Golden Bullets, a story in the days of Akber and Elizabeth

Preface

. OUR traditional culture, bespeaking attention for certain persons and subjects, has a tendency to keep knowledge and interest in narrow channels ; and even people who read merely for amusement are often strangely indifferent to variety. Nevertheless the age is unfavourable to limitations, and the bounds of historical interest are evidently enlarging. Many people now go to India ; more have to do with it ; and some of them have studied its history. These I should fain ask to give their opinion whether this picture of Indian life at the most brilliant period of Mussulman rule is a true one or not. The book is, howrever, not designed solely for persons who have special relations wTith India. Interest goes along with knoftvledge, and is fed by it. I hope that many who are willing to learn something about our Eastern empire, in a pleasant way, will turn to these pages.

If they thus gain a more vivid conception of a memorable time, they will not refuse to believe that they have really learned something. WILLIAM W. IRELAND. Preston Lodi_;e, Prestonpans, 6th September, 1890. CONTENTS. CHAPTER PAGE I. THE VOYAGE OF THE " UNICORN " TO INDIA — A BRUSH WITH THE PORTUGUESE, ... 1 II. TROUBLES OX SHORE, 14 III. TREATS OF STEPHEN ASHBOURNE'S EARLY LIFE, TASTES, AND TENDENCIES, .... 26 IV. IN THE MOGUL'S CAMP, 32 V. ftVAR, PLAY, AND WINE, 46 VI. THE HISTORY OF AKBER BADSHA, ... 57 VII. CHAND SULTANA AND THE SIEGE OF AHMAD- NAGAR, 63 VIII. THE CITY STORMED — THE CAPTIVES, ... 70 IX. THE EAST AND THE ftVEST — A PERIOD OF GREAT MEN, 86 x. at agra — Stephen's quarters — a court physician AND THE DIVINE FAITH, ... 91 XI. AN UNEXPECTED PROPOSAL — DIFFICULTIES IN THE WAY — AN ELEPHANT FIGHT, . . . 101 XII.

A RELIGIOUS DISPUTE — BEHIND THE SCREEN, . 117 XIII. THE PRINCE SELIM — HIS BANQUET — AN EASTERN BRIDE, 126 XIV. ftVITHIN THE ZENANA — GOSSIP FROM THE SER- AGLIO, 136 XV. AGAIN TO THE WARS — ABUL FAZL AND BIR SINGH, 146 VI CONTEXTS. VIII

Chapter I

'AOE XVI. AFTER THE BATTLE — A HINDU DEVOTEE — A BUDDHIST CAVE — AX ABRUPT PARTING, . . 155 XVII. THE RETURN TO HIS QUARTERS — AN AGONISING QUESTION, 169 XVIII. INQUIRIES AT AGRA, 182 XIX. A NEW INQUIRY — WHAT THE EMPEROR THOUGHT, 192 XX. WITHIN THE SERAGLIO, 201 xxi. Irene's further adventures, .... 212 XXII. THE MISSION-HOUSE OF THE FATHERS OF ST. PAUL — EMANUEL PIGNEIRO — MARIA PEREIRA — JESUIT INTRIGUES, 223 XXIII. A STRANGE VISITOR — MORE ABOUT AMEENA — THE FATE OF SHER AFGHaVN, 250 XXIV. THE SCHEME FOR THE CONVERSION OF INDIA — BENEDICT DE GOES AT HIS OLD TRADE — A STRANGE MEETING AND AN UNCEREMONIOUS PARTING, 259 XXV. AN OLD FRIEND IN A NEW CHARACTER — THE INTERIOR OF A ZENANA — A STRANGE PRO- POSAL, 271 XXVI. AGAIN IN THE SUNSHINE — AN IMPORTANT INTER- VIEW, 285 XXVII. CONSTITUTION MAKING — THE JOURNEY TO THE VALLEY OF LATTIANA, AND HOW THEY FARED THERE, 290 XXVIII. TELLS SOMETHING MORE OF THE FORTUNES OF THE PERSONS IN THIS BOOK, ....

