'Travels in Assyria, Media, and Persia, including a journey from Bagdad by Mount Zagros, to Hamadan, the ancient Ecbatana, researches in Ispahan and the ruins of Persepolis, and journey from thence by Shiraz and Shapoor to the sea-shore. Description of Bussorah, Bushire, Bahrein, Ormuz, and Muscat, narrative of an expedition against the pirates of the Persian Gulf, with illustrations of the voyage of Nearchus, and passage by the Arabian Sea to Bombay.' [‎475] (506/582)

RUINS OF ORMUS. 475
their disposal, some cannons, and half the spoil; and accordingly when the city was entered,
after a brave and tedious resistance, forced to yield by plagues, fluxes, and famine, every
house of quality, magazine, and monastery, were sealed up, with the signets of the Duke and
merchants. By which good order, the Company had no doubt been enriched with two mil
lions of pounds (though but their share), had it not been prevented by a rascal sailor's cove-
tousness, who, though he knew the danger of his life and loss of the Christians' credit, yet
stole in a monastery sealed with both consents, commits saciilege upon the silver lamps, cha
lices, crucifixes, and other rich ornaments, and stuffed so full, that in descending, his theft
cried out against him, was taken by the Persians, led to the Duke, confessed, and was
drubbed right handsomely. But the greatest mischief came hereby unto the English, for the
perfidious Pagans, though they knew the merchants were not guilty of his transgression, and
consequently had not broke the order, - notwithstanding, the soldiers went to the Duke, say
ing, Shall we sit idle, while the English, by stealth and secrecy, exhaust all our hopes of
benefit and riches ? Whereat the Duke, glad of such advantage, replied, If so, then go and
have your desires. Whereupon they broke open the houses and store of what was valuable,
and made themselves masters of all they found ; whilst the confident sailors lay bragging of
their victories a-shipboard. And when they were possessed of what was done, they ex
claimed as men possessed ; but the Persians understood them not, nor cared they what their
meaning was, seeing they verified the adage, Give losers leave to prate.
' Yet they found enough to throw away, by that small, sufficiently showing their luxurious
minds and prodigality, if they had gotten more: dicing, whoring, brawling, and tippling,
being all the relics of their husbandry and thankfulness.
' Only Captain Woodcocke had good luck and bad : lighting upon a frigate that stole
away, unwitting to the enemy, loaden with pearls and treasure, that he took for
all to himself, perhaps worth a million of rials, or better. But see ill fortune The Whale (of
which he was captain), rich laden with his masters' and his own goods, hard by Swally o
without the Bar, sunk, and was swallowed by the sands, occasioned by a hole, neglected by
the carpenter, and failing to carine or mend her, the ports were open and took m water,
which, to prove that even whales are subject to destruction, perished in that mercilm ele-
ment; Woodcocke, not long after, overwhelming his life with too much care, too unable to
moderate so great misfortunes. . , ^ w
' This poor city is now disrobed of all her bravery ; the ersians eac mon
ribs of woo'd and stone, to aggrandize Gombroone, not three leagues distant, out of whose
rU " SLd has no'fresh water, save what the fruitful clouds weep over her m sorrow
scorching Phaeton, who is there potent in his flames and snip] nr.
* Herbert's Travels in Persia, p. 46, 47.
3 P 2