Volume Eight
The Portuquese in the Sea of Oman Annals of History 1497 CE – 1757 CE Volume Eight by: Al Qasimi Publications Author: Dr. Sultan Bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi (United Arab Emirates) Publisher: Al Qasimi Publications, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates Edition: First Year of publication: 2025 ©All rights reserved * ISBN: 978-9948-715-29-0 * Printing Permission: UAE Media Council No. MC 03-01-1140620, Date: 17-03-2025 Printing: AL Bony Press- Sharjah, UAE Age Classification: E The age group that matches the content of the books was classified according to the age classification issued by UAE Media Council * Al Qasimi Publications, Al Tarfa, Sheikh Muhammad Bin Zayed Road PO Box 64009 Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Tel: 0097165090000, Fax: 0097165520070 Email: info@aqp.ae
_ 5 _ Contents Introduction to Volume Eight 7 • Episodes of the year 1547 9 Researchers’ Guide 463 Volume Eight Reference 481
_ 7 _ Introduction to Volume Eight This volume covers the events of two years, 1547 and 1548, during which numerous significant incidents took place. The most notable of these was the Ottoman occupation of Basra, followed by the confusion of the Governor of India. He was uncertain whether to allow communication between Ormuz and Basra or to sever it. He consulted with the Portuguese officials, some of whom were in favor, while others opposed, leaving the matter unresolved. On the other side of the Arabian Peninsula, Turkish activity increased between Dhofar, Qishn, and the land of Ash-Shihr. Meanwhile, Aden witnessed the Arabs occupying the city and expelling the Ottomans from it. After the events in Aden, the Portuguese began preparing a fleet to occupy the city, while the Ottomans
_ 8 _ had already taken control of Aden six days before the Portuguese fleet's plans were finalized. Dr. Sultan Bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi
_ 9 _ (1) Document no. and reference. Episodes of the year 1547 The King of Qishn sent a gift to the governor, on the 14th of January 1547:(1) Gomes Serão the treasurer of this city of Goa, received one mark, two and three-eighth ounces of amber, in two pieces, from the Governor Dom João de Castro. Simão Botelho brought it from Diu [...]. It was sent to the governor as a gift from the King of Kishm. This amber is recorded by me against a treasury receipt on folio 228. Manuel Falcão the clerk of the treasury did this. We both signed it today, 14 January 1547. Manuel Falcão Gomes Serão
_ 10 _ (2) Document no. and reference. In the same year (1547) A gift was sent from the King of Ormuz to the Governor in Diu, on the 16th of January 1547:(2) Antonio Gil, the factor of the factory in Diu, received forty-eight […] of sugar from Antonio Pessoa, plus eighteen [...] of preserves, a small jar of quince jelly and eight jars of dried fruit; that is, one jar of dried plums [prunes], two of raisins, two of pine kernals and three of almonds. The King of Ormuz sent these items as a gift to the Lord Governor in Diu, and he ordered them to be given to the factor. They were delivered to him and entered as received by me, Pero Ferreira, the clerk of this factory, with a statement that this document was issued to him. We both signed them in Diu, today, 17 January 1547. Pero Ferreira Antonio Gonçalves
_ 11 _ (3) Document no. and reference. In the same year (1547) Bastiao Lopez Lobato, the commercial Agent in Ormuz, sent a letter to His Excellency the Governor Dom Joao de Castro, Ormuz, the 3rd of February 1547, in which he mentioned the occupation of Basra by the Turks:(3) My Lord, Antonio Rodrigues arrived in this city on 22nd February. He would have returned immediately if the weather had permitted. So enthusiastic is he about serving Your Lordship that he considers the days which he spends in this land to be wasted. He came late, during the winter, which was very severe here this year. Nonetheless, I could not have prepared matters any faster for him. With regards to the fish which Your Lordship orders to be sent, there is none in this land and it has to come from
_ 12 _ elsewhere. These are very unstable times, and it takes many days to arrive here, but I have done the best I could as Antonio Rodrigues will tell Your Lordship. I am very pleased that Your Lordship is well and in good health. No one could be more pleased than I am because, besides owing this to Your Lordship, your excellent qualities which put me under no obligation, nevertheless oblige me to be. Your qualities are so great so honourable, so full of good and holy attributes that the man who dares to murmur against them is ill born and badly brought up. Our lord employs you only for good actions. Even your enemies are aware of the great virtue which resides in Your Lordship. Your Lordship writes to me that, with considerable difficulty, he is still building this fortress. We are very lucky to have your Lordship to save us from such hardships, taking it upon yourself. Indeed, Your Lordship is fortunate because of the great honour which the Lord has granted you in carrying out his works and in wishing to save his Christian people who, by this strong hand alone, has ensured the protection of Your Lordship’s administration in these parts so that you may govern and help them in all their concerns. I wrote previously to Your Lordship, in another via through your servant Pedro Cordeiro. I think that this was
_ 13 _ the last time I gave Your Lordship a detailed account of the Turks captures of Basra. A few days later the Turks address a latter, proclaiming their good intentions to the Captain of this fortress, of which I sent a copy to Your Lordship. Ever since these men took Basra, I have been hearing about their sending an ambassador or visitor to this fortress. To date, he has not come nor has any reliable message. It is said that there are about 700 or 800 men in Basra and that they behave, and are behaving, leniently and equably towards the people there, since these are in no way pleased about the Turks being there. Matters in this kingdom and in Lar remain unchanged, given that when this happened, one camel train arrived in this city, via Lar; from September onwards not another one has come from there. The state and authority in this land is not sufficiently well equipped to charge the dues which should be taken because, in addition to having very few troops. They are only concerned to look after their private interest. My Lord, I manage to prepare matters and deal with the dispatches only with great difficulty, because I do not have much time. One of the scriveners is dying and the other is not very active.
