ABSTRACT
When the great Afonso Dalboquerque had returned to the ships with all the men, because he had been informed 85that João da Nova was determined to start off to India without permission, he ordered him to be summoned to his ship, and before all the captains who were present, told him that he had been informed that he was desirous of going off to India without leave, and deserting him in this war, when there was need of many more ships and men than were then available, and the more so, as his ship Flor de la Mar was so powerful that it alone was able to destroy all that coast, whereas he himself for his part was determined to set his face in the city of Ormuz, leaving first of all behind him all its towns destroyed, that no enemies might remain behind them. And although Afonso Dalboquerque had understood that the captains were in the league with João da Nova’s intentions, as they were all getting so wearied with the war, yet he desired them to give him their advice on this matter. The captains told him that since he was determined to go to Ormuz and destroy every place that was unwilling to put itself under the King of Portugal, he ought to take with him not only the Flor de la Mar, but twenty ships if he had them there; and they said this because, if they had said the contrary, it would have been evident that they had counselled João da Nova to go. And with this advice of the captains, Afonso Dalboquerque received profession of obedience from João da Nova, and ordered him, under grave penalty, not to go away, but to continue to follow him; and he put up with everything without replying a word, for he was not innocent of the charge, and João Estão was instructed to draw up a notice of this, and lay it before the master and pilot. He then ordered the captains to return to their ships and weigh anchors, and sail along the coast, according to their usual custom. And as they sailed along, they passed by six desert islands, one in front of the other; and Afonso Dalboquerque, in order to make sure, ordered the pilots to keep to seaward of them, as it was night, and on the following morning they stood in closer to 86shore, not to pass by Soar, and the Moorish pilots said that Soar was further on. While they were in that latitude, a head wind struck them, and obliged them to make for land, and they anchored two leagues from it, and remained there all the night, and when it was morning they beheld a large and very beautiful town. Afonso Dalboquerque inquired of the Moorish pilots what the name of the place was, and they said that it was the fortress of Soar, and they dared not carry him to it, as it was very strong, and contained many men, both horse and foot, and if he was to be overcome there he would lay it upon them. But Afonso Dalboquerque replied that even although Soar were very strong, yet he would do to it as he had done to other places, and they themselves had better be careful, for in the chart which the pilot Omar had made, he had notice of all the places along the coast, and if henceforth they omitted any, he would order them all to be cast into the sea with cannon shot round their necks. He then ordered his anchor to he weighed, and stood as closely in to shore as he could with all the fleet, but as it was a rocky bottom, they anchored half a league from the place. When all the fleet had anchored, a Moor came at once from the place, and brought a message for Afonso Dalboquerque from the Alcaide of the fortress, and told him that the fortress before him belonged to the King of Ormuz, therefore he had better not make any intention of landing, nor think that he would do therein as he had done in other places by which he had passed, for they were in a position to defend themselves very differently. And as the Moor uttered this grand speech, those on shore began to parade the horse and foot soldiers, blowing trumpets and anafijs 1 without ceasing. Afonso Dalboquergue’s 87reply was that the Moor might inform the Alcaide to beware what he was doing, for if he refused to put himself under the obedience of the King of Portugal, his lord, he might be certain that on the following morning he would be with him on shore, and take his fortress from him, and put him in chains. The Moor went away not very well pleased with this reply, nor were our party quite satisfied when they beheld so large a place, with a very strong fortress and so many people in it; but considering what had taken place in other parts, they relied on (rod Our Lord to help them. As soon as the Moor had gone off with the reply, Afonso Dalboquerque sent notices to the captains of what had passed with the Moor, and bade them make ready, each one bringing his ladder to scale the wall. He ordered also two guns to be prepared, and many axes and mattocks, and alferces, 1 and all the apparatus necessary for making a strong stockade, from which he could assail the fortress; so that in case they could not obtain immediate possession of it, they might yet be in such a position that they could assemble in the boats without endangering themselves, and this was so hastened on, that on the following day at noon all was ready and put into the boats. When on the point of setting out for the shore, three of the principal Moors of the place arrived with a message from the Alcaide and rulers of the land to Afonso Dalboquerque, telling him that they had of their own accord parted with two thousand horsemen and five thousand foot soldiers, whom the Benjabar had dispatched to assist them in defending his domain, for as they were not trustworthy, they were unwilling to admit them into their fortress, and since the King of Ormuz had not sent them the aid which they had requested of him, they had made up their minds to become vassals of the King of Portugal, and the Alcaide was prepared to deliver up the fortress to him. Afonso Dalboquerque’s reply was that they should say to the Alcaide and rulers of the city that he would accept the town and fortress in the name of the King of Portugal his lord; and that he was very glad to see that they had thought better of the message they had sent him, because of the grief it caused him to be obliged to destroy such a noble place as that was; but the accepting must be on condition of their paying reasonable tribute. The Moors were so dejected at seeing the apparatus which was ready in the boats to be taken to the attack of the place, that they no longer wished to protract the business, and told him that it was not necessary for them to return to land, as he could make whatever agreement he wished with them, since they brought a plenary commission from the rulers and Alcaide of the fortress.
