_ 23 _ The Captain-in-Chief was told that when João da Nova was keeping watch at night, as he had been ordered, he went close to the shore to talk to the Moors, and that he had received messages form Khwaja Attar saying that they ought to complain of the wrong the Captain-in-Chief was doing to the city without reason, when they were giving him as much money as he asked; and that they would give money to the Captains too if they would help them in this, since it was serving the King João told the other Captains about this conversation, and they determined to face up to the Captain-in-Chief over this and to petition him forcefully, and they agreed with João da Nova that he should bring the matter to a head by asking the Captain-inChief’s permission to set off for India and go to the Viceroy, because he was hindering his departure in time for him to be able to go to Portugal. The Captain-in-Chief was informed of all these consultations, but because time prevented him from giving the punishment this deserved and because he wanted to put an end to the siege and get possession of the large amount of money that he knew the city was ready to give him in the plight it was in, he told no one of these things that he kept secret, not even Dom Antonio /865/ his nephew, because he was a young man and would think these things a matter of honour. So, to avoid the difficulties
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