_ 193 _ interfered with its shipping. Your ships patrolling the coast of Calicut are small, lightly armed and easily captured, so they do not dare launch their batels, and thus they are unable to prevent ships loading. Although these are at the mercy of the waves, your naus remain anchored. The coast is seething with ships, which will always be able to sail freely unless you capture these ports. Your Highness expects a couple of caravels or small ships to guard the coast of Calicut. These will be captured but our naus are not going to capture anything from Calicut. The “Ferros”, for instance, did not dare attack a nau from Calicut, which arrived from Jidda in the month of September, even though it was within sight of Antonio de Saldanha on the “Flor da Rosa”. Sir, why are you at war with Calicut? Why do you wish to have so many years of power in India discredited by this war, which encourages Venice to interfere in the affairs of India and Cairo to build fleets, in the belief that it could drive your people and ships out of India? All the while that Calicut was at war, Cairo and Venice persisted in their designs. Because you were influenced by the Kings of Cochin and Cannanore ,and by your factors and secretaries, you
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