_ 366 _ The news of Shah Tahmasp about six months ago was that he is near the Caspian Sea making war on a Lord who rules a place called [Xequim] and had captured it from nim with great difficulty. Our ambassador who was there is said to be on his way with great haste and will be here very soon. An ambassador of Shah Tahmasp to the Viceroy is said to be coming with him, and they should arrive soon. Governor Jorge Cabral has leased the customs house here in Ormuz for the year of 1551 to a certain António Mendes de Castro for ninety-five thousand xerafins. He has not only caused a loss to Your Highness by leasing it for so little money but wasted it wantonly. All the merchants were complaining, although I have laboured only to keep them content and support them, for the Viceroy enjoined me to do so. He wrote to me saying that he could not do other than honour the lease agreed by Jorge Cabral, and that in any case it was for no longer than this year. The customs house has yielded up to the present one hundred and sixteen thousand xerafins. It could yield ten or twelve thousand xerafins up to 1st January, when the lease expires. So, the leaseholder who is collecting the income will receive thirty or thirty-five thousand xerafins. All this is being lost because the customs are leased this year. The country stands to lose more, for this is the least that it could
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