ABSTRACT
These victories having been obtained, as well as others which our people gained against the soldiers of the Çamorim, and the King of Cochim having been reinstated in all that they had taken from him, the great Afonso Dalboquerque and Francisco Dalboquerque determined that, before they turned their attention to lading the ships, they would speak with the king respecting the fortress, which, according to their orders, they had to erect in Cochim. And both of them told him that the chief reason why the Portuguese who remained there for his service had suffered so many troubles, wars, and deaths, was that they had not a stronghold wherein they might be safe from the vexations which the Moors of the land every day inflicted upon them, and 6from which he was in no way able to protect them; and also whereby they might be able to withstand the power of the Çamorim, and that by what had hitherto taken place, his Royal Highness could clearly perceive that they stood in great need of it. And the King D. Manoel, his lord, confiding in his friendship, and in what was due to his service, had sent to beg him that he would be pleased to grant a site close by the river, in which they might construct a stronghold for the safety of the Portuguese, who remained there, and for the safe stowing of the merchandise which might be sent from Portugal, for thereby his estate would be safer. The king heard this demand, and, although there were on the part of the governors and lords of the land, to whom he communicated the business, some obstacles against the granting it,—for they had been induced to oppose it by the Moorish merchants of the land, by means of bribes which they had given them, because they were unwilling that we should make a settlement in it,—yet to establish his estate the more safely, and to preserve the friendship of the King of Portugal, and also to keep the great profit which accrued to him from this commerce, he put aside all the hinderers, and was pleased to grant a site for the building of the fortress, where it now stands: and this was the first which was made in India. That the work might be quickly finished, the two Dalboquerques divided the labour of it between them, so as to shorten the time, and each commenced to erect the part which fell to his share. As they had no means of working stone and mortar, they desired the king to order wood to be given them, which he sent for at once in great abundance. The building was begun with some large palisades filled in with earth. And because Afonso Dalboquerque had to go to Coulão 1 to take in a cargo of spices, according to the orders 7which, he had from the King D. Manoel, that as soon as he arrived in India he should take cargo in Cochim to assist Coulão, whither he had already despatched two ships of his company, he laboured day and night with all his men in such a manner, that in a short time he completed his share of the fortress. Thenceforth, some differences arose between them respecting their rivalry at the work. Afonso Dalboquerque, on excuse of being annoyed with his cousin, began to be chary of his conversation with him, and on several occasions sent to tell him that, since the fortress was finished on his side, he begged he would graciously appoint some person to stay in it as captain until the king’s wishes were known. Francisco Dalboquerque, according to his wont, would not appoint anyone. Afonso Dalboquerque, seeing these jealousies, which his cousin desired to make with him, forgetting that the King D. Manoel had given orders to both that they should make this fortress, ordered Padre Fr. Rodrigo, of the Order of St. Dominic, to be sent for, and told him that he had constantly sent to beg Francisco Dalboquerque to come to some mutual arrangement how it would be best to leave the fortress, and that he would never come to any terms about it, but rather chose to introduce speeches of little value in the present state of affairs, and that he himself wanted to go to Coulão to load his ships; for he had sent thither two ships of his squadron, and it was necessary to relieve the place; for he had advice that many ships had passed bound for Choromandel, and that he, as far as regarded his portion of the labour which he had expended upon the fortress, was anxious to cause a Mass to be celebrated, and then set out to load his ships, and that Francisco Dalboquerque might do as he pleased, and that it was his especial desire that he would undertake the Mass himself. Fr. Rodrigo was much troubled that differences should exist between men so honourable and so nearly related, and that, too, in a land wherein the affairs of Portugal had not yet been firmly established. So he went with Afonso Dalboquerque to the fortress and celebrated Mass; and, at the close of the service, they walked in procession through it, and called it the “Convent of Christ”, because it was undertaken in a land annexed to the magistracy of these kingdoms and the first fortress which had been made in those parts. Francisco Dalboquerque, in order not to agree with him as regarded the share he had in the labour, called it “Alboquerque”, and appointed as captain and officers whom he chose, whereat Afonso Dalboquerque felt much discontent, but put up with everything that it might not come to the knowledge of the Moors that there were differences between them. So, having taken his leave of the king, he made ready to leave and take in his cargo.