CHAPTER I. THE VOYAGE OF THE

" UNICORN " TO INDIA — A. BRUSH WITH THE PORTUGUESE. IN the year of grace 1598, eleven merchants met in the "Jerusalem," in the city of London, to consult together about fitting out a ship which should be sent to seek a share of the trade with the East Indies, by which the Portuguese had gained such wealth for a hundred years, that is since Vasco da Gama doubled the Cape of Good Hope, and landed at Calicut in 1498. After the defeat of Don Sebastian in Morocco, Portugal had been seized upon by the King of Spain, Philip II. As Spain was at war with England, and as the Casa da India at Lisbon was now shut to the English traders and the revolted Hollanders, they found the wares of the Indies so dear and difficult to be had that they came to the conclusion they must either want them altogether, or go and seek them on their own account.

These merchants, albeit that profit was their main aim, had a share of the adventurous spirit of the times. p. They had helped Frobisher in his voyages to seek for a north-west passage to the Indies ; but giving up hope in this direction, they now resolved to try the Cape route, and open a direct trade with the Indies in despite of the Portuguese, who, though they had become sub ject to the great monarchy of Spain, still rigidly guarded the monopoly of their trade in the Indian Seas. Their power in these waters was secured by a line of ports which they had seized and held by garrisons — Mozam bique, Sofala, Ormuz, Diu, Damao, Bassein, Choul, Bombay, Goa, Malaca, and Macao. For this adventure the London merchants had been collecting information for years. Ralph Fitch, who visited India in 1586, who had been at Agra and descended the Ganges to Lower Bengal, had returned to England (1591), giving temjDting accounts ofthe pro ducts of India and the grandeur of the Great Mogul.

The Dutch, who had been making inquiries on their part, had sent a squadron of eight ships, which sailed from Amsterdam on the 13th of May of the same year (1598). The London merchants now bought a ship of 400 tons, wrhich was thought a very large vessel in England in those days. They had bespoken the services of Edward Hawkhurst, a mariner who had commanded a frigate against the Spanish Armada, and had been with Drake in his last expedition to the West Indies. They had also a Fleming, Peter Gyzen, who had fled to England to escape the Catholic persecution. He had made the voyage to Goa, could speak Portuguese, and declared himself able to take them into the Indian "UNICORN" TO INDIA. 3 seas. Under the command of Captain Hawkhurst, the good ship called the Unicorn loosed from Gravesend on the 20th of August, 1598.

She bore a crew of eighty-two able and sufficient men, with fourteen guns of somewhat unusual size and range. She was accompanied by a pinnace of eighty tons, with a crew of twenty men, six guns, and two falconets of bronze. In those times it was not safe for a ship to go unarmed or without a fighting crew ; but the master was advised that, as war and trade never went well together, he should not seek to plunder the Spanish or Portuguese, but should make it his prime endeavour to bring his ship safely into some Indian port, where a profitable commerce might be begun. The cargo consisted r_ o o mainly of tin, lead, and quicksilver, cloth of various kinds, fire-arms, sword blades, and knives. In those days it was the custom for a merchant to go along with the wares on a voyage to a distant market, but none of these wTorthy traders was found willing to risk his life upon so perilous an adventure.

Hence they were well pleased when a 3"ouug man, Master Stephen Ashbourne, whose father had been a goldsmith in the city, declared himself willing, not only to go in charge of the cargo, but also to bear a considerable share in the sum made up for purchase and outfit. He was also the means, through the interest of the Earl of Essex, Master General of the Ordnance, of procuring from Queen Elizabeth letters to divers princes in India, that shrewd princess bespeaking at the same time a share in the profits of the transaction, and sending her portrait to the Mogul emperor, accounts of whose great ness had already reached her ears. In these days sailing voyages were very long, as sea men did not know how the winds might be expected to blow in different places, as has now been ascertained by prolonged observations.