_ 14 _ If there is time and if I can find a vessel there, I shall set out to find Your Lordship. I shall kiss the ground and the place where my Lord was raised and where your great name grew in grandeur, which, through Your Lordship’s strong right hand, was your salvation. I shall undertake whatever Your Lordship orders of me. I consider it a very great honour and favour that Your Lordship writes to me that he is most concerned about y affairs. I am not worthy of such great honours and favours, but I receive it as designated by Your Lordship. It is indeed a great honour. In this respect, your Lordship says that Antonio Rodrigues seemed suitable. As Your Lordship saw, he is diligent and hardworking, a man fit to serve Your Lordship, in whatever you would want of him. You can plant honour in him and grant him favour because men are potters’ earth, out of which princes and great lords can make large and distinguished vessels. If Antonio Rodrigues brings few provisions, this is because a larger ship was not available for him to leave in, as early as this. I am determined to send more fish; if Your Lordship could find a vessel. At the present time, there are no vessels here fit to be used for this matter. My Our Lord bless Your Lordship with long life, good
_ 15 _ health and victory over your enemies. May he sees that the Lord Dom Alvaro has great honours and a magnificent estate during his lifetime. Ormuz, 3rd February 1547. Bastião Lopes Lobato
_ 16 _ (4) Document no. and reference. In the same year (1547) The privileges granted to Mr. D. Manuel de Lima were issued when he went to take over the captaincy of Ormuz, in February 1547:(4) Authorization to send a carrack to Bengal in one of the years of his captaincy, coming to the city of Goa to pay the dues; this is because he was sent twice with a fleet to the Gulf of Cambay; permission to send a ship each year with twenty horses each year; permission to send a carrack to Malacca each year to conduct his trade, coming to pay the dues at the Customs House of Goa; permission to bring 20 bahars of sealing-wax from Bengal in the ship he will send there and take them to Ormuz. A year of his stipend in advance; permission to bring ten bahars of sealing-wax in addition to the twenty above
_ 17 _ mentioned in each year of his captaincy; permission to send 20 horses to Chaul in each year of his captaincy; and ten in addition to these; permission to have built in Agashi in the lands of Bassein a nailed ship of four hundred candis. The Factor of Ormuz is to defray any necessary expenses on the conduct of war. He may have the footmen and torch-bearers all past captains have had; he may make appointments to all the vacant posts at the fortress; he may order the payment for the lodgings of all his servants and kinsmen, their wages, provisions and residences; one of his foists will be taken from him at valuation.
_ 18 _ (5) Document no. and reference. In the same year (1547) Rafael Lopo sent a letter to the Viceroy of Goa, on the 2nd of March 1547, explaining to him the situation in Basra after occupation by the Turks:(5) Sir, In my opinion, there should be no shipping to Basra while the Turks are there, because if ships arrive they help them to support the town, since they have no other income apart from the port, and the country is also short of food. Most of this comes by sea, but some comes from jizar and form Persia which will not be so if it is seen that we do not favour friendship with them. Moreover, if there are ships, then coir, timber, iron and steel will go there which are materials that they are very short of and greatly need. Although great care is taken with
_ 19 _ these commodities, they will not fail to reach the Turks but less will go there. Our Lord the King loses nothing by not sailing there, because he has no other income from Basra except from horses and if the ones from Arabia do not come through there, they will come by way of EI Katiff and Kalhat, as they used to and do so even now, and those from Persia through Rishahr and the port of Ormuz. Besides, if they cannot support themselves in Basra when shipping is denied them, Baghdad and other places belonging to the Turks will suffer great loss. I heard and learned all this from a great many people and from Moors, natives of Basra and other neighbouring places, during the time that I was captain-major in Ormuz. Done today, 2 December 1547. Rafael Lopo
_ 20 _ (6) Document no. and reference. In the same year (1547) The King sent a letter to D. Joao de Castro, Almereim on the 29th of March 1547, which contained incorrect information about the situation in Basra:(6) D João de Castro, friend, I the King send you greetings. After the carracks of this year’s fleet had left, I heard by a letter written in Venice on 10th of this month that on the 6th of the same month letters had arrived written on 2 February last to the King of France’s ambassador to Venice, from a secretary of another of the King’s ambassadors at the court of the Turk. This letter told him that the Turk’s captains had taken Basra by force of arms. This intelligence had also arrived by letters written at that time to a Jew living in Venice from another of his correspondents in Constantinople, and it further says that
_ 21 _ three thousand Indians and five hundred Portuguese had gone to the assistance of Basra and had all been lost and killed. There are many Turks in Basra because the Turk was building a base there from which to attack India, and [that he intended also to do so] with the other fleet in Suez, which he was having refitted; a captain had already left Cairo for this purpose. Although this intelligence, by the manner in which it is written and the ways by which it has come, can be given little credence, you may already have found out more reliably what has occurred and whether it is of such great significance. It is very important that I inform you of what I know here, and, as the last carracks already left two days ago, it appeared to me to be very much in my interests to send after them a small fishing caravel with the present letter so that if she catches them up, or one of them, she could give it to the captains of the carracks to give them to you as soon as they arrive. For the present neither the time nor the uncertainty of this intelligence have made it possible to do more than let you know how and whence I received it. You know very well how important this is, and it is unnecessary for me to point this out, as you can see for yourself. You understand very well what how this concerns my interests and the
