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 Chap. VIIL] DIEGO LOPEZ DE SEQUEIRA. 187

had received at Lisbon, on an expedition to the Red Sea, with the view of ad. 1521.

encountering a large fleet which the Sultan of Egypt was said to be fitting out

at Suez. On arriving ott" Aden, he found a large breach in the fortificsitions, in

consequence of a siege which it had lately sustained ; and so conscious Wis the

(Tovemor of its defenceless condition, that he actually made Soarez an ofter of

the keys. The compliments with which they were offered were so soothing to

his vanity, that he returned the keys thas tendered, and desired the governor ineffectual

. atteiii))t

to keep them for him till his return, as he was at present on an expedition uiion .<ien which admitted of no delay. He accordingly entered the Red Sea, and, after cruizing about to no purpose, retraced his .steps to Aden, and was very much astonished when, on announcing his arrival to the complimentary governor, he received, insteatl of the keys, a proud defiance to come and take them. The explanation was soon given. The walls, which were defenceless on his former visit, had, in the interval, been thoroughly repaired. A bold stroke might yet have put him in pos.session of the place, but Soarez was not the man to make it; and he moved off to attempt some petty captiu-e. Even this was not per- mitted him, for nearly a third of liis fleet was destroyed in a storm, and he liastened back to Goa with the remainder.

The native princes, who had been overawed by Albuquerque, were not .slow rortupiew

/.|. Ill (••T->i/^ build a fort

to duscover the character of his .successor, and take advantage of it. Both Goa at Colombo and Malacca were seriously threatened, though as much of ancient discipline still remained to ward ott' the danger. The only occuiTences to compen.sate for these disasters were the submission of the King of Ceylon, who, in 1517, agreed to become tributary to Portugal, and allow a fort to be built at Colombo ; and the successful voyage of Fernando Perez de Andrada, who, in the same year, penetrated to Canton, and laid the foundation of a lucrative trade.

Diego Lopez de Se(iueira, who succeeded Soarez, was a man of a similar temper, and instead of doing anything to retrieve the honour of the Portuguese arms, tarnishetl them still further by a dastardly retreat from Diu, after appearing before it with one of the largest armaments which had ever sailed under Portuguese colours in the Indian Ocean. He had in all forty .ships, manned by 3000 Portuguese, and 800 natives. On his arrival, on the 9th of Febniary, 1521, he sent a mes.senger to MuUik Eiaz, with the old re([uest for permission to build a fort, and a menace, that if it were refused, he would force Diego Lopez it. The Gujerat admiral told him to do his worst ; and must have been as from uin much pleased as sur]irised when, instead of being attacked in the style of which Almeiila and Albuipierque had given examples, he saw the Portuguese fleet weigh anchor, and gradually disappear from the coast. The fortiflcations, it seems, had been strengthened ; and Lopez, after endeavouring to .shelter himself by calling a council of war, which sanctioned his cowardice, decided that the attack was too hazardous to be attempted.

This disgraceful retreat was not lost upon the native princes, and in the