They, therefore, did not know where to steer to find the winds that might help them. Besides this, they ran themselves into much danger by keeping too near the coasts. Ships set out with a large crew, and thought themselves lucky if, in a voyage round the Cape, they did not lose more than a quarter of their men. Captain Hawkhurst was known to be careful of his men, and was one of the first to use against scurvy certain bottles of the juice of lemons, which he gave to each one as long as it would last, three spoonfuls every morning fasting. They touched at one of the Cape Verd Islands, and then at St. Helena, where they took in water, and some fresh provisions. Coming near the Cape of Good Hope they were so beat about for four days by a furious tempest that they had to cut away the mainmast in hopes of saving the ship, and never saw the pinnace any more.

Fearful of being set upon in this helpless condition by hostile vessels, Captain Hawkhurst bore away from sight of the mountain range above Table Bay, which was a favourite touching-place for ships going and coming from the Indies. Doubling the Cape des Aguilhas, he ran his ship into an inlet to the north-east, probably Mosel Bay, where he landed and rested his weary crew. Here they met with negroes with frizzled hair, who " UNICORN " TO INDIA. 5 clicked in their speech, but were clever in understanding signs. They gave knives, pieces of iron hoops, brace lets of beads, and other trifles, for oxen, and hairy fat tailed sheep of exceeding good flesh. By the river side they felled some high trees, which they floated down to their ships ; out of these they shaped a new mast, refitted their spars, and repaired their vessel.

They then set off by Mozambique, avoiding the Portuguese settlements, never touching anywhere till they saw the high land of Socotora. Here they were courteously received by the native Sheikh, who, however, charged them for everything, even for fresh water. He warned them against going to Aden, where there was now scarcely any trade, though the Governor was sure to exact heavy duties if they entered the port. He advised them to make for Surat, which was now under the power of the Great Mogul, Sultan of India, who was friendly to strangers, was willing to trade with the Franks, and would protect them against the Portuguese, who were hated everywhere. After staying for a week at Socotora, taking advantage of a favourable wind, they bore away with an Arab pilot on board to seek the shores of India.

Here the captain felt his anxieties much increased, for he knew well that the Portuguese, w7ho possessed many harbours along the coast, would do their best that he should never return from an attempt to trade in seas in which they so long enjoyed so gainful a monopoly. It was now about the middle of March. They had neared the coast of Guzerat, and the faint outline of the IN THE DAYS OF AKBER ANI> ELIZABETH. land could just be distinguished from clouds by the keen sight of the sailors. The wind, which was blowing their way, gradually lulled, and in about half-an-hour the Unicorn lay rocking gently upon the sea with all her sails set. The sailors soon tired of gazing at the distant land, and sat down to talk with one another, or lay down to sleep, for the heat and languor of the day disposed them to seek repose rather than amusement.

Upon the quarter-deck two figures might be seen keeping within the shadow of the sails to avoid the sun, and conversing earnestly. The elder of the two, Captain Edward Hawkhurst, was a man about middle height, powerfully made, with a massive chest, deep voice, and firm step. He had brown hair, with a beard of lighter colour. In his hazel eyes there was that far sighted look characteristic of the navigator. His whole air suggested the habit of watchfulness, and the sense of command. He wore a high peaked hat, round which was fastened a golden chain. He was dressed in a dark blue doublet, with sleeves and hose of the same colour, grey stockings, and boots which came a little above the ankles. From his white strap belt hung a short straight sword in a plain black scabbard, but with a gay hilt in gold work, set with a few jewels, the prize of an old sea fight.

The other figure was a younger man, taller, and of a more slender make. He wore a round felt hat with upturned brim, under which clustered thick locks of dark brown hair. His dress consisted of a long buff doublet, with sleeves having laces or points showing the white cambric shirt underneath. The upper hose " UNICORN " TO INDIA. 7 were met below the knee with bluish stockings, and his feet were half-encased in loose buff slippers. He bore neither belt nor weapon. There was a thoughtful expression on his face and dark grey eyes under the well-defined ridge of his dark eyebrows. His complexion was more delicate than that of his companion, as if he had been less exposed to wind and weather. He had moustaches, but no beard. His hands were of remarkably fine shape. Altogether, he had an upright carriage, was alert and quick in his movements, but listened attentively without any eagerness to reply.

