_ 66 _ only recently helped it against the Turk by sending it a very powerful fleet, commanded by João de Meneses, Count of Tarouca and Prior of Crato, head of the royal household. It was further agreed that the Venetians should build a fleet, since if the Sultan lost his Indian trade this would also be a great loss for the city of Venice. Since there was no wood with which to build it in the Red Sea they were to obtain it from Turkey. In this they also helped the Sultan a great deal, for they carried it by sea to Alexandria, and from there to Cairo in large boats, Here the wood was cut to build ships, galleys and galleons, and taken to Suez on camels. In Suez they constructed four topsail ships, one galleon, two royal galleys and three galliots, all of them like our own, in the space of 50 days. While they were being built there arrived an Arab whose name was Maimame, who had come from India to see the Sultan. The King of Calicut and other Indian kings believed him to be a saint, and they therefore sent him to tell the Sultan what our men had done in India. They asked him to come to their rescue in the name of Muhammad, so as to save the Arabs from being destroyed by the Portuguese and to prevent the Law of Islam from disappearing in India. When the Sultan received this embassy he immediately provided men for the fleet, which was by now completed,
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