_ 221 _ the King of Ormuz; and telling him to capture Ormuz, if it proved possible to do so without having to destroy it; he urged him to accomplish this, so that our position in India would be so secure that it wouldn't cause us any more trouble; for it was better to consolidate what had been won, than to have to win it again. The king further instructed the governor that when he captured Ormuz, he was to devote its principal church to Our Lady of the Conception, as was also the case in Lisbon. When the governor saw this letter he changed his plan, which had been to go to Suez to fight the Sultan’s fleet. His reasons were as follows: even though it would be of great importance to defeat the sultan's fleet, because it presented a great threat every year and even though its destruction would make it difficult for the Muslims to go on their pilgrimage to Mecca, and if he went to the Strait he would be able to make a treaty with the Prester. The only advantage would be that the Arabs would be unable to take their goods to the Red Sea, with the result that our goods would increase in value. However, after he defeated the Sultan's' fleet the governor would have to go back to India and pay for the provisions and salaries for the king's factories; as a result their treasury would be depleted and they would have little merchandise left for the
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