_ 86 _ Mecca and quite a few other places, and who hated us, had influenced him against us. These told the king that we were thieves and when we began shipping things to this country, no ships from Mecca, Cambay, [Sigros] or any other place would ever come there, so that he would have no profit whatever. Furthermore, we would provide him with nothing, rather would we take things from him. Thus his land could be ruined. While saying this, they offered many bribes to have us seized and killed so that we would never return to Portugal. The captains learned about this matter from a Moor of the country, who had discovered what had been ordered. He advised the captains, especially the captain, not to leave the ships or set foot ashore. In addition to what this Moor had said, two Christians told him that if the captains went ashore they would cut off their heads, because that is how the king treated those who came to his country and did not give him gold. The situation was that the following day no boat came to our ships. The day after that, an almadia with four Moors approached us, bringing precious stones to sell. We believed they had come at the behest of the Moors, to see if
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