_ 90 _ With regard to tributes in this kingdom, I am doing all I can to serve Your Highness and to ensure payment of them. It is my opinion that, on what the King pays now, which is more than 800 xerafins to which the Governor agreed, more tribute should be paid, unless, on Your Highness’s orders, your man is not to press the King any further. By “press”, I mean, put our hands into his revenue and oversee his expenses. But I cannot do this without orders from Your Highness. Were you to resolve that I was to stay a few years more in this land, which I have requested through the Duke, I would put my head to this matter, if Your Highness issued me with a relevant position, so that Your Highness would be paid, although the year has not yet ended. In fact, it will be very difficult, or almost impossible, to do this in any other way, because Bahrain has risen up against us, and it is our kingdom’s main preoccupation. Since he has paid nothing to you up until now, even if we arrest him and make him pay, which we should do, it would still be excusing him and allowing him to pay lighter taxes. As Your Highness will already be aware, Sheikh Rashid is the Guazil in Ormuz. In my opinion, he is a good man and very loyal, although not sufficiently strong for such an important place as Ormuz. It is certain, my lord, that
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