Page:History of India Vol 9.djvu/274

 228 ALBUQUERQUE ON GOA AND MALABAR " Commentaries de Afonso d'Alboquerque," published at Lisbon by his son, about forty years after the great commander's death. The first excerpt, reproduced from the translation published by the Hakluyt Society, tells how easily Albuquerque took Goa. ' As soon as D. Jeronymo and Garcia de Sousa had set out to watch the fortress (as I have already de- scribed), the great Afonso Dalboquerque remained quiet throughout the night waiting for the break of day, and advised the captains what course they should pursue if any resistance should be offered to them when entering the city. And just as the morning began to break he ordered the signal to be made to them, of which he had previously given them notice. When the captains heard the signal, they weighed anchor, and steered with all their people about one thousand Por- tuguese and two hundred men of Malabar toward the galley where Afonso Dalboquerque was, and from that point commenced their course, and arriving at the city when it was clear day, and not meeting with any resistance, they entered in at the gate, with a cross carried in front of them; and there was the great Afonso Dalboquerque, who, kneeling on his knees and letting fall many tears, gave thanks to our Lord for that loving-kindness which He had shown him in deliv- ering into his hands so large and powerful a city with- out trouble or the death of any one. This cross was borne aloft by a friar of St. Dominic, and behind it was carried the royal flag which was made of white satin with a cross of Christus worked in the centre, and in