Page:History of India Vol 6.djvu/190

 142 THE POETUGUESE POLICY IN THE EAST 8000 slaves. In 1542 Fort Sangaga was relieved by a force of 160 Portuguese, 20 horse, and 2000 natives. In 1567 the Malacca garrison consisted of 1500 men, of whom only 200 were Portuguese. In 1570 a thou- sand slaves were joined to the regular troops for the defence of Goa. The truth is that the Portuguese settler soon became an unmanageable and a reluctant foot-soldier. Albu- querque, following the example of Alexander the Great in his Asiatic conquests, and of Hamilcar in Spain, encouraged his troops to marry native wives. The Lisbon court supplied dowries for these unions which at once created the nucleus of a female Catholic popu- lation and yearly added infants to the Faith. It soon appeared, however, that such nuptials had another aspect. In 1513 Duarte Barbosa raised his voice against " paying more for marriages to men who afterwards became Moors, than the worth of what Goa has pro- duced up to the present, or ever will produce." But the priests defended the system, the Government pro- vided posts for the husbands, and the records show a frequent desire that " the married people " should be greatly favoured. A languid population of half-breeds sprang up, and employment had to be found for them. In 1569 the attacking force on Parnel included 100 Portuguese, 50 Moorish horse, and 650 half-caste sol- diers. Three years previously, in 1566, a militia, chiefly natives and half-breeds, had been organized for Goa divided in 1630 into a body of regulars 2500 strong, and a defensive reserve of 5000 men.