Richard Craddock's Career with the East India Company - Man Family

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Doubtless the payment (of customs dues) would have been
withheld altogether, but for the fear that in such case the
English would destroy the customs revenue altogether, by
blockading the port from the sea. Thus the Persian
officials could do nothing but continue the policy of
making each year at Gombroon an altogether inadequate
payment, and referring the factors to Court for the
balance; with the result that the latter found themselves
in the dilemma of either making an expensive journey to the
Shah's head-quarters, with the certainty of having then to
spend a round sum in presents and bribes to secure an
uncertain result, or of putting up with the underpayment,
with a probability that in the following year the amount
would be lowered still further.
The Persian Gulf
In spite of regular diplomatic missions to the King’s
court, the problems persisted so that the factors on
Gombroon even put forward the idea of a show of force to
compel the Persians to comply:
Abuses here in custom house are grown to such a height
that, unless Your Worships do show yourselves by a certain
number of ships appearing in Gornbroone very suddenly, its
most certainly true we shall be turned out of custom house;