Page:History of India Vol 6.djvu/214

 162 THE PORTUGUESE POLICY IN THE EAST the name of the Companhia Portugueza das Indias Orientaes. The officials in Asia, fearing the loss of their illicit gains, threw every obstacle in the way, and the speculation did not yield the hoped-for profits. In 1697 a new syndicate, called the Companhia do Com- mercio da India, received a charter in return for a yearly subvention of 2763 to the crown. After a four years' struggle with the officials in the East this undertaking also collapsed. The attempts of Portugal to found an East Indian Company failed, but they gave a hint to Europe as to the possibility of corporate pri- vate enterprise in Asia a hint of which the Dutch and English availed themselves. The Portuguese officials in India defended their clandestine commerce on the ground of the insufficiency of their salaries. Da Gama's and Albuquerque's com- panions had gone forth as crusaders and cavaliers, with little thoughts as to the wages of their service. Their aim was glory or death in a holy war. But the love of fighting spent itself, and the " martyrs " soon wanted pay for their " blood." At first they looked chiefly to prizes at sea, to the plunder of captured towns on shore, and to the gifts of native princes, voluntary or enforced, at every port from the African coast to the Moluccas. These gifts, originally intended for the king, were diverted to his servants, and soon grew into bribes. In 1522 his Majesty was urged to substitute fair sal- aries for such gratifications, which already interfered with the course of justice. But the Lisbon government could never make up its mind to this course. The