_ 362 _ and their wives, children and servants. These were the causes of much unrest in the territory. Afonso de Albuquerque wrote to the officials in Goa, telling them to give them houses and all the other things they might need at the cost of the King’s exchequer. The Kings of Ormuz customarily blinded all those of their lineage, brothers and kin, who might inherit the Kingdom. They all lived on the island, which was too small a homeland to support so many princes. In order to prevent them from making trouble, and to avoid rebellions, which many of them had caused, the Kings found no better means of taming them then to deprive them of their sight by placing a vessel of burning wire in front of their eyes. Once Dom Garcia had left, at the end of August, Afonso de Albuquerque spent his time putting the finishing touches to the security of the fortress. He made provision to stay there longer than he finally, in fact, did. But (on the fifteenth of September he fell ill with dysentery which he had since the beginning of August. As he was a stubborn man, who cared Little for his own person, he only took to his bed when he could not do otherwise. Since the illness was of such a nature that he could not receive visitors and was very severe for eleven days, there were suspicions that he had already passed away, and he found it advisable to receive all those who wished to go and
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