should pay for fifty pieces of cloth, which he had bought many months before, and wished now to return upon the factors, to their extreme loss.  At the close of our conference, he expressed the prince’s desire that we would rely entirely on him, and not cross him in matters belonging to his government, by applying to the king, declaring that we should so find him a better friend than we expected.  Being thus satisfied, I was in some hope of success, especially as this man is no taker of bribes, and is reputed honest, and pledged his credit that we should sustain no loss or injury, every thing being referred to him by the prince.  So I accepted the firmaun, which, on having it translated, I found very effectual and satisfactory.

The 16th, I went to visit the prince, intending to seem entirely dependent upon him, till I heard what entertainment our ships were likely to meet with.  But I found him in much perplexity, fearing the coming of Sultan Parvis to court, he being only at the distance of eight coss, anxiously desiring leave to kiss his father’s hands.  The king had even granted his desire, but by the influence of Nourmahal, the favourite queen, he had revoked the permission, and Sultan Parvis was ordered away directly to Bengal.[205] The resolution of the king to remove the court from Agimere still continued, but no one knew certainly where he intended to go.

[Footnote 205:  At this place there is an expression in the Pilgrims, coupled with this sentence, which is quite inexplicable.  “Yea, although the king had fallen down, and taken his mother by the feet, to obtain her leave to see her son.”  We are not sufficiently conversant in the secret history of the Zenana of Shah Jehan-guire to explain this; yet strongly suspect that this sentence ought to have run thus:  Although the prince’s mother fell at the king’s feet to obtain leave to see her son.—­E.]

Sec.4. Broils about Abdala Khan and Khan-Khannan:  Ambitious projects of Sultan Churrum to subvert his eldest Brother:  Sea Fight with a Portuguese Carrack; and various other Occurrences.

Several days now passed in soliciting the king and great men, and paying my court to them, without any remarkable occurrence; till on the 9th October, I had letters from Surat, giving me an account that four English ships had arrived there.  On the 10th, Abdala Khan, the great governor of Ahmedabad, being sent for to court in disgrace, to answer for many insolent and contemptuous neglects of the king’s commands, thought to stand upon his defence and to refuse compliance.  But Sultan Churrum, whose ambitious views sought to turn every thing to his advantage, being desirous to oblige so great a man, who was reckoned one of the chiefest captains in the empire, prevailed upon him to submit, on his word to protect him.  Abdala came therefore, in pretended humility, habited as a pilgrim, attended by forty servants on foot, until he arrived within a day’s journey of the court, having 2000 horse attending