_ 23 _ Item: Trade in Ormuz is enormous. People come there from every corner of India because the whole of Persia and Arabia needs Indian goods, such as: clothes, sugar, iron, and rice, not to mention spices. India needs horses, silk, alum and seed pearls and these come from Ormuz. There is such a great demand for these things here and the country has no other outlet, with such a fine port for naus, so near to the mainland. I report this to Your Highness because Ormuz generates two hundred thousand xerafins and has to support eight hundred men. Sir, if Your Highness wishes to spend the revenues and maintain the country, you would need six hundred men inside Ormuz, because a lot of foreigners go there which for the sake of the trade, cannot be avoided. Most of these people are from the land of Sheikh Ismael, who would prefer to lose an eye that have this fortress built here. Therefore, it is imperative always to have forces in Ormuz and not of the …..the land. Item: Two hundred men are needed for eight ships, that is to say, to guard the coast from pirates, and there are many here, and to force the naus into port. They are also needed to sail to Cape Guardafui, during the first monsoon, to escort all the ships from India here. In this way, Your
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