The Portuguese in the Sea of Oman

_ 364 _ not be alive to do so later. For this reason he wanted to make this journey, and he seemed younger than myself. He went with five hundred men, all at his own expense, and he thought this money well spent, for they drove out the Turks. He ordered me to stay in this city in his place, carrying out his duties and the services which he performed for Your Highness. I will not tell you about this journey, for I hope that Your Highness will learn all that he did from all those who went with this fleet and that he wishes to do, as I do myself. This is nothing, because we are much more in Your Highness’s debt for the many favours you have granted us. After taking El Katiff, D. Antão on the instructions he had from the Viceroy destroyed the fortress. This was not my father’s advice. It would have been much better for a guazil to be there with two hundred archers and fifty musketeers. The Turks would not have returned as soon as they did, for as I was writing I have had news that a hundred Turks are returning to a fortress a league inland from El Katiff, which I had destroyed when I went there on another occasion. As soon as D. Antão had destroyed the fortress, he gave permission for the whole fleet and the men to leave, and

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