Letters Received by the East India Company, 1617: January - June. Edited
by William Foster, B.A. (Sampson Low, Marston, and Co. 21s. net.)—The most important among the contents of this volume are the letters relating to a trade mission to Persia under the leadership of a certain Thomas Connock. High hopes were entertained of what this was to bring about—" we can utter 600 tons of pepper, 40 of nutmegs, 20 of cloves, mace, etc.," and all at a price within 25 per cent. of what they would fetch in England. The mission had no small trouble in finding the Shah, who was as usual busy with the perennial occupation of waging war on rebels. Another mission of a more dignified character was that of Sir Thomas Roe to Jahangir. He, too, required not a little hunting. "I am yet following," wrote Sir Thomas, under date January 16th, 1616(7), "this wandering King over mountains and through woods, so strange and unused ways that his own people, who almost know no other god, blaspheme his name and hers [Nut Mahal] that (it is said) conducts all his actions." There are communica- tions, also, from Japan, which was not by any means as pleasant a place as it is now. Richard Cocks complains that no stranger was allowed to sell anything till it was known what the Emperor would take. The Persian mission was troubled, it would seem, by rumours of a Spanish rival. The Spaniards had, however, the national characteristic of tardiness in a high degree. The chief reached Goa in 1614, and was kept there two years and a half, In October, 1617, he reached Ormuz, and in June, 1618, had an interview with the Shah. He got back to Ormuz (having entirely failed in the purpose for which he was sent), waited there six months for a ship to take him to Goa, at Goa he stayed four years, and died, possibly of old age, on his way home in 1624. This was a fine example of manafia.
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