Sir William Foster - The Voyage of Nicholas Downton to the East Indies,1614-15

As Recorded in Contemporary Narratives and Letters

Edited by
Sir William Foster

First published by Ashgate Publishing

Published 2016 by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017, USA

Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

Notice:
Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.

Founded in 1846, the Hakluyt Society seeks to advance knowledge and education by the publication of scholarly editions of primary records of voyages, travels and other geographical material. In partnership with Ashgate, and using print-on-demand and e-book technology, the Society has made re-available all 290 volumes comprised in Series I and Series II of its publications in both print and digital editions. For information about the Hakluyt Society visit www.hakluyt.com .

ISBN 13: 978-1-4094-1449-0 (hbk)

WORKS ISSUED BY
The Hakluyt Socety

THE VOYAGE OF NICHOLAS DOWNTON

SECOND SERIES
o. LXXXII

ISSUED FOR 1938

THE VOYAGE OF NICHOLAS DOWNTON TO THE EAST INDIES 1614-15

As Recorded in Contemporary Narratives and Letters

Edited by
SIR WILLIAM FOSTER, C.I.E.

In his forgotten grave lies a man starched
and square-toed, touched with absurdities
such as might grace a Sir Roger de Coverley
or Baron of Bradwardine, but a fine seaman,
a loyal servant of the Company, and a most
undoubted worker on the foundations of
the Empire in India.

DAVID HANNAY

LONDON
PRINTED FOR THE HAKLUYT SOCIETY
1939

PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY W. LEWES, M.A., AT THE CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS

THE present volume may be regarded as a sequel to the one published by the Society four years ago, describing the voyage of Captain Thomas Best to the East Indies in 1612-14. Although it started more than three months before Best returned to England, Downton's fleet was in fact despatched expressly to follow up the achievements of its predecessor, especially as regards the establishment of trade in Western India. In both cases this objective involved the English in fierce fighting with the Portuguese, and their success on both occasions demonstrated the powerlessness of that nation to prevent our countrymen from exercising their right to trade in Indian ports without interference from Goa. It may be added that, just as the volume on Best leads up to the present work, so Downton's voyage was succeeded by that of the fleet commanded by William Keeling, which carried out in 1615 Sir Thomas Roe on his memorable embassy to the Great Mogul, as chronicled in two earlier volumes of the Society's series. The three works cover the whole of the critical period during which the English were making good their position in Western India.

The gap in the Court Minutes of the East India Company between January 1610 and December 1613 leaves us much in the dark as to the proceedings of that body between those dates. We know, however, from other sources that during the period an important change was made in the financial methods of the Company. The system of separate subscriptions (with a few exceptions) for each voyage, which had produced undesirable competition in the East and some confusion in the accounts at home, was abandonednow that the Company was well establishedin favour of a series of Joint Stocks, each spread over several years. Thus came into existence the First Joint Stock, based upon a subscription which was to be paid in instalments for four successive years, and realized 106,000 l . in 1613 and 107,000 l . in each of the three years following. Out of the proceeds of the first levy five ships were provided and fitted out in the autumn and winter of 1613. The first of these, the Concord, sailed for Bantam about the beginning of the new year; while the remaining four constituted the fleet whose fortunes we are now to follow.

This fleet consisted of four vessels: the New Year's Gift, newly built and of the burden of 650 tons: the old Hector (500 tons), which had taken part in so many of the previous voyages: the Merchants' Hope his queen, of Sir Thomas Smythe (Governor of the Company), and of various ladies. Two represented respectively Tamerlane and Jahngr himselfthe latter a fanciful portrait which gave no satisfaction to the subject of it, as it naturally proved to be 'nothing like him' ( Letters Received, vol. III, p. 67). It was at first decided to include in the cargoes a number of latten basins, which it was thought would be in demand, 'in reguard those people are very supersticious and washe there hands whensoever they goe to their worship' ( Supplementary Calendar , p. 34); but this order was countermanded, upon Ufflet pointing out that such basins were already made in the country (Court Minutes, 19 January 1614).