ABSTRACT
The great Afonso Dalboquerque having arrived at Portugal in July 1501, as I have said, and having informed the King D. Manoel of the state of affairs in India, how it was imperative that arrangements should be made to prevent the Moors, after the sailing of the ships to this kingdom, from again becoming lords of the coast of Malabar, and—being encouraged by the Çamorim—from continually causing great trouble to the Portuguese and the Kings of Cochim and Cananor who were friendly towards us, the king consulted with his council upon this business, and there were different ideas upon the subject. But at last he agreed to send a governor to remain for three years in India, with soldiers and armaments needful for the alleviation of the 20troubles our people were suffering. And as he had confidence in Tristão da Cunha the elder, that he would serve him well in this matter, he determined to send him there as governor. But when he and his fleet were ready to sail, in the year 1505, he fell ill with giddiness in the head, whereby he finally became blind. And when the king heard of this sudden accident, knowing that it was necessary at once to send succour to India that year, to encourage our people who remained there, he sent for D. Francisco Dalmeida to Santarem 1 to go in the fleet, and after arriving in India to assume the title of Viceroy. So, seeing that the fleet was now prepared in everything necessary, he went away at once. And the following year, 1506, he sent Tristão da Cunha, who was now well and restored to sight, with a fleet of fourteen sail, to further the business yet more, under orders that, in case he could not reach India that year, he should go into winter quarters in the island of Çacotorá, and make there a fortress for the Christians, who, as he was informed, dwelt therein, making an arrangement thereby that the fleet, which he had determined to send to the coast of Arabia and to Cape Comorim to put a stop to the sailing of the fleets which came from India to the straits with spices, should have there a sure harbour to winter in. And as the King, D. Manoel, saw that Afonso Dalboquerque, in his voyage to India in the year ‘3, as has been narrated, had served him well and had spirit and prudence for governing, he sent him in the company of Tristão da Cunha to remain on that coast as chief captain over six ships and four hundred men. And he gave him secret instructions that on the expiration of three years he was to be Governor of India, and the Viceroy, Dom Francisco Dalmeida, was to return to Portugal; and being at the time in Abrantes, 2 lest he should die of plague in the city of Lisbon, he sent him a flag of white 21satin, with a twisted silk fringe, crimson and white, having a cross of Christus in the centre, of crimson satin, which he took back with him to Portugal, as I shall mention by-and-bye. On the completion of all these arrangements, as soon as Tristão da Cunha had made his fleet ready at Belem, which cost him great labour, owing to the prevalence of the plague in the city and the paucity of men to carry with him, he started on the morning of the 5 th of April, and sailed at once straight over the bar with all his fleet, leaving Afonso Dalboquerque behind, who remained at Belem in the ship Cirne, of which he held the captainship, waiting for a pilot whom he had sent for from the king’s officers, for his own pilot, João de Solis, had fled into Castile two days back for murdering his wife. But when he saw that they would not send him a pilot, trusting to his own great experience in sea matters, and to Diogo Fernandez Piteira, master of his ship, who had already made two voyages to India, and also to that which Tristão da Cunha told him, namely, that he would give him the best pilot there was in the fleet, except the chief pilot, he made up his mind not to wait any longer, and gathered together some people who remained on shore out of the other ships, whom the captains were unwilling to take on board as they came from Lisbon, and set sail the following day, the 6th of the month. And ‘so with much delay he reached the chief captain, who was looking out for him, and after saluting him he told him that he had brought some people whom the captains had left on shore, and he begged him graciously to order their distribution throughout the ships, according to the arrangements agreed upon, for some had died, and his own company was so displeased that he was at his wits’ end to know what to do, and he had ventured upon bringing them, out of the need there would some day arise for them in those parts whither they were proceeding. The chief captain answered that if he were hampered by 22them, why had he brought them on? And he would not give orders for their distribution, whereat Afonso Dalboquerque became very much displeased. And on their arrival at Biziguiche, he sent him a list of the people, who they were, by Pero Vaz Dorta, who sailed as factor of his fleet, begging him earnestly that he would order the captains to take them, as he had no more supplies than were sufficient for his own men. And he begged that he would supply him with the pilot whom he had promised him before they left Belem, for he had not brought one, neither had the king’s officers supplied him with one. The chief captain replied that he was to send and put the people with their baggage on land, and then he would dispose them as it seemed best to him; and as to the pilot he had none, nor could he take one from the other ships to give him. Afonso Dalboquerque, being annoyed at this answer, gave orders to set the people on shore, and that Pero Vaz Dorta should inform the chief captain that among the people were some Fidalgos and persons of repute, and he did not think it fair to mingle them with the others and put them on shore, for he ought forthwith to see that they were distributed throughout the other ships. The chief captain dissembled with him and made no reply. And because during the days they remained there not a single person died nor fell sick in the whole fleet, the chief captain, owing to the frequent importunity of Afonso Dalboquerque, ordered that the persons who were in good health should be distributed throughout the ships, and that the sick should embark in the caravela that he had despatched for Portugal, which the king, Dn. Manoel, had sent in their company to bring back news of their welfare, for he had great fear of the great plague wherewith the fleet was attacked.
