_ 136 _ The Lord of [Laca] in the lands of Basra nine years ago captured the city and fortress of EI Katiff, which was one of the main places of this Kingdom with the exception of Bahrain, but from that time to this it has not been possible to understand this action because there was no reason for it. Last May, as a result of information that the Mameluks were coming to this city. Governor Martim Afonso sent Bernardim de Sousa here with men to come to its assistance. As nothing occurred as a result of their arrival, because these Mameluks did not come, I requested the favour of Luis Falcão to agree below Bernardim de Sousa and almost two hundred Portuguese to go there. He agreed to this, and they are still there, together with all my kinsmen, two thousand Persians and four thousand Arabs. Please God that they will do the same as they did at Sohar, that they have been that fortress and city and will return it to this city, to which it formerly belonged. In these two events I have lost, Sir, my possessions and almost six hundreds of my friends for the sales of the factory, which has given me nothing. This was the condition on which Luis Falcão agreed, and [on the condition] that the revenues of the Kingdom should make no contribution because they are being spent on other necessities.
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