_ 22 _ safety and defense of those parts. If this intelligence is received from other sources, God grant that it will not occur in September [...], I shall write to you. I shall take measures in this matter according to what appears to be in my interests and according to the conditions at the time and the manner in which the intelligence reaches me, for the present there is nothing more to be said about this, nor is there anything more you need do. António de Ferraz wrote this in Almeirim on 29 March [15477]. Although I have ordered you not to send me any ship from there, as has been the custom, all the same, if something similar to this occurs, you will not fail to send me a ship so that I am informed of it. I especially urge you to observe and adhere to what has been agreed with the King of Ormuz regarding postings and other matters totally in the manner and form in which they have been agreed, notwithstanding the provisions concerning these postings which I have issued and which will be delivered to you there. The King D João de Castro
_ 23 _ (7) Document no. and reference. In the same year (1547) Luis Falcao sent a letter to the King of Basra, about the Turks, dated 1547, and he received the letter of Riyad Pasha sent to Ali bin Alyan, Sheikh of Algeria:(7) f 494r Transcript of a letter from Luis Falcão to the King of Basra about the Turks. f 495r-v From Rias Pasha, Governor of Baghdad to Ali bin Alian, King of [Gizaira]. f 496r-v Transcipt of a letter from Luis Falcão to the King of [Gizaira]. Transcript of a letter that Luis Falcão wrote to the King of Basra about the Turks. I was very surprised to see the factor here without your letter and to learn from him how near the Turks were to
_ 24 _ your lands. As this is not the moment for me to complain to you about his great carelessness, I shall leave it for a more convenient occasion. How could you not write about your decision, since you know how ready I am to help you when you need my help? With regard to what concerns you at present, I say Sir that the King of [Gizaira] wrote to me that he was prepared to prevent free passage to those vile people. He asked me if I would be kind enough to help him, because he had always wanted friendship with the Portuguese. I was delighted by his letter as well as by his consideration in giving a report of his decision and good intentions, together with the trust and friendship that he wishes to share with me. I immediately began to get ready, and so that you know that my intention is to go and help you, I am sending a Portuguese there so that you may be informed by him that, with Our Lord’s help, I shall be with you very soon, and also by him that you send word about how I am to make my outward journey and arrive there, and how many of those wretched people there are, and what they did after arriving. You should inform me about everything that you have achieved, because it is appropriate that I should know. As I am pressed for time, I say no more in this letter, except, “May Our Lord grant you victory against your enemies”.
_ 25 _ From Rias Pasha, Governor of Baghdad, to Ali bin Alian, King of [Gizaira]. After all his courtesies and following his custom, he said, In all this time, you and I have maintained a great friendship and we are also very close neighbours. The caravans come and go to and from both countries. Now, on a certain day, the King my lord ordered me to go and capture Basra. From there I was to go to Ormuz and India to fight against the misguided Portuguese, liberate them from their odious religion and kill them. My men were to leave immediately, ready and fully equipped with what they needed in heavy artillery and ships, and travel overland by the [Zaquia] route. We agreed to meet each other in [Carna], near you, and from there make our way by land to take Basra from the river. Since I resolved these matters by myself, I am letting you know of my decision in this letter. I have informed you so that you may know where I stand and also that I am your friend. I am telling you to fulfill your honour, obey my King and be numbered among his friends, because you will receive from him nothing but great honour as well as many gifts and rewards. It is a good idea for you to send a prominent person to me here. I shall send one of mine, so that both go to the King, because you will receive nothing
_ 26 _ from him except great honour. Do not ignore my advice since I am your friend, because by obeying the King you will lose nothing and you will receive everything that you want from him. Our true Lord in his Koran orders you not to disobey his commandments, his prophets or those who are elders, because my King is a great and just king who, in truth, offers the good advice that you do not depart from what I say to you, because my intention and my business on this journey is for no-one else but the cruel, misguided Franks, to wipe them from the face of the earth, destroy their houses and scatter them so that their name no longer exists anywhere. You must join me immediately so that they may not find shelter in my land, because it is not right for you to turn away from the great honour that brings so much benefit to your reputation and brings peace of mind. I, who am your friend, will be the third most important person after you and the King. Do not reject my counsel as I am your friend, and my people are to go from [Carna] to Basra. Listen to my advice because I am awaiting your reply. Transcript of the letter that Luis Falcão wrote to the King of [Gizaira].
_ 27 _ I received two letters from you by my factor, with which I was delighted, both because of the consideration that you showed by giving me an account of the arrival of those vile people and by the confidence you have in our friendship. It is quite right for you to have it since, up to now, no one has regretted having us as friends in this region where we live. If these evil people, because of their need of your help and favour, write to you in terms full of deceit disguised by sweet words, the benefits that the Kings of Aden and Kamaran will receive can be foreseen. Because I know that you are acquainted with the lack of justice and the great evil of these people, I shall say no more to you about them. As for your telling me that I should attend to this business before it becomes too big, because their intention is merely to come to this fortress, I can assure you that if they do, they will receive what they deserve. The fortress of Diu has witnessed how the Portuguese can punish their arrogance. But as it is our custom and our God orders us to help anyone in need, I am keeping myself ready, not because of the fear that I have of those detestable people, nor because of the profit that I can draw from this business, but only so as to do what you ask me to help the King of Basra, with whom we have been friends for so many years.
