_ 32 _ D. Antonio de Noronha (transferred from Ceuta to Goa as a reward), had already been Viceroy since 1550. He saw through the dangerous designs of the Turk, decided that the situation had gone beyond what was acceptable, and sent his nephew D. Antão to Ormuz. This expedition, comprising 1,200 men in galleons and 12 oared vessels, departed on 1 April 1551. It was just one among the many hundreds of amphibious operations which, more than the rare battles engaged in on the high seas, fill the pages dedicated by the chroniclers to the naval actions in the East with light and sound. What a great pity it is, no longer to be able to count on sufficient time to apply oneself to a new venture devoted to the great many outstanding military-naval exploits! Having arrived in Ormuz, D. Antão sent Manuel de Vasconcelos ahead with 12 light ships to attack El Katiff and he followed them two months later in July. In all, there were 1,100 Portuguese, with 3,000 Persians and Ormuzians, under the command of Reis Sharaf, the guazil of Ormuz,and of [Emil Maxet], the guazil of Moghistan. They disembarked and attacked the fortress. After eight days' resistance the (400) Turks fled by night. D. Antão wanted to hand over El Katiff, which had been reconquered in this way to Reis Sharaf; but he refused the onerous task, and so much so that the fortress was
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