This was Master Stephen Ashbourne, who, as already said, was in charge of the cargo of the ship. Let us listen to the conversation of these two personages. " How long think you this calm will last ? " asked Ashbourne. " I know not," answered the captain, " it may last days or last hours. Only you can have no practice in gun nery now. I wish that this Moorish pilot of ours had not brought us so near the coast. There is peril of our being seen by passing boats, when the news of a strange sail in these seas will be borne to Diu, which we must pass to get into the bay of Cambay." " I have read," said the other, " of the King of Cam bay who so inured himself to poisons, that he hath but to blow upon men, that they fall down dead ; and no fly will light upon his body." " Belike if he could have done so, he would have blown the Portuguese out of his lands," answered the IN THE DAYS OF AKBEK AND ELIZABETH. captain ; "these are but fables forged to frighten away voyagers from this coast.

They say that the smaller kings are all afraid of the Portuguese, who levy duty upon their trading ships ; but if we get safe into Surat, we shall be under the protection of the Great Prince, who ruleth over Hindostan from the Indus to the Ganges. There you can sell your wares, and take in a cargo of cotton stuffs, and indigo, which, when we get back to England, will repay our loss and risk." " I can think of nothing," said Ashbourne, " save the longing to see this wonderful land of India, of which I have read in Arrian and Quintus Curtius. Surely this calm will pass away ; but what will you do should we meet with some Portuguese ships to bar the way ? Do you mean to fight them ? " "Not if I can help it," replied the captain, "but we may have some shots in passing. Thanks to the good training you have given our men the time we were be calmed, our crew can work the guns as well as any.

I have seen you make so many good shots at a butt, that I should like to see if you can hit the hull of a ship." " There is all the more safety being readyV replied Ashbourne, " so with your leave I shall see that all the ordnance is in a good state, so that we may be able to hold our own." Ashbourne had through the desire of youthful adventure served in the wars of the Low Countries, where he had gained great reputation as a marksman with cannon. It was agreed in case of attack, he should act as master gunner. Their anxiety about the calm was not destined " UNICORN " TO INDIA. 9 to last long. In about an hour the breeze revived, soon strengthening into a brisk gale which bore the ship before it at a rapid rate. The dull languor of the crew passed away for an eager look and high spirits, from the increased coolness and rapid change of the air.

Everyone began to talk of being speedily in port, when notice was given that a large ship was coming in sight from the seaward side. Iu a short time they were able to make out that she was a ship of European build, veering towards them from the south-west. After running for about an hour the two ships got near enough to be able to ascertain each other's character. The stranger was soon made out to be " a Portingal," a large carrack of about thirteen hundred tons, which the captain judged had been sent to cruise about for the English ship. There was no dubiety about her inten tions from the beginning, for as she came nearer, they sawr the flash of her guns, and a few seconds later the boom of cannon reached the eai-s of the crew of the Unicorn. But all the balls fell short, striking across the crest of the waves.

" She is out of range yet," said Ashbourne. The Unicorn kept straight on her course, while the carrack, which was somewhat ahead, advanced towards her in a slanting direction. When he judged the Portuguese ship near enough, Ashbourne himself pointed the seveu guns, which were fired one by one. The first two did not hit, but the third struck the hull of the carrack ; then getting into range, the master gunner made a number of shots which were hailed with THE DAYS OF AKBER AND ELIZABETH. IX approbation by the veteran captain. Getting still nearer, the Portuguese returned the fire from a large broadside of guns, but without doing much damage to the Unicorn, which was lower in the water, and being of smaller size, was not nearly such a good mark as the towering mass of the carrack. Probably easy victories over inferior foes had rendered the Portuguese less attentive to keep up their old reputation for skill in seamanship, for though they fired three to one for the English ship, their shots did much less harm.

When they were within arquebuse shot of one another, the Portuguese called on them to surrender, calling them at the same time "pirates and heretics" (piratas, hereges), and other abusive names. Though under standing the general import of these terms, Captain Hawkhurst did not take any trouble to return a reply. " Their guns are much higher placed than ours. I think I can run our ship so near, that they will not be able to bend them to our deck, and then you know what to do." Accordingly he ran his ship so near, that the Portu guese evidently thought that the English intended to board the carrack, but Hawkhurst let her drive past the Unicorn, and then his sailors fired their broadside into her hull, and passing her starboard side, were ready with another volley from their own larboard guns, which were now fired for the first time.