_ 28 _ The blame for these vile people daring to come to Baghdad rests with the King of Basra, because I wrote to him many days ago that he should fulfill his duty by going to capture the fortress of [Zaquia], and that I would go and help him, because if I went with a fleet by sea and he with men by land, it would be impossible for it to be defended. He has not even answered me now that my factor has come from there. He did not write to me even to ask for help, though it was very much needed. But returning to the point, I state that I was getting myself ready and that I shall be with him as soon as I can. In the meantime, he ought to block their passage, since he is such a powerful man and can do so. I am thus writing to the King of Basra telling him that he has no men and no justice or truth, and that I should be excused from reminding such a distinguished person of this. As for the fortress that he claims he had left me to build, and his land, I have a lot to thank him for. When the Portuguese go there they can be trusted with everything. They will do what they consider right, and these evil people will be destroyed. So, the less said the better. I say no more in this letter, except, “May Our Lord give you victory over your enemies”.
_ 29 _ (8) Document no. and reference. In the same year (1547) De Manuel de Lima sent a letter to Alvaro de Castro, from Qalhat, on the 26th of April 1547, in which he mentioned a news that the Turks are coming to Ormuz:(8) Sir, I wish to begin by telling you that, thanks be to Our Lord, I am in good health and disposed to serve you in all matters on which you give orders; I shall deem it a favour if I can be of use in some matter among the many in which you may order me to serve you. I arrived here in Kalhat on 25 April and found here so many mangoes and such fine ones that I believe I may be getting fat. But apart from the mangoes I found here some caturs commanded by Gonçalo Falcão(A), and he gave me (A) Gonçalo Falcão was in command of the St. Thomas bastion during the first siege of Diu. (Correa, III,pp 857,858).
_ 30 _ the news that some Turkish ships had come Suez to Zabid and they believe that the Turkish fleet will come to Ormuz this year, but if this is true only the Lord God can know. There are very few people in Ormuz, only casados, and the Turks are in Basra. There are two thousand of them, and it is said that they are very decent people; and that their pastime is firing musket-shot at the palisade. Will you please tell me in what way I may serve you, for you will thereby do me a great favour. I kiss your hands Kalhat, 26 April 1547. Your servant, Manuel de Lima. To the most magnificent Lord D. Álvaro de Castro, Captain Major of the Sea of India, etc., my Master.
_ 31 _ (9) Document no. and reference. In the same year (1547) A letter was sent from D. Manuel de Lima to D. Alvaro de Castro, Qalhat on the 26th of April 1547, explaining the situation in Ormuz:(9) Sir, On 28 April here in Kalhat I was given a letter from you, which had been brought by a terrada from Diu. You thus paid me an inestimable compliment. There was also one from the Lord Governor, by whom, according to the great and food of India, who had put much effort into say so, I had been insulted(A). They have behaved as they always do, and I wish to say nothing more for my own pleasure and delight than that they envy my relationship with the Lord Governor. (A) See letter of 18 March to D.João de Castro, in which D.Manuel writes of the rumour spread by “certain men of low rank” to the effect that he was on had terms with the Governor.
_ 32 _ I am not that Ormuz is in a bad way and that no merchants are arriving there. I can therefore not obtain from there more than two hundred pardos, but with the favour of the Lord Governor, I hope in God that I can obtain four reals in the service of His Lordship and in yours(A). Please always tell me many ways in which I can be of service to you, because by so doing you will be granting me great favours. I kiss your hands Kalhat, 28 April 1547. Your servant, Manuel de Lima. To the most magnificent Lord D. Álvaro de Castro, Captain of the Sea of India, etc., my Master. (A) The captaincy of Ormuz was regarded as one of the most profitable in India, in which the captains expected to become rich.
_ 33 _ (10) Document no. and reference. In the same year (1547) A letter was sent by Manuel de Vasconcelos of Goa, to D. Joao de Cas-tro, Cannanore, on the 12th of May 1547, explaining the situation in Ash-Shihr:(10) On eighth May a carrack belonging of Khwaja Shams-Al-Din arrived from El-Shihr, bringing him a letter from his brother in Jeddah. The news he gave him are as follows: Item: A son of the Iman, Lord of the mountain region, rebelled against his father and had sent to request the Turk for fighting men to capture his father’s lands and to make him his subject; the Turk sent him a captain with fifteen thousand men, with whom he has already taken the greater part of the coast, and he commanded these men not to leave until they are masters of the whole Strait.
_ 34 _ Item: The captain of these fighting men sent for the captain of four foists which arrived at Muscat; he remained with him, and the foists stayed in Mocha. Item: The Suez fleet remains as it was, and some men who came to Mocha, who had been where the Turk was, said that the Turk gave a fleet to a servant of the Jewish Khan, who was a captain under Skanderbeg, to come to India, but it was not said when. Item: After Prester john captured his lands, the Lord of Zeila went to the Turk and requested help from him, and he gave it; as a result he is now master of what was his. This is what the letter said. Item: The nacoda of the carrack said that three caturs belonging to Portuguese had watered below El-Shihr, and they said that they were bound for Malindi; these must be the ones sent by Your Lordship. Item: Sir, I have now been at this fortress for more than two years, and I have not been paid more than one quarter-year of the salary Your Lordship granted me. I beg Your Lordship to order the payment of what is owed to me to be made to sustain me, for here I have nothing but my salary, and my brother-in-law, António Ferrão will confirm this.
