_ 196 _ Use Cochin and Calicut for loading your naus. This is the best advice you can have. Establish an outlet for your naus in these two ports, Sir, because here you have all the ginger, pepper and other drugs of Malabar, and all the precious stones of Vijayanagar, which, even after so many years of war with Calicut, is the greatest enterprise in India today. Do not believe the advice or the letters you receive from India because the men who write them to you do not bear arms, but send to Portugal for breastplates to sell for forty or fifty cruzados. Stop waging war on Calicut, and you will thereby achieve something of great importance, with both peace and security. With peace, you have all the drugs, ginger and precious stones from its land to load on your naus. Cannanore is nothing more than an entrepôt, relying on Calicut for all the goods it sells, and retailing supplies to us for double the original price, from which you derive no benefit whatsoever. Thus, if you finish with this business of Calicut in the way that I have outlined, your interests in India will prosper. Moreover, to destroy it is completely impossible. Cairo, Venice, Turkey and other places are envious of your fame, conquests and wealth
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