Page 508
An. 1689
Peuns.
the Mogul's neareft Camp : for he hath always fe- veral Armies in his vaft Empire.
Thefe Peuns are fome of the Gentous, or Rafh- bouts, who in all places along the Coaft, efpecially in Sea-port Towns, make it their bufinefs to hire themfelves to wait upon ftrangers, be they Mer- chants, Seamen, or what they will. To qualify them for fuch attendance, they learn the European Languages, Englifh, Dutch, French, Portuguefe, &c. according as they have any of the Factories of thefe Nations, in their Neighbourhood, or are vifited by their Ships. No fooner doth any fuch Ship come to an Anchor, and the men come afhore, but a great many of thefe Peuns are ready to pro- fer their Service. 'Tis ufual for the ftrangers to hire their attendance during their ftay there, giving them about a Crown a month of our Money, more or lefs. The richeft fort of men will ordi- narily hire 2 or 3 Peuns to wait upon them ; and even the common Seamen if able, will hire one a piece to attend them, either for convenience or oftentation ; or fometimes one Peun between two of them. Thefe Peuns ferve them in many capa- cities, as Interpreters, Brokers, Servants to attend at Meals and go to Market, and on Errands, &c. Nor do they give any trouble, eating at their own homes, and lodging there, when they have done their Mafters bufinefs for them ; expecting nothing but their Wages, except that they have a certain allowance of about a Fanam, or 3 d. in a Dollar which is an 18th part profit, by way of Brokerage for every Bargain they drive: they being general- ly employed in buying and felling. When the Strangers go away, their Peuns defire them to give them their Names in Writing, with a Certificate of their honeft and diligent ferving them : and thefe they fhew to the next comers, to get into bufinefs ; fome being able to produce a large fcrowl of fuch Certificates.
But