ABSTRACT
After the great Afonso Dalboquerque had sent this reply to Cogeatar, he ordered the captains to be summoned, with all the Fidalgos and principal men of the fleet, and gave them an account of all that had passed with Cogeatar; and after having read the letter which the Viceroy had written to him, he said to them that he begged them, as a favour, to consider the affair very carefully, and advise him as truly as they could, what steps he ought to take in the matter, for his judgment was insufficient for the understanding of the mode of dealing which the Viceroy desired to have with him. And he explained that the Viceroy had not been content with highly favouring the captains who had fled away from the war, and deserted him, permitting many insults to be perpetrated upon him, for the service of the king our lord; but that he even had written the letter before them to Cogeatar, praising him highly about his flight and returning to him the captive Moors, whom he had forwarded, though taken in fair war, together with many words of little credit to his person, and lightly esteeming his labours, as they had seen in this letter, all which was highly favourable to the Moors, but greatly to his own disadvantage. And 239since this was so, and he had no longer any hope of the Viceroy’s assisting him in this undertaking, he had made up his mind to have no more disputes with Cogeatar, nor even to demand tribute from him, but to steer for India and come to the point face to face with the Viceroy. The captains, although they were deeply moved by the contents of the letter, and the slight estimation in which the Viceroy held Afonso Dalboquerque, yet, notwithstanding all this, they urged him to suffer it, and not to be put out, for all that he was on the eve of the journey; and they told him that he ought to send a declaration to Cogeatar, and notify to him the orders of the Viceroy.
