ic
which bears his name. He was received with great honour, and was sent
as Portuguese Ambassador to Pope Leo X. His fame was such that the
Pope begged him to take command of an expedition against the Turks.
But the explorer felt he was not a great soldier, and declined the
flattering offer. He eventually returned to Portugal, and died a
member of the King's Privy Council in 1540.

On the departure of Da Cunha, Albuquerque provided for the government
of the island of Socotra. He divided the palm-groves which had
belonged to the Muhammadans among the native Christians, and those
which had belonged to the mosque he gave to the Christian churches.
He then refitted his ships and left Socotra, with the intention of
intercepting the Muhammadan merchant-vessels on their way from India
to Egypt. Before long he began to have disputes with the captains of
his principal ships. His own flagship, the _Cirne_, was in good
control, and he was always bravely helped in his difficulties by his
gallant young nephew, Dom Antonio de Noronha. But the captains of the
other ships which had accompanied him from Portugal--Francisco de
Tavora, Antonio do Campo, Affonso Lopes da Costa, and Manoel
Telles--were inclined to resent his authority, and objected to
cruising on the barren coast of {53} Arabia instead of fetching
lucrative cargoes from India. Their opposition was fomented by a
famous captain, Joao da Nova, the discoverer of the island of St.
Helena, who had come to the East with Dom Francisco de Almeida, and
who showed himself throughout his career in Asia to be Albuquerque's
most implacable enemy. He had joined the fleet at Socotra, in command
of one of the finest Portuguese ships ever launched, the _Flor de la
Mar_, and had been directed, much to his chagrin, by Tristao da Cunha
to remain with Albuquerque.

Being in need of supplies, the Portuguese commander next resolved to
shape his course for the Persian Gulf. He had at first intended to
penetrate the Red Sea, but having become possessed of a chart of the
Persian Gulf made by a Muhammadan pilot, he bent his way thither
instead. The important city of Ormuz, at the mouth of the Persian
Gulf, was at this time one of the great centres of the Eastern trade.
Not only did a certain portion of trade for Europe pass through it,
but the large and important commerce carried on between Persia and
India was concentrated there. The wealth and prosperity of Ormuz is
described in glowing terms by