till September, while the
south-south-east monsoon blows, ships ride here very secure; for then,
though the wind often blows hard, yet it is offshore; so that there is
very smooth water, and no fear of being driven ashore; and yet even then
they moor with three cables; two towards the land, eastward and westward;
and the third right off to seaward.

As this is the second place of traffic so it is in strength the second
place the Portuguese have here, though not capable of resisting a hundred
men: for the pirates that were at the Dutch fort came hither also; and
after they had filled their water and cut firewood and refreshed
themselves, they plundered the houses, set them on fire, and went away.
Yet I was told that the Portuguese can draw together five or six hundred
men in twenty-four hours time, all armed with hand-guns, swords and
pistols; but powder and bullets are scarce and dear. The chief person
they have on the island is named Antonio Henriquez; they call him usually
by the title of Captain More or Maior. They say he is a white man, and
that he was sent hither by the viceroy of Goa. I did not see him; for he
lives, as I was informed, a great way from hence, at a place called Porta
Nova, which is at the east end of the island, and by report is a good
harbour; but they say that this Captain More goes frequently to wars in
company with the Indians that are his neighbours and friends, against
other Indians that are their enemies. The next man to him is Alexis
Mendosa; he is a lieutenant, and lives six or seven miles from hence, and
rules this part of the country. He is a little man of the Indian race,
copper-coloured, with black lank hair. He speaks both the Indian and
Portuguese languages; is a Roman Catholic, and seems to be a civil brisk
man. There is another lieutenant at Laphao; who is also an Indian; speaks
both his own and the Portuguese language very well; is old and infirm,
but was very courteous to me.

They boast very much of their strength here, and say they are able at any
time to drive the Dutch away from the island, had they permission from
the king of Portugal so to do. But though they boast thus of their
strength yet really they are very weak; for they have but a few small
arms and but little powder: they have no fort, nor magazine of arms; nor
does the viceroy of Goa send them any now: for though they pretend to be
under the king of Portugal they are a sort of lawless people, and are
under no gove