to the Persian merchants, who carried them away to the gulph; and, in short, making five to one advantage, we were loaded with money.