_ 164 _ in the Standing Orders. The problem is also interesting because it reveals that the elaboration of King Manuel's letter to the Samorin is later than this decision and also to his own Standing Orders. To continue the comparison of the two texts: next come thirty lines of text and seventeen of marginalia in Document III which have no parallel in Fragment 19. They refer to Vasco da Gama's voyage, the bringing of Indians to Portugal, their return with Cabral, the lading of merchandise in Calicut and Cabral’s journey with new goods to initiate trade and begin missionary work. It is an important passage, which does not appear in Fragment 19. Document III And that God, seeing our good intentions, granted that a short while ago Vasco da Gama, our Captain, went with three small ships and entered the Indian Ocean to make landfall at the city of Calicut, where he found the said Indians, to have speech and dealings with them. We ordered him to bring them back so that through them it may be known what there is in our lands. When he is ordered to take them back, he must order that the goods which were unloaded by Vasco da Gama, at his command, and what was seized from him, are to be paid for. He also gave us information, especially of him and of his
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