Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/29

Book VI. they were advised to bribe a favourite eunuch in the seraglio, who promised on this condition to procure the patents in the form they desired, and without delay. So much money had already been spent, that the embassadors thought it would be trivial not to risk this sum as the last experiment, although they much doubted the effect. But, to their surprize, as soon as the money was paid, the Vizir and all his dependents appeared as much inclined, as they had hitherto been averse, to promote their requests; and soon after thirty-four patents, including the different subjects of the petition, were issued in the Mogul's name, and signed with his seal. They were delivered to the embassadors before they had discovered the real cause of their unexpected success; which, however, was explained to them before they left Delhi, by one of Caundorah's officers. In the year 1686, a little while before the fleet sent from England began to take the ships belonging to the Moors, the English agents at Surat retired to Bombay: they returned after the peace; but a little before the present patents were issued, the presidency of Bombay had again withdrawn the factory of Surat, as a residence not worth maintaining, unless the trade could be freed from the impositions to which it had of late years been subject. The government of Surat, reasoning from former experience, took the alarm, and firmly believed that a fleet was on its way from England to commit hostilities, as in the year 1687, which would have been attended with the same success; for many ships of value belonging to the Mogul's subjects were at sea. The eunuch, to whom the embassadors had given the bribe, was the intimate correspondent and friend of the Nabob of Guzurat, who had desired him to represent to the Vizir, that it was better to satisfy the English by granting their petitions, than by a refusal to expose the trade of Surat to their reprisals. To this advice the Vizir immediately acquiesced, and from that hour changed his conduct towards the embassadors: the eunuch being early in the secret, and foreseeing the change that would shortly ensue, determined to reap some advantage from his intelligence, and imposed himself on the