_ 35 _ May God increase you days of life and your estate. I kiss Lordship’s hands. Cannanore, 12 May 1547. Your Lordship’s servant, Manuel De Vasconcelos. (Sealed with wax) (171v) To my Lord, the Governor.
_ 36 _ (11) Document no. and reference. In the same year (1547) A letter was sent from Khwaja Shamsuddin Ghulam to D. Joao de Castro, Cannanore on the 13th of May 1547, explaining the situation in Ash-Shihr:(11) Sir, My brother wrote to me from Jeddah telling me news he had of the Turk’s fleet, which is as before, and told me that the Turk is said to have given the fleet to a former servant of the Jewish Khan(A), who is a captain of Skanderbeg, to come to India, but it is known when he will come. He also told me that the Imam’s son had rebelled against his father, who is Lord of the mountains and had (A) The Jewish Khan, captain of the King of Cambay’s Abyssinians, mentioned by Gaspar Correa (vol 14), taken prisoner at the battle of Diu and confined in a tower at Goa.
_ 37 _ sent to the Turk to ask for fighting men to capture his father’s lands and to ask to become his subject. The Turk had sent a captain with fifteen thousand men and taken part of coast; he had ordered this captain not to return until he had made himself master of the whole Strait; and the Iman had retreated to the mountains. He has ordered this captain to summon the captain of the four foists who went to Muscat and he was already with him and the foists which had remained in Mocha. The Lord of Zeila had returned to take possession of his lands which Prester John had captured, and the Turk had sent fighting men to help him regain to his possessions. My brother wrote to me with this news in September telling me to be sure to send it to Your Lordship. I kiss Your Lordship’s hands for the honour and favour you have paid me and your nephew, which I deserve from Your Lordship. God increase Your Lordship’s life and estate. From this city of Cannanore, 13 May 1547. Your servant, Khwaja Shams-Al-Din Ghulam. (With a wax seal) To the lord Governor, From Khwaja Shams-Al-Din Ghulam.
_ 38 _ In the same year (1547) Dom Jeronimo de Noronha sent a letter to Dom Joao de Castro, Ba-sin, on the 18th of May 1547, in which he reported what was happen-ing in Dhofar, Qishn, and Ash Shihr:(12) Sir, I have had a long letter from Álvaro Lopes in which he recounts at length and in details the great celebrations and welcome for you in Goa(A). Subsequently, I received many more letters in which this was described to me, but the main writer and the most abundant was Álvaro Lopes. It is true that I asked him to do this, and he did so. Since there letter I have had no more reports, and it is as much for this reason as because I wish to know how (A) This refers to the celebrations to welcome the Governor in Goa after his return from Diu on 19th April 1547. (12) Document no. and reference.
_ 39 _ you are after your great labours at Diu that I am sending this patamar. Be so good as to send me back much news of yourself and, if matters do not allow me to do so at such length as I wish, please tell D. Álvaro to do so as a favour to me. I have held back this patamar, Sir, for a few more days in order to be able to send your news of this place, and what I have is the following; D. João Mascarenhas has wrote me a letter dated the first of this month of May, which arrived in small foist from here, which he ordered to wait so that he could write. He tells me that after you left he several times found fighting men from the other side attempting to get on the island; he then sent some caturs to protect the access and posted two hundred men in city; when they saw this they went away and did not return and he heard that they wanted to go for good. He also had news that the King of Cambay was afraid that the Pathans would come, and he sent men to Ahmedabad to find out what was going on, and that when he had news he would send it to me. (98v), About the Pathans D João tells me that it is very hot, but by the same token all the area around me is peaceful so far. From the port of Mahim here a carrack belonging to Moors left for Dhufar, and because of a storm arrived at
_ 40 _ Qishn and stayed there, and some men from the same carrack, natives of the place with whom I spoke, went overland to El-Shihr. The news they bring are as follows:- in Qishn there were thirty lascars and a negro who was their captain, who are under the control of the King of El-Shihr, and they say that the town and the region are much damaged and in ruins. They said that a carrack belonging to the King of Cambay, which was on her way from Ormuz, arrived there, and they captured all the money she was carrying, and in return for the great amount of money they had taken they gave her by force goods worth nothing. The carrack form Mahim received poor payment for the goods she was carrying. They said that in El-Shihr there were five or six hundred Abyssinians from Ras Fartak and Ras Naws and a few Turks and four beached foists, and it is said that they come from Cairo and are the ones which last year came to Kalhat; both these towns, Qishn and El-Shihr, were keeping a very careful watch on us in the belief that men from here would side with asking of Qishn. They were all fearful at the news from Diu, and there was no news at all of the Turks. There was only news of what those in Basra had done, and
_ 41 _ it was said there that some of our foists were in Socotra. This carrack had left there on 15th April, and when it left for here there was news that the same foists were in a port called [Babo]. I myself spoke to the men who came from there, and this is what they say. The fleet from there was in a bad state on account of the long period the ships has spent at sea. For this reason, and because the ships of the fleet were gathered together belatedly, and because those that had been dispersed were much damaged, it was very difficult to prepare them rapidly so that they were ready for whatever occurs and to do what you command. In eight days time, with the help of Our Lord, they will be at Agashi, and this in spite of many problems and arguments against it. They irony is that those who said these things to me said the contrary to you, and they are dying because it has happened to them in their own place and they will not be in yours. D. Jorge(A) is prepared for battle and very happy to serve you. (A) D. Jorge who went with the caturs to the relief of Diu. Took a courageous part in the lifting of the siege of Diu and subsequently distinguished himself at Broach. For this he was called D Jorge de Baroche.
