_ 352 _ completing the fortress. He appointed Pero de Albuquerque, son of Jorge de Albuquerque its Captain, Vasco Fernandes, son of Jorge de Mello as Alcaide Mor, and Manuel de Acosta de Alcacere do Sal as Administrator. The King owed a great sum of money from past years. Of the fifteen thousand xerafins tribute imposed on him by Afonso de Albuquerque he had not paid more than ten, alleging that the Viceroy, Dom Francisco de Almeida had taken from him the other five thousand. He showed the provision made at the time Afonso de Albuquerque had been in Cannanore. Ambassador Nicolao Ferreira had come about the matter. It was very difficult for him to pay this debt, and thus give up all the artillery he possessed. Afonso de Albuquerque took all this artillery, saying he needed it to place it in the fortress, on which the defense of the whole city depended. Rumours had reached him from various Moorish sources that a great fleet of the Sultan had left Suez. These rumours were false, having been spread by them against us. They gave Afonso de Albuquerque a pretext to take all the artillery the King possessed. The King had power over nothing. Reis Nordin, the Governor, all the officials of the royal treasury and Reis
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