_ 67 _ 7. The court Viceroy(A) is dead; his death was sudden. João de Mendonça, formerly Captain of Malacca has replaced him, and he is very devoted to us. The Strait here is now open, and many Turks(B) sail through it, but we are not in the slightest afraid of them because he soldiers are distributed between four captains, a hundred under each; a hundred of these guard the gate of the fortress on watches, twenty-five on each watch apart from gatekeepers and others who join them without obligation. All of them have guns with all necessary ammunition, and swords at their belts , and the negroes have their spears and short swords. At night the fortress is guarded from the time of the angelus until morning by the watches; and now it is intended to make all the soldiers live inside. 8. Father Tonda commends himself greatly to Your Reverence; he is not writing to you now because he cannot (C). We had a small gift to send to Your Reverence which would have given you great pleasure, and also a rich length of brocade, but if these letters are to arrive at the college (A) D. Francisco Coutinho. (B) About the years 1558-61 (cf. Couto. Dec. VII, book 9. C.11; DI V 475 476, app.) [The need to translate footnotes 12,13and 16 is obviated by the translation of the text – Translator’s note]. (C) Paulo wrote later cf. doc 35-36.
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