_ 42 _ Would you remember to grant great favours to Agostinho de Teive(A), because he deserve it. Your will also do me a great favour and it will also facilitate his mother-in law’s affairs. 17 May 1547. I kiss your hands, D. Jeronimo de Norronha. (99v). To the Lord Governor, etc, my Lord. (A) Agostinho de Telve was a Casado of Bassein.
_ 43 _ In the same year (1547) A resident of Ormuz sent a letter to King Dom Joao III of Goa on the 19th of June 1547, in which he stated that the Portuguese Governors were stealing the king’s money:(13) Sir, Last year I wrote Your Highness about the Zoutlawing of the carracks of illicit dealers, because it was in your interests for them to be banned. This is certainly because they are one of the main reasons for the Treasury of Your Highness being so harmed. Although Your Highness may be told that anyone proved to have bought something from Your warehouses pays with his lie and losses his possessions with no reprieve, it should not be assumed that every time someone is accused of that offence he must be executed. No witnesses called on behalf (13) Document no. and reference.
_ 44 _ of Your Highness will testify against him or, if called on his behalf, will blame You Highness for everything. Besides, the Vice-Governor is not short of duties and has more to do than to be enquiring into how people live and act. Your Highness has such high costs and expenses in this land and so little to offset them that now, however small a transaction takes place in your service, it cannot remain undetected. If, until now, the robbing of your treasury by your Governors was not so noticeable, it was because of the great amount of money involved in the merchandize coming from Portugal covered the costs and the uncontrolled expenses incurred could not be easily discovered, so the harm that Your Highness suffered by these ships sailing was not noticed, and they brought huge profits to the Governor, secretaries, servants and friends of the Governor. Only very few did not think it right to seize so much of what pertained to your interests. However, if they are told and are aware of the danger this land is in, without the wherewithal to support itself, and of how much they risk by this, they would not be so friendly to the crooked dealers and they are against your interests in thinking that outsiders are not able to understand or appreciate the needs of this land, because
_ 45 _ everyone cries out [for food] and if they do not receive it, they have nothing to eat. He who rules the country is aware that he does not have what is needed to meet so many expenses, and he sees them ever increasing. God knows how much it hurts me to write this to Your Highness, but I do so because it is fitting that I do not conceal it from you. I wrote to Your Highness that if I thought it in your interest [for] some carracks belonging to illicit dealers to sail, they would do so at your request, [laden] with coir and with a Moorish crew but without a Portuguese master or pilot, and that I would give this town some carracks, believing that the town would be grateful to me for it. I have now summoned him [the ruler] and, in Your Highness’ name, granted him the favour of receiving four carracks [laden] with coir, equipped with your permission, with Moorish sailors but without Portuguese masters or pilots, and that these carracks would sail from here to Ormuz. These were to be assigned to the four men who had Performed the greatest service to Your Highness and who had lived in this town for three whole years. The four people to whom the carracks were to be allocated would be
_ 46 _ selected in council, with me being relieved of the freedom to give them to whoever I wished, because I do nothing in this land for my won profit or that of my relatives and friends, but only to serve. So I said that in Cochin, Chaul and Diu I gave [….] one of his ships in this way and I was told that a meeting was to be held the following day and I would be given an answer. The next day, the four men came to me saying that they would not accept the carracks and they told me I should let all of them sail just like they used to . To support this request they presented a letter stating that Your Highness wrote to the Viceroy ordering him to allow all the carracks of shareholders to sail, even if it proved harmful to Your Highness Treasury and for that reason I said I would hand over that letter. They said that the Chief Financial Officer had shown this letter to many people, but he never showed it to me, nor ever when he thought it right that I should sell the carracks but only afterwards when he saw me criticizing him for the licenses he had granted. Despite all this he never mentioned such a letter to me. They do not see the ingratitude and bad manners of the town, but only the favours of these and other noblemen
_ 47 _ whose only service in this land is to stir up hatred among the inhabitants against Your Highness interests. This does not mean they have not done a lot for it, because those who have held office decided to show what they could do and those who still do not have one try to show that they have. I am giving this account to Your Highness because I know that the city is about to write to you and those who agree with them will not be in short supply. Your Highness, they said I could do what I wished, but I will not cease to point out what is contrary to your service. I am well aware that this must not seem right, except to whoever does for your service what I do, and those who come from here and write from here, who give their opinions about this to Your Highness. Your Highness should see the account that they have given of themselves and what they do for their own advantage and what they will lose by serving you. I confess to Your Highness that I talk about this as someone who has been offended because. [Translator’s note. The letters ends abruptly at this points].
