NO. 41. — 1890.] REBELION DB CEYLAN. 523 



It was always governed by kings ; but after we had 

 governed it by the industry and valour of the great Alfonso 

 de Alboquerque, its princes with only the title of kings 

 became subject to our Empire : it remained with various 

 fortunes up to our times, a rich and thriving place, most 

 useful to the Portuguese, and for that reason much coveted 

 by our northern enemies. 



With this they laid seige to the fortress, and the beseiged, 

 thinking more of their safety than of their honour in the 

 defence, were some for delivering it up, others for holding 

 out, so that in the end the Portuguese had to evacuate the 

 place, and it was left in the Persians' power. 



When the Governor got news of the seige of Ormuz, 

 he resolved to relieve it. But the preparations were so 

 slow that when they were ready it only served to expose 

 the weakness of our nation to the world ; and the enterprise 

 was lost more by the procrastination of its deliberations 

 than by the valour of the enemy. The money expended 

 so intemperately only served still more to oppress the 

 State without removing the danger, for both time and oppor- 

 tunity had been lost. If the preparations had been made in 

 time and the opportunity seized at the right moment, all 

 would have been saved, but they had let it slip. In time of 

 necessity there is nothing worse than delay — it doubles the 

 danger, and without remedying the evil leaves it worse than 

 it was before. 



Many incidents happened in this affair of Ormuz which 

 confirmed the disgrace ; for they say the quickness they took 

 in delivering it up equalled the long delay in sending 

 the relieving force. After it was ready, Hernando de 

 Alboquerque gave over the command to Constantino de Sa ; 

 and there were some who said that he was given this 

 dangerous task in the hopes that he would be killed, and 

 imputed the idea to the government which was in the hands 

 of his heirs. For the relieving force was small and badly 

 equipped, with neither men nor ships capable of wiping out so 

 great an insult ; the enemy was powerful, the time had passed, 



97—93 h 



