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.
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