“Sir, I have, since my arrival at your eminence’s port, often employed the consul Desclaus to wait upon your highness concerning the salutes, but have not received any satisfactory answer thereto, which I now humbly desire may be returned unto me by my officer, and withal that your eminence will be pleased to honour me with your commands, wherein I may serve you, which shall be most cheerfully embraced and readily performed by
“Most eminent Sir,
“Your highness’s most humble
“and faithful servant,
“John Narbrough.
“On board H.M.S. Henrietta, Malta, October 17th, 1675.”
It is not very clear of what this complaint of Narbrough’s consisted, since, by the journal of the Rev. henry Toougc, chaplain on board H.M.S. Asistance, one of Narbrough’s squadron, there appeared no reluctance on the part of the town to return the salute, or, at all events, that they consented eventually to do so, and that, too, after considerable rudeness and bluster on the part of the captain of the Asistance, such as would not in the present day have been patiently tolerated by the weakest power. This is the extract:—
“August 1st 1675.—This morn wee corn near Malta; before wee corn to the cytty a boate with the Maiteese flagg in it corns to us to know whence wee cam. Wee told them from England they asked if wee had a bill of health for prattick viz entertaynment, our captain told them he had no bill but what was in his guns mouths. Wee cam on and anchored in the harbour betweene the old toune and the new about nine of the clock, but must wait the governours leasure to have leave to corn on shoare which was detarded because our captain would not salute the cytty except they would retaliate. At last cam the consull with his attendants to our ship, (but would not corn on board till our captain had been on shoare,) to tell us that we had leave to corn on shoare six or eight or ten at a time, and might have inything that was there to be had, with a promise to aCCel)t our salute kindly. Whereupon our captain tooke a glass of sack and drank a health to king Charles, and fyre4 scvcn gunns the
