_ 489 _ At last the letters of Afonso de Albuquerque andFrancisco de Almeida had reached Portugal. The King ensured the rapid spread of the news by means of the circular letters such as we know he wrote to the judge, municipal councillors and crown agent of Elvas on 30 January 1509, recommending them to join the solemn procession he was requesting from the bishop, to give thanks for the favourable outcome of events contributing to his aim of domination in the East(A). The Italian translation of Albuquerque's letter, the only means available of knowing its original form, is indicative of the great interest with which foreigners followed the maritime adventures of the Portuguese. In this case the translation was probably made at the time of the theft by Mondragon, and the King knew of it in some other way or through public diffusion of its contents, for Manuel's policy was to draw the attention of Europe to his achievements in Asia; or it may have been due to Italian merchants who formed part of Tristão da Cunha's fleet. chap.XXIV. Banha de Andrade,op.cit,pp.96-102,refers to the search for the pirate Mondragon ordered by King Manuel. (A) 28 Letter published by Aubin in Mare Luso-Indicum, I, pp. 145-149. The date and the haste of the royal message are confirmed by the sentence: We are pleased to communicate to you the news which has just come to us from India of the deeds of Afonso de Albuquerque.
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