39 city. From Hormuz, Chaul, Dabhol, Bhatkal and Calicut (where a lot of spices used to come from together with rice, sugar, coconuts), but also from Bengal; Sumatra and Malacca. From hence they bring also a lot of spices, medecines, silks, benzoin resin, sealing wax, sandalwood, agarwood, much rhubarb, musk as well as many fine muslins from Bengal. Also a lot of sugar. This makes this city the largest and busiest trading centre in the entire world, with the choicest merchandise. Thefleet of the King of Portugal under the command of Afonso de Albuquerque (then governor of Portuguese India) when reaching this city he captured and burned a great many ships in the harbour. Many were full of cargo, others had unloaded and tried to enter the city. He then escaladed on many ladders while the Moors watched. He gained control of a turret with forty Portuguese inside. They waited for help from their people but no one came and the Moors kept approaching and starting to force their way in. So the Portuguese had to jump from the turret and climbed down by rope. The Moors defended themselves very well and many perished along with some christians (including two captains : one on the turret and another in the city). The Kingdom of Fartak Leaving this kingdom and city of Aden and going out of the strait, one comes to another kingdom of Moors along the coast. This kingdom has three or four coastal towns: one is called Shihr, another Dhofar and another Fartak. Here the soldiers are well provided of horses which they use in warfare as well as many good weapons. Recently they swore alligeance to the King of Aden. The Cape of Fartak, Socotra The coast forms a cape when one heads away from this kingdom, which is called Fartak as well. This is where the coast turns outwards
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