Sykes' History of Persia Vol 2 (pdf) - Heritage Institute

278 HISTORY OF PERSIA
of the whole business. On the other hand, the merchants
were most unwilling to sacrifice the trade so painfully
started, and they were Englishmen of the period, ready
to take great risks.
In the end they agreed to co-operate, and the following
terms were quickly arranged with Imam Kuli Khan :
(a) An equal division of spoils ; () an equal division
of customs dues when Hormuz was taken ;
the English
to be free of all duties in perpetuity ; (c) the Christian
prisoners to be handed over to the English and the
Moslems to the Persians ;
and (tf)
the Persians to pay
half the expenses of the fleet for
supplies. These
preliminaries having been arranged, the seamen had to
be won over. At first they refused, " it
alleaging was
no merchandizing business, nor were they hired for any
such exploit." However, by
a mixture of threats and
promises this difficulty was overcome, and in January
1622 the squadron put to sea.
The captains
first made for Hormuz, hoping that the
Portuguese fleet would accept the challenge, but when it
was evident that the enemy had no intention of taking
it
up they sailed for Kishm, some fifteen miles away.
There they found Ruy Freire, who had previously fought
them, in command. After futile negotiations
the fort
was bombarded, but with little effect. A battery of five
guns was then set up on land. The artillery practice was
remarkable, a gun on the wall of the fort being dismounted
at the first shot ;
a breach was effected and the Portuguese
surrendered. The casualties were but trifling, among
the killed was William Baffin, of Arctic fame. To quote
" Master Baffin went on
from Purchas, his Pilgrimes
:
shoare with his Geometricall Instruments, for the taking
the height and distance of the castle wall ;
but as he was
about the same, he received a small shot from the Castle
into his belly, wherewith he gave three leapes, by report,
I
and died immediately."
After this success, which must have raised the spirits
of the allies, the expedition anchored off Hormuz. The
Persians immediately landed a large force which took
1 Vol. ii. p. 1792.