_ 296 _ fleet and how many galleys they had, because he had counted them very carefully. Even though that fact caused the viceroy some disquiet, he decided to attend personally to the matter, and he summoned all the nobles and captains of the Council, to whom he gave an account of what had happened, and he told them that he intended to embark immediately, and he asked them to make themselves ready to accompany him. Everyone praised him greatly for this and offered themselves with great pleasure. Having left there, D. Diogo de Noronha “the Hunchback” and his cousin D. Antonio de Noronha, the brother of Dom Alvaro de Noronha the captain of Ormuz, each took his oared vessel and collecting relatives and friends, they embarked with fifty soldiers apiece, and they set sail for Ormuz the next day and followed their own route, (which is where we leave them until we return to them later). The news promptly spread throughout the city, to which everyone responded, old men and youths offering themselves to the viceroy. The citizens, who always served the King in like emergencies with their possessions and their persons, were among the first. The viceroy made his way to the fleet shipyard and with great dispatch, gave orders to prepare the galleons, caravels, galleys and pinnaces. As there were still more than five hundred seafarers in
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