FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101  
102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   >>   >|  
rcia de Sousa, who both distinguished themselves by their daring valour. Finding it impossible to breach the walls from the sea Albuquerque then set out to explore the coasts of Arabia and Abyssinia. The latter, as a Christian empire, and the seat of that mythical monarch, Prester John, was a subject of great interest to the Christians of Europe. It has been said that John II of Portugal sent one of his equerries Joao Peres de Covilhao to Abyssinia, where he had become a person of influence and eventually {128} died. Ambassadors had also been sent to that country by way of Melinda in Vasco da Gama's second voyage to the East, and had been favourably received by David, the then Emperor of Abyssinia. The existence Of such a Christian empire interested most Europeans only on account of its religion, but Albuquerque looked on it from a political aspect. He hoped to make use of the Abyssinians to attack Egypt from the South and overthrow the Muhammadan dynasty reigning there. In case this could not be accomplished, he formed a scheme by which the waters of the Nile should be diverted, so as to run through Abyssinia to the Red Sea, and thus destroy the fertility of Egypt. He even went so far in pursuance of his idea as to request the King of Portugal to send him experienced miners from the island of Madeira, who were accustomed to dig through rocks. Another plan he formed was to send a detachment to Medina to carry off the body of Muhammad. But he felt his present voyage to be rather one of exploration, and so, after sailing about throughout the summer of 1513, he left the Red Sea in the month of August for India. This cruise was one of great importance to the Portuguese, and a knowledge of the coasts, and of the navigation of the Red Sea was obtained, which proved in after years to be very useful. Before departing Albuquerque burnt many of the ships which were moored in the harbour of Aden, and he promised to return speedily and conquer the city. On leaving the coast of Arabia, Albuquerque sailed {129} direct to Diu. The situation of affairs in Gujarat had somewhat altered. Mahmud Shah Begara had always been willing that the Portuguese should build a fortress there, and his willingness may be attributed to the fact that Malik Ayaz, the Nawab of Diu, had become practically independent of him. This Muhammadan ruler had been the declared enemy of the Portuguese ever since the days of the first Viceroy, Dom Francisco de A
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101  
102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Albuquerque

 

Abyssinia

 

Portuguese

 
Muhammadan
 
Portugal
 

formed

 
empire
 

Christian

 

voyage

 

Arabia


coasts
 

obtained

 

navigation

 

knowledge

 

importance

 
cruise
 

August

 

sailing

 

summer

 
detachment

island

 
Medina
 

Madeira

 

accustomed

 

Another

 

proved

 

experienced

 
present
 

Muhammad

 

miners


exploration

 

attributed

 

willingness

 

fortress

 

Begara

 

practically

 

Viceroy

 

Francisco

 

independent

 

declared


Mahmud

 

altered

 

harbour

 

moored

 

promised

 

return

 
Before
 

departing

 

speedily

 

conquer