Ralph Fitch

Ralph Fitch was an English merchant and one of the first Englishmen to travel through India and Southeast Asia. His reports on foreign affairs and conditions especially that of India, were highly valuated by the founders of the English East India Company for whom he served as consultant.

In January 1583 Fitch, along with his companions – J. Newberie, J. Eldred, William Leedes and James Story embarked in the Tiger for Tripoli and Aleppo in Syria. From Aleppo they reached overland the Euphrates, crossed southern Mesopotamia to Bagdad, and dropped down the Tigris to Basra (May to July 1583). At Basra Eldred stayed behind to trade, while the rest of the group sailed down the Persian Gulf to Ormuz, the prominent trading center. After they reached Ormuz, they were arrested as spies and sent prisoners to the Portuguese viceroy at Goa in Portuguese India. It is believed that his incident occurred as a result of Venetian merchant’s instigation. Thanks to suretyship of two Jesuits they succeeded in regaining their freedom. In April 1584 Fitch, Newberry and Leedes escaped from Goa and travelled through India to Agra where the court of the Great Mogul Akbar was placed. Leedes settled as court jeweler at Agra, while Newberry decided to return overland via Lahore (September 1585), but he disappeared in the Punjab.

Fitch, in contrast, decided to conduct exploration voyage before his return. He came down the Yamuna and the Ganges Rivers, visiting Benares, Patna, Cooch Behar at the base of the Himalayas where he hoped to learn more of Tibetan trade across the mountains. In November 1586 he sailed for Myanmar (Burma) where he visited Rangoon Region, stopped at Pegu, fabled for its splendor, and even penetrated to the Siamese Shan states (1586-1587).

In early 1588 he traveled to his last destination, the Malay Peninsula. He visited Malacca, now in Malaysia acquiring knowledge about trade with China and the Spice Islands, now the Moluccas.

In spring of the same year, Fitch decided to return back in England. He reached London on April 29, 1591.