It Will Therefore Require Large Funds To
Embark In This Trade, So That We Hardly Believe The King Will Find Any To
Engage On These Conditions; But Of This We Shall Inform You From Time To
Time As It May Occur.
It must not, however, be concealed that the
circumstances of this trade are by no means established on certain
principles, which can only be determined by future events.
A Portuguese of the former fleet touched at a certain port in the kingdom
of Sofala, and visited a gold mine of which he relates wonderful things.
He assured us that a ship of the Christians had been there, and speaks of
incredible quantities of gold to be found there. On this account, our
king is resolved to erect a strong fort at that place, to keep the
barbarians under subjection, and to keep away the Indians and the
inhabitants of Cambaya, lest they should make themselves masters of the
mine. He will therefore immediately seize upon this mine for his own use,
which we certainly believe to have been the mine whence Solomon derived
such vast riches, and where the queen of Sheba dwelt, who went to visit
Solomon, as related in holy writ. These things are of such importance
that they ought not to be concealed from you; and our king is to be
deemed happy and fortunate; because he hath made the discovery of such
vast riches.
It is believed by many that they will soon obtain permission from the
king to go to India, paying him at the rate of 25 per cent. and taking
his ships as before mentioned. It appears to be his wish that the
merchants should send out their own factors or supercargoes with the care
of their goods, but without any authority, as he wishes to rule in all
things, and that every thing may be directed by his officers, even the
expences of the merchants. The trade in spiceries is to remain
exclusively in the viceroy, and is not to be permitted to the merchants;
for which reason it is not believed that this Indian trade will be very
profitable: But we shall give you due information of all these things as
they occur. We have formerly written you that Cairo failed in its
commercial prosperity from the very same cause; and if this great eastern
trade shall be appropriated by the king, it will certainly occasion a
Babylonian confusion in the state, and very deservedly: For at Cairo the
Moors were in use to maltreat the Christians exceedingly, and they are
now perhaps suffering for that error, as they will not any longer be
allowed to carry away any kind of spices, or jewels of all kinds, or
pearls and other valuable commodities; as by means of the Portuguese
forts, they will in future be debarred from trading to Calicut and Sofala;
for all which you will be thankful to God.
Concerning the gold mine of Sofala, which we mentioned before, and of
which such wonderful things are told, it is said our king will be the
sole proprietor in two years, which must prove of vast importance; as
from that place, which is now possessed by the idolaters, all India and
Persia used to procure the whole of their gold; although the mouth of the
bay is under the dominion of a king of the Chaldeans[7], at which place
the trade is carried on with the idolaters by the Moors, who bring yearly
their ships from Cambaya laden with low-priced articles, which they
barter for gold. These goods are coarse cotton cloths, silks of various
fashions and many colours, but chiefly of the Turkish fabric. The king of
Quiloa, an island about sixty leagues from Sofala, it is said, will have
to quit that place from fear of the idolaters. At Quiloa all ships going
to Sofala have to stop and pay tribute, before going to the mine of
Sofala. When they get to Sofala, they have to remain there six or eight
months before completing their affairs; carrying from thence gold, ivory,
and wax, all of the best kind. After this they have again to touch at
Quiloa, and to pay a tax for their gold. Thence they go to Cambaya or
Mecca. In our ships there are twelve or fifteen agents of the king of
Quiloa, who pays a tribute yearly to our king of 1500 _metigals_, each of
which metigals is worth 150 ducats, or in all 225,000 ducats. That king
depends so entirely on the king of Portugal, that our king may dethrone
him whenever be pleases to send there a force of 1000 men, which would
oblige the king of Quiloa to run away; and it is believed this will be
done shortly, the thing being so easy, and by this means an yearly
revenue of 500,000 ducats would be secured.
If you have properly considered what those ships may bring which are
daily expected, you will find that they will at least import about 222
quintals of all kinds of spice: And we shall ship for you of all these,
using our endeavours that you may never be in want of them. Even after
the before mentioned treaty with the king of Calicut, no small risk still
remains to those who navigate to the Indies, on account of a certain
archipelago, containing about 14,000 islands[8], and owing to the
narrowness of a certain strait which is scarcely navigable. We shall
persist notwithstanding, as by custom and experience these dangers will
become of no consequence. At length we expect to have the glory of having
discovered almost the whole of the world, and those parts of it
especially to which the ancients never penetrated. It only remains for us
to go to the island of Taprobana, or Ceylon, which according to Pliny is
exceedingly rich in gold, gems, and ivory. Thus by our anxious endeavours,
we shall lay open the whole of India to our trade.
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