Turning to the more general authorities on the history of the
Portuguese in India in the sixteenth century, it will be well to take
them in a rough classification of their importance and authenticity.

Joao de Barros (1496-1570), for many years treasurer and factor at
the India House at Lisbon, published _Asia: dos Feitos que os
Portuguezes fizeram no Descobrimento e Conquista dos Mares e Terras
do Oriente_. This work is a primary authority, as the writer had
access to all documents, and was the recognised historian of the
events he described during his lifetime. It is written in imitation
of Livy, and is divided into Decades. The first Decade was published
in 1552, the second in 1555, the third in 1563, and the fourth after
his death in 1615, and it carries the history down to 1539. The best
edition is that in nine volumes, Lisbon, 1777-78. A German
translation by Dietrich Wilhelm Soltau was published in five volumes
at Brunswick, 1821, and it has been largely borrowed from by
succeeding writers.

Diogo do Couto (1542-1616) was long employed in India, and had access
to documents. He continued the work of Barros in the same style. His
first Decade overlaps Barros, and his history goes from 1526 to 1600.
The best edition is that published as a continuation of Barros, in
fifteen volumes, Lisbon, 1778-1787.

Gaspar Correa (died at Goa between 1561 and 1583) went to India in
1514 and was Secretary to Albuquerque. His _Lendas da India_ treat
the history of the Portuguese from 1497 to 1549, and was published
for the first time at Lisbon, four volumes, 1858-64. His chronology
throughout differs much from Barros, and a critical comparison
between them is much needed. A portion of this work has been
translated by Lord Stanley of Alderley, for the Hakluyt Society,
under the title of _The Three Voyages of Vasco da Gama, and his
Viceroyalty_, 1869.

Fernao Lopes de Castanheda (died 1559) travelled much in India. He
published his _Historia do Descobrimento e Conquista da India pelos
Portuguezes_, which covers from 1497 to 1549, in 1551-1561, and is
therefore anterior to Barros in date of publication.

Damiao de Goes (died 1573), _Commentarius Rerum gestarum in India
citra Gangem a Lusitanis_, Louvain, 1539, is a small but early work.

These are primary authorities, but the following chronicles also
contain some useful information:

Damiao de Goes (died 1573), _Chronica do felicissimo Rey Dom Manoel_,
Lisbon, 1566, 1567.