after our arriuall there, we were all committed to prison, except one
Italian which came with me from Aleppo, whom the Captaine never examined,
onely demaunded what countryman he was, but I make account Michael
Stropene, who accused vs, had informed the Captaine of him. The first day
we arriued there, this Stropene accused vs that we were spies sent from Don
Antonio, besides diuers other lies: nothwithstanding if we had beene of any
other countrey then of England, we might freely haue traded with them. And
although we be Englishmen, I know no reason to the contrary, but that we
may trade hither and thither as well as other nations, for all nations doe,
and may come freely to Ormuz, as Frenchmen, Flemmings, Almains, Hungarians,
Italians, Greekes, Armenians, Nazaranies, Turkes and Moores, Iewes and
Gentiles, Persians, Moscouites, and there is no nation that they seeke for
to trouble, except ours: wherefore it were contrary to all iustice and
reason that they should suffer all nations to trade with them, and to
forbid vs. But now I haue as great liberty as any other nation, except it
be to go out of the countrey, which thing as yet I desire not But I thinke
hereafter, and before it be long, if I shall be desirious to go from hence,
that they wil not deny me licence. Before we might be suffered to come out
of prison, I was forced to put in suerties for 2000 pardaus, not to depart
from hence without licence of the viceroy Otherwise except this, we haue as
much libertie as any other nation, for I haue our goods againe, and haue
taken an house in the chiefest streete in the towtte, called the Rue
dreete, where we sell our goods.


[Sidenote: Two causes of our mens imprisonment at Ormus.] There were two
causes which moued the captaine of Ormus to imprison vs, and afterwards to
send vs hither. The first was, because Michael Stropene had accused vs of
many matters, which were most false. And the second was for that M. Drake
at his being at Maluco, caused two pieces of his ordinance to be shot at a