_ 176 _ a Portuguese. It suited his mood to seek ways to stop the work going forward, and when this invention of the envoys did not serve him he sought another scheme, which was as follows. Afonso de Albuquerque was endeavouring to prevent the Moors discovering how few men he had and also to avoid misbehaviour among the men at arms. He ordered that in each nao there would be a part time Factor, who with a clerk and half a dozen men on their days off would go to the city to buy provisions and what each on board and need of. Concerning this method of purchase King Don Manuel had given instructions to the captains early in the first years of our discoveries, as there was no reason to break the peace with the local people. It was also so that the men should not cheat each other or come into conflict in the buy of the goods and in selling their own property in the best interests of all. Because the men were discontented at the purchases they were making through this Factor and clerk they complained loudly to commander in chief that they should not be ones to buy that jewel or bauble for their wives and daughters, using their own eyes. These things were matters of taste, and Ormuz was a great marketplace to satisfy this covetousness. This grew and a few at a time they went to
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