THE duties upon [such] goods [as you may import into our dominions] are, without exception,* [hereby] remitted. Bring, therefore, with en­tire confidence to our ports, and into our kingdom, either by sea or land [as you may think proper], your silk stuffs and [other] merchandize, and there [freely] buy and sell. Wheresoever you may [choose to] bring your goods, there a place shall be assigned for your residence: and if you should, at any time, be in want of workmen or laborers, the same shall be fur­nished you, on hire, by our Taalûkdârs.

I am not enabled to account for the sudden and extraordinary encouragement here held out to the Armenian merchants; nor do I know how far it succeeded in alluring that industrious race of men to Mysore. The immunities offered to them were, no doubt, apparently tempting, since they greatly exceeded whatever had been hitherto granted, either to their fellow countrymen, or to any other foreigners. Still, however, the promised advantages were but loosely and generally expressed: and certainly were not intended to admit the adventurers to a participation in those branches of the trade of Mysore (as sandal-wood, pepper, &c.) which were rigorously monopolized by the Sultan, as constituting the chief commercial resources of his kingdom. It does not appear, of what country Yâkoob was a subject or resident.