Page:History of India Vol 6.djvu/328

 264 APPENDIX of Surat, already alluded to, in 1571-1573, the seven- teenth year of the emperor's reign. The brief mention is as follows: [Elliot, vol. v, p. 42.] ' While the siege of Surat was proceeding, a large party of Christians arrived from the port of Goa and were admitted to an audience with the emperor Akbar, although it is probable that they had come to assist the besieged and to get the fort into their own hands. But when they saw the strength of the imperial force and its power for carrying on the siege, they represented themselves to be ambassadors and besought the honour of an interview. They offered various articles of the country as presents. Akbar treated each of them with great condescension and con- versed with them about the affairs of Portugal and other European matters/ There is a special allusion, four years later, in Abu-1- Fazl's chronicles, to European articles at Goa and to novelties imported from abroad. [Elliot, vol. v, p. 57.] l Haji Habib had been sent to the port of Goa, with a large sum of money and intelli- gent artizans, to examine and bring to the knowledge of the emperor Akbar the various productions of art and skill to be found in that town. He now returned to court, having with him a number of men clad in Chris- tian garb, beating drums and playing European instru- ments. He presented fabrics which he had selected. The artizans who had gone there to acquire knowledge exhibited their skill and received applause. Musicians of that country played upon various instruments, espe-