_ 57 _ ready there. He departed after them, staying in the rear, and on the way some forts were visited and inspected as necessary. He had decided to build a fort at Quilon in order to secure the trading post that would be there. For this matter it was necessary to have a man he could trust, and he chose a gentleman from Coimbra called Eytor Rodriguez, in whom he had complete confidence. He was in charge of the trading post at Cannanore, and the governor knew that he better than any other man would know how to decide upon the land at Quilon and deal with the people there. Furthermore, he would be doing greater service to the King in Quilon than as factor in Cannanore. Thus, he was offered the post and duly accepted it, being of service to the King, as his servant and a gentleman of his house. After giving him his instructions on what was to be done, he despatched him from Cannanore on the sixth of January to Cochin, on his way to Quilon. After he had left the governor also departed, and arriving in Goa be found a quantity of provisions, gunpowder and munitions that Dom Goterre had made ready. On making an inspection of the men and of the ships in the fleet he found that Jeronimo de Sousa, a nobleman
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