For this manœuvre the Portuguese were unready. The Englishmen's guns told with effect upon the carrack and her crew, as they judged from the cries and confusion on board But "UNICORN" TO INDIA. 11 without trying to improve his advantage, Hawkhurst made his ship to hold on her onward course. The master gunner, who was much pleased at the success of his fire, now ran in a state of some excite ment up to the master of the ship. " Surely, captain, you are not going to pass the Portingal ? I make no doubt that we are able to sink her, or force her to render." " That may be," said the captain, " but I have already told you the Unicorn is for trade, and not for fighting. We are now fairly past her, and the carrack has got more than she gave. I think she will have to stop a leak. If it had been nearer home, she would not have got off so easily, but, as we are, I cannot risk getting my ship disabled."

In spite of the ill humour of the crew, Captain Hawkhurst bore his ship away from the carrack, which made small show of pursuing. He found that they had lost two killed, and five wounded. The sun, which was getting low during this exciting contest, sunk in a few minutes with a rapidity not known over northern seas. The Unicorn held on her course, passing within sight of Diu very early in the morning, and about seven o'clock in the evening they stood about a league south of the bar of Surat, where they saw three native ships riding at anchor. The next morning they passed a small Portuguese frigate, which was lying ready to take tolls and give passports to the native ships, which did not dare to venture out to sea without their licence. Apparently taken by surprise the Portuguese contented IN THE DAYS OF AKBER AND ELIZABETH. themselves with shouting something to which no heed was paid.

The green line of the shore came nearer and nearer, till the crew could see the strange forms of the palm trees and the broad leaves of the bananas, with strange buildings, mosques, pagodas, and lowly thatched houses half buried amongst the foliage. About noon the Unicorn glided amongst the ship ping which crowded the river Tapti, crafts of many a strange pattern, large open boats with short decks aft, covering a tiny cabin, flat-bottomed boats that had rubbed the yellow mud of the Indus, dhows from the Red Sea. high at the stern, with lateen sails and smelling strong of fish. There were even Chinese junks with covered decks. Amongst the crews were men of all races from the coasts of India, Arabia, and Africa, Arabs, Persians, Somalis, Negroes, Ceylonese, Malays, with a predomi nance of native Indians, who, with white cloths round their heads, but scarcely any clothing on their bodies, rowed about in their small boats amongst the larger vessels.

It was not without a feeling of awe and loneliness that the English crew stared upon the unwonted figures, people of strange thoughts and strange ways. Nevertheless they were not without some kind of communion, for their Arab pilot lost no time in giving a glowing account of the affray with the carrack, which was soon swelled into a glorious victory over the hated Portuguese, and noised with all sorts of exaggerations and inventions through the fleet of trading vessels that lay off the port of Surat. The captain of the ship, who in a voyage to the " UNICORN " TO INDIA. 13 Levant had learned something of the manners of the East, lost no time in trying to open parley with the Mussulman Governor of Surat. The Portuguese functionary at Surat, who looked after the interests of his countrymen, on his part, lost no time in attempting to bring the newcomers into discredit.

He went to the governor and declared that he was incurring the risk of war with the Portuguese by receiving and sheltering their enemies, that the English were no better than pirates, who had only a part of a miserable island principally inhabited by fishermen, and that they had nothing to offer for trade save what they had gained by plunder. Perhaps the very bitterness of their hostility prejudiced their case in the mind of the governor. At any rate, after two days he sent word that he would grant the Feringhi captain an audience, received the letter from Queen Elizabeth, which he promised to send to his prince, and accepted with much benignity the present the captain brought with him, which consisted of a case of knives, two looking-glasses, and an arquebuse.

