The Emperor Charles V. Persuaded Him To Return To Portugal,
Assuring Him Of The Kings Favour; But He Found None; For Princes Are
More Fixed In Punishing A Little Omitted To Please, Than In Rewarding
Much Done For Their Service.
On assuming the government of India, Don
Stefano made an inventory of all he was worth, being 200,000 crowns; and
when he left the government his fortune was found 40,000 crowns
diminished.
He was of middle stature, thick and strong built, with a
thick beard and black hair, and a ruddy completion. On his tomb was
inscribed at his own desire, He who made knights on Mount Sinai ended
here.
SECTION II.
Exploits of Antonio de Faria y Sousa in Eastern India[354].
We have placed these exploits in a separate Section, because, although
they appear in the Portuguese Asia as having taken place during the
government of Don Stefano de Gama, yet is their chronology by no means
well defined: and likewise because their authenticity is even more than
problematical. In themselves they appear to carry evidence of
overstepping the modest bounds of history; and there is reason to
believe that they rest principally, if not altogether, on the authority
of Fernan Mendez de Pinto, of notorious character. Yet they seem
sufficiently curious to warrant insertion in this work; and it is not at
all improbable that Antonio de Faria may have been a successful
freebooter in the Chinese seas, and that he may have actually performed
many of the exploits here recorded, though exaggerated, and mixed in
some places with palpable romance. - E.
[Footnote 354: De Faria, II. 29 & seq.]
About this time Pedro de Faria, who was governor of Malacca, sent his
factor MENDEZ DE PINTO with a letter and a present to the king of
Patane, desiring him to procure the liberty of five Portuguese who
were then slaves to his brother-in-law at Siam. Pinto was also entrusted
with goods to the value of 10,000 ducats, to be delivered to the factor
of De Faria at Pam. Having at that place made up a valuable cargo of
diamonds pearls and gold, to the extent of 50,000 crowns, it was all
lost one night in a tumult, occasioned by the following circumstance.
There resided in Pam an ambassador from the king of Borneo, who one
night detected the king of Pam in bed with his wife, and immediately
slew him. On the death of the king becoming public, the people rose in
commotion, more for the purpose of plunder than revenge. In this tumult
about 4000 men were slain, and the Portuguese factors were robbed, and
some of their companions slain. They made their escape to Patane,
where they and other Portuguese asked leave of the king to make
reprisals on three vessels belonging to merchants of Pam, which were
then riding at anchor in the river Calantam 18 leagues off, richly
laden from China. Getting the kings permission, they set out to the
number of 80 persons in three vessels, and after a sharp engagement took
and brought in these ships to Patane, where their cargoes were valued at
300,000 ducats.
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