_ 48 _ In the same year (1547) A letter was sent from De Manuel de Lima to Alvaro de Castro, Ormuz, on the 22nd of June 1547, reporting that Ormuz was poor and the weather was very hot:(14) Sir, I wish to begin by telling you that I am in good health and disposed to serve you in whatever manner you order, this being what I always most desire. I make no complaint to you about Ormuz on two points, one that it is very poor, and the other that it is very hot, so that the water seems always to have been heated over a fire. You may believe me that captains who have made xerafin from Ormuz have done so by dint of sweating(A), and that however rich I have become here, you will (A) The climate of the Persian Gulf in the summer is well known to be among the hottest in the world. (14) Document no. and reference.
_ 49 _ find that money escapes my grasp, and I am beset by troubles. I gave Baltasar Roiz seven [official] positions, as well as that of charters; in his presence I had the Chief justice summoned, and he told me that I could not justly give him this [last] position. You will grant me a great favour by always telling me in what way I may serve you. I have left warrant for Gonçalo Roiz(A) granted by D. Manuel de Silveira (God rest his soul) and I am requesting more [orders] from the Governor of the same kind. I shall be grateful if you will bear this in mind. I am sending you a rapier which was given to me here, and which came from Basra. You should take advantage of this by sending there for some cables in exchange. Baltasar de Almeida is leaving here in a very impoverished state. If I had found him something worthwhile to do here, I would not have let him leave, for he is an honourable man of good character. I shall write to you at more length by other channels, but for that reason I shall not do so in this letter. I kiss your hands. Ormuz, 22 June 1547. (A) Goncalo Roiz has already been mentioned in Letter no 82 of 27 March, included earlier in this publication.
_ 50 _ Your servant, Manuel de Lima. To the great Lord D. Álvaro de Castro. Captain Major of the Sea off India etc, my Master. (Sealed with wax)
_ 51 _ In the same year (1547) A letter was sent to the governor from Manuel de Lima, Ormuz on the 23rd of June 1547, mentioning the preparations by the Portuguese in Muscat and Ormuz:(15) At the end of the month of June a carrack arrived at this city of Ormuz from Mecca, and sailing in her was a native merchant who resides here in Ormuz; he told me that he had come via Mecca, and that there were seven or eight oared vessels which he had not seen after that. The Turks detained him there for three days and would not let him go out through the gates in order not to warm the foists [about this] which your Lordship sent to the Strait and that the vessels were ready for the foists to come in through the gates. He thought that these eight ships were bound for Kalhat and Muscat. (15) Document no. and reference.
_ 52 _ As it appears to me that news is correct, I have ordered nine foists and caturs which are here to be made ready so that they can leave at the end of the coming month of July for Muscat and wait for these Turkish foists if they come in August or at the beginning of September. Sheikh Rabea has written to the guazil of Kalhat that they should maintain in readiness the best tarranquins they have there. These are vessels which have in them ten or twelve Portuguese who now well, and other men if necessary, and that they should place in them some Arab bowmen to give assistance as necessary. I am told by ships coming from Muscat since I passed that way that there were forty or fifty Portuguese there. It would be a great help it these men embark for wherever it seems most appropriate to fight, with the help of Our Lord, against these Turkish vessels if they make for Muscat; and Our Lord will surely give us total victory over them. I considered it to be in the service of His Highness and Your Lordship to send these ships, because the ships leaving here for India are carrying two or three Portuguese and a great deal of money. If these Turks succeed in making themselves ready in Muscat and they also find the ships with many xerafins and tangas in them and leave for the
_ 53 _ Strait with this booty, this will be the cause of their coming every year to Muscat. Dom Paio has decided to stay here and has requested his fleet of me because he thinks that in this he will serve the King. I granted it to him, and he will go as its Commander-in-Chief. The Captains and soldiers who go in this fleet must be men of honour and probity. I shall send two caturs and more oarsmen to Cape Ras-el-Had at the beginning of August to keep which there and to observe the vessels which come out of the Strait, how many of them there are, and if they come on ahead, to advice the fleet what is to be done in Muscat. If it were to be the case that these vessels did not come from the Strait, there is a great deal to do about the Baluchis. They go about to insolently that a Portuguese carrack in which André Cortés was sailing, loaded with many fine goods, ran disastrously aground on a spit of land which runs out from the island of Masirah and was wrecked. The nautaques stone all the goods and killed all the Portuguese, sparing only André Cortés, his wife and a daughter of him who were later rescued. André Cortés lost everything he had, but by putting up a good fight escaped with eight arrow-wounds, all of them
_ 54 _ large. He could never have been put into the parau which [rescued him] it not be concerted action. In addition, the nautaques have captured a Moorish land and fought in others, injuring many people there. For these reasons and on account of other things they do every year, this fleet will go with the help of the Lord God and lay waste the Baluchistan Coast, setting on fire as many of their terradas as possible. This fleet will also go every year to protect the carracks. It will be in His Highness’s service in these two matters [for the fleet] to attack the Turkish foists and to go where it has gone in every recent year. I shall be of service to Your Lordship in other ways to the greatest extent of anyone in this land. I kiss Your Lordship hands. May Our Lord increase Your Highness’s life and estate. Ormuz, 23 June 1547. Manoel de Lima
_ 55 _ In the same year (1547) A letter was sent from D. Manuel de Lima to the Governor D. João de Castro, from Ormuz, on the 23rd of June 1547, talking about the situations in Basra:(16) Sir, I reply […] I arrived in this fortress of Ormuz on 18th May, and I was here for a month before the fortress was handed over to me because Luis Falcão wanted serve out his time, which was [...]. I took it over on 19th June. I found the place in some difficulties, without a single trader or anyone buying cloth or drugs or any other merchandise. All the people who usually come to trade in Ormuz were astonished at this . Also there was a captain of the King of Lar, an important person, on the mainland opposite this inland with many horsemen and infantry, who had been there for months, (16) Document no. and reference.
_ 56 _ encamped around some wells from which this city receives its water. The people in Mughistan were afraid of this force and withdrew to this city, and because they are on the caravan route they were preventing the caravans from coming, and paying dues to our Lord the King’s customs house here. The situation in Basra is as Your Lordship knows, so I will continue by telling Your Lordship the rest about this country and also about the situation in Basra. Luis Falcão had given permission to the terradas to take their merchandize to Basra, and when I arrived in this city he also gave leave to some nine terradas that could have been there. As soon as I reached this city I was told that the Captain of Basra, Muhammed Pasha, intended to send an ambassador to me, and on 7th July this ambassador arrived. He is an Arab merchant called Hajji Fayat, a respected men well-known to the Portuguese. With this present letter I am sending Your Lordship a copy of the letter written to me. After I had spoken to this Hajji Fayat several times he told me that in order that I should believe what he said he was willing to swear on the Koran that everything he told me was true.
_ 57 _ I told him that if he was willing to swear it would be a very good thing, and I ordered a solemn oath to be administered by Garcia della Penha, the interpreter of this fortress. Under this oath he told me that the main reason for his coming was that he was a loyal friend to the Portuguese and would inform me of everything he learnt about Ayyaz Pasha, who is the principal captain in Baghdad and the one who came to capture Basra; and also about Muhammad Pasha, who is the Captain of Basra, and about all other areas. He knew that Ayyaz Pasha intended to make Basra a very prosperous commercial centre so that it would make a great deal of money for the Grand Turk. Rustan Pasha, the Guazil and son-in-law of the Grand Turk,had belittled the capture of Basra and had said that it was of no use and a pile of ruins. This has made for great hostility between them, and even before this they had not been friends. For this reason Ayyaz Pasha is making every effort to make Basra an outstanding city, to bring in a great deal of money for the Turk, and in this and other matters he is doing everything he can. I asked him about the fortress of Basra, what it was like and whether any building work had been done there, and he told me that nothing had been done. I asked him
_ 58 _ what soldiers there were in Basra, and he told me that in the fortress, which is the residence of Muhammed Pasha, Captain of Basra, there are five hundred Turkish musketeers, and that an alcaide-môr has been posted at the gate of the fortress and that neither the alcaide-môr nor these five hundred Turkish musketeers ever went out of the fortress for any purpose whatever. In the city there are one thousand Turkish cavalry and seven hundred musketeers, which in all come two thousand two hundred Turks. At the month of the Basra estuary, where there stood mosque, they have built a simple wall around it, where there are ten small cannon, and every night some fifty musketeers keep watch. When the Turks captured the fortress of Basra they had found two hundred and ninety piece of artillery, including sixty brass bercos, and the rest of iron, and inside the fortress were twenty candis of gunpowder. When Ayyaz Pasha went away after he had taken the fortress he had left one hundred cannon and three basilisks he had brought with him, and the rest he took back with him to Baghdad. I also asked him about the fleet at Suez, and he told me that there were forty-four galleys there including those with which Suleiman Pasha had gone to Diu, and that they were well equipped. I asked him what were the ships that
_ 59 _ had gone to Mocha, and what had they gone there for. He told me that there were fourteen oared vessels and they had come from Suez and the commander of them was a Turk called [Oez] Pasha and he had brought soldiers to attack and fight against an Arab King called Emon Zeidi [?Imam Saidi], but that he did not know, nor was there any talk in Basra, about whether these ships had come to go on to India. I also asked him about the intentions of Ayyaz Pasha and Muhammed Pasha, and whether they meant to try any attack on this fortress. He told me that he had heard nothing about this, but only that they were very eager to extend the trade of Basra, and that most nights they sent for him and he had never heard anything about this; and that if they did intend to do so, they could build as many ships as they wanted on the Euphrates. Seven days journey away from the city of Bira there are great forests where there is plenty of fine timber, most of it pine, from which they can make as many ships as they want, both large and small, because of this abundance of timber. This city of Bira is large and well-populated and trades with Persia and many other places. It is two days journey from the city of Aleppo and it lies between Persia and Turkey.
_ 60 _ He says that from this city of Bira there are two roads to Basra, one of them by way of a city called Al-Hilla and the other through Baghdad, which is rather more direct. But it happens that for three months of the year the river becomes dry near Baghdad. For this reason it is better to bring ships by way of Al-Hilla because however low the water falls and however many channels are cut to run through the fields, the lowest it ever falls in the whole year is between two and a half and three bracas, so that all carracks and ships however two and a half and three baracas, so that all carracks and ships however large they are can pass. From the city of Bira to Basra takes twenty-four days down stream because there is always water flowing in the Euphrates down to Basra. The river winds this way and that but it is still so wide and so deep that it supplies other irrigation channels. Hajji Fayat also told me that a slave of the Grand Turk has recently arrived in Basra with a message for Muhammed Pasha, and that he had taken forty-two days to come from Constantinople to Basra, and that by the solemn oath he had taken on the Koran he was telling me the truth in all these things.
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