Chapter II. Troubles On Shore

THE governor assigned them an interpreter, through whom he sent word of what the Portuguese had said against their country. The Portuguese did their best to frighten all the merchants against having any traffic with the newcomers ; and the interpreter on his side showed an evident desire to make himself the vehicle of all dealings with the natives of the country, as was shrewdly suspected with a view to his own private advantage. At first they were cheated without mercy, the people supplying them with bad provisions of every kind, stale fish, lean and flabby mutton, and rice which the poorest native would have refused to eat. But in less than a week they began to feel their way. A Venetian merchant, Paolo Vignali, came secretly on board, and gave them some advice and assistance. They were able to hire a native cook, who called himself a Christian of St. Thomas, and complained of the oppression of the Portuguese.

This man was made use of to buy provisions, and in a few days, after a good deal of finesse with the native merchants, they began to dispose of their cargo in a profitable way. Ashbourne applied his mind to frame a vocabulary of the language, and to make out a list of prices, which, in the East, is always a perplexing task. Three of the sailors frolicking on shore had got into a scrape from loosing a monkey that was chained at a Hindu temple. They were mobbed by the people, and might have fared badly, but for the interposition of a European in a clerical habit, who managed to appease the crowd and get the sailors off to their ship. Soon after, this person called upon the captain. He turned out to be a Jesuit priest, Jacobus Cycnus, otherwise Jacob Schwann of Trarbach, a fair-haired, broad-chested German, with an open and good-humoured expression.

The captain received him somewhat surlily, but the priest's friendly manner and offers of service in the end so far gained over him, that Hawkhurst began to regard him as an acquaintance who might be useful. Though men are never beyond the reach of mis fortune, they are generally ignorant whence it will arise, and so it was with this adventurous crew. They had surmounted all the dangers of the deep to meet with disaster after they were safe in port. One day, about noon, the butler of the ship took the native cook with him to pump some brandy from a cask to distribute next day to the crew. It being dark below, they took with them a small native earthen lamp, which was put upon a barrel higher up. A spark from the wick fell upon the cask of brandy, setting fire to some of the spirit which had been spilt.

The blue flame immediately ran along to the bunghole and lighted the brandy in the barrel. Such was the explosive force of the burning spirit, that it drove out the end of the barrel, and the flaming liquid swam about, carrying fire with it. The terrified native fled up the ladder, followed by the butler, who ran for water. The other seamen, coming to his assistance, poured a great many bucketfuls of water on the place, and they flattered themselves that the mischief was over. The captain was on shore at the time. When he returned about an hour after, they assured him that the fire was extin guished. He at once went down to the hold, from which smoke was beginning to come. Some of the burning liquid had run through the tiers of barrels and non-inflammable goods in the hold, and had set fire to some coals which lay in the very bottom of the ship.

The captain made them pull away the barrels and other ware to try to reach the place. The fire, how ever, gained quickly, and sent up such a thick smoke that they were at length driven out to save themselves from being suffocated, when all they could do was to throw water into the hold. The fire soon gained a barrel of oil, which floated upon the top of the water. The ships and boats round about kept away from the burning vessel, fearing that she would explode ; but, as they were still able to reach the room where the powder was kept, the captain made the powder ban-els be thrown out ere the fire could gain the place. For some time they thought that they ware getting the fire under, but it again appearing to spread, the captain sent out the carpenters to pierce holes in the sides of the ship with wimbles, so as to let in a fathom of water into the hold.

It was found difficult to make the holes, and, when they were pierced, the water came too late, for the fire had gained the upper portions of the ship. At first the captain, dreading treachery and theft, was not willing to allow any strangers on board. After a struggle, lasting for about twelve hours, seeing that the fire had fairly got hold of the ship, they were glad to take what help they could get from the native porters and boatmen around, and tried to save what they could of their valuables, goods, and moveable articles. Ere the night passed away, the crew saw the ship which had borne them from sight of their own homes round the Cape to India, burnt to the water's edge. It was the only trace of home, the oak which was grown in England, the familiar walls and furniture of their float ing home, the spars they had spliced after a storm, the old sails — all which rendered the land less strange, the good ship, which had gone with them, and which they hoped would bear them back to old England, had now disappeared into smoke and cinders.