BOOK
I, And What Must Necessarily Be The Case On The Present Occasion.
It may
be proper however to mention, that the present chapter, containing a
continuation of the early Discoveries, Navigations,
And Conquests of the
Portuguese in India, is taken from the PORTUGUESE ASIA, of Manuel de
Faria y Sousa, taking that author up in 1505, where we had to lay down
Castaneda at the end of our Second BOOK. Faria[64], who is
designated as a member of the Portuguese military order of Christ, was a
celebrated historian among his countrymen, and his work, entitled ASIA
PORTUGUEZA, contains an account somewhat in the form of Annals, of the
Transactions of his countrymen in India, from their first going there
in 1497, to the year 1646. This work contains all the Portuguese Voyages
and Discoveries, from their first attempt to extend along the western
coast of Africa, to their final discovery of the farthest parts of
China and Japan: All their battles by sea and land, with their
expeditions, sieges, and other memorable actions: The whole interspersed
with descriptions of the places and countries they discovered, visited,
or conquered; including accounts of the manners, customs, government,
and religion of the natives. This author is remarkable for a concise and
clear narrative, and for judicious reflections on the conduct of the
Portuguese kings, ministers, governors, and commanders, as well as for
his remarks on many other occasions. These are always just, and have
often an air of freedom that might not have been expected under an
arbitrary government:
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 114 of 809
Words from 31006 to 31263
of 221361
