تقارير إدارية من الخليج العربي ١٨٨٣/١٨٨٤ – ١٩٠٤/١٩٠٥ [و‎‎٣‎٣] (٦٠٢/٧٠)

RESIDENCY AND MUSCAT POLITICAL AGENCY FOE 1884-85.
at the achievements and proceedings o£ the first European nation to open up the East, it is
interesting to bear in mind the extent of the influence which the action and behaviour of the
Portuguese have had in forming the impressions of the character of Europeans in general
among the natives of India, as there is no doubt that these first impressions took root and
) ,, have constituted a by no means inappreciable factor in shaping the course of events during the
last three centuries. By reason of their isolated and remote position, the ideas of the Arabs
about foreigners are extremely vague and erroneous, and owing partly to their habit of
^ a confounding all Europeans under the appellation of Nasara or Christians, and partly to their
116 of being best acquainted of late years with the English, it has happened that the doings of the
N, Portuguese in the 16th and 17th centuries are by the vulgar often ascribed to us.
The dread inspired by the wars of Albuquerque and his successor was preserved by oral
^ tradition, and we may be sure that these traditions lost nothing by the additions and em
bellishments which time provides, and which hate and fear never fail to suggest.
isfdt
The undisputed supremacy of the Arabs at sea in the Indian Ocean which existed at the
commencement of the sixteenth century fell at once from their grasp on the appearance of the
Portuguese, and was never subsequently regained by them. Let us hope it has passed away
J ^ £ or ever, for the revival of Arab power would be merely another name for piracy, pillage, and
the slave trade.
Tristan da Cunha sailed from Lisbon on the 6th of March 1506, and after many adven
ed tures and some losses anchored safely at Soko, the port of Socotra, in the middle of the year
ewj following, having on the way been joined by the Flor de la Mary commanded by Captain
)cotra j oa 5 da Nova, who had proceeded to India with a former fleet, and who afterwards proved such
a thorn in the side of Albuquerque at Hormuz.
^ At Soko da Cunha found a different reception awaiting him from what he had expected.
The island was in possession of Sultan Ibrahim, son of the Sultan of Kisheen, who resolutely
)ftte rejected the Admiral's demand for surrender. The fort was accordingly besieged by the Portu-
stnict guese, and in spite of a valiant resistance, assaulted and carried, the Mahra garrison being put
to the sword. The fort was then rebuilt and named St. Thomas, and Alfonso deNoronha was
appointed to the command. It was the end of July 1507 before affairs were finally arranged
lreo l at Socotra, and the time then arrived for da Cunha and Albuquerque to part company and to
■ i[u pursue the course of action prescribed for each respectively by the King.
nteil{ The squadron allotted to Albuquerque by the chief captain consisted of—
(1) The Cirne, the flagship of Albuquerque.
(2) The Ruy Grande: Captain Francisco de Tavora.
^ (3) The Flor de la Mar : Captain Joao da Nova.
' eatei (4) The Bey Fegneno : Captain Manoel Telles Barretto.
^ (5) The Sam Jorge Transport; Captain A. Lopes da Costa.
(6) The Bspirito Santo: Captain A. do Campo.
) tlie Having completed his arrangements, Tristan da Cunha sailed away for India on the 1st August,
nised leaving Albuquerque free to decide on and carry out his plan of operations against Moorish
3 Ills commerