198 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



tuguefe who had fettled in that town after the defeat of 

 Don Chriftopher. He then went to Mafuah, and the mon- 

 foon being favourable, he embarked on board a Portuguefe 

 veffel, carrying with him the ten Portuguefe that were fet- 

 tled at Dobarwa, who all arrived fafely at Goa. 



St Ignatius, founder of the Order of Jefuits, was then at 

 Rome in the dawn of his holinefs. The converfion of A- 

 byffinia feemed of fuch confequence to him, that he re- 

 folved himfelf to go and be the apoftle of the kingdom. 

 But the pope, who had conceived other hopes of him and 

 his Order more important and nearer at hand, abfolurely 

 refufed this offer. One of his fociety, Nugnez Baretto, was, 

 however, fixed upon for patriarch, without any notice being 

 taken of Don John Bermudes. By him Ignatius fent a let- 

 ter addrefled to Claudius, which is to be found in the col- 

 lections *. It does not, I think, give us any idea of the in- 

 genuity or invention of that great faint. It feems moftly 

 to beg the queftion, and to contain little elfe than texts of 

 fcripture for his future miffionaries to preach and write on, 

 relative to the difference of tenets of the two churches. 



With this letter, and a number of priefts, Baretto came 

 to Goa. But news being arrived there of king Claudius's flea- 

 dy averfion to the Catholic church, it was then thought bet- 

 ter, rather than rifle the patriarchal dignity, to fend Andrew 

 Oviedo bifliop of Hierapolis, and Melchior Carneyro bifhop 

 of Nice, with feveral other priefls, as ambaffadors from the 

 governor of India to Claudius, with proper credentials. They 

 arrived fafely at Mafuah in 1558, five days before the Turk- 

 ilh baflia came with his fleet and army, and took pofTefTion 



of 



f Dated at Rome 1 6th Feb. 1555. See Tellez, lib, 2. c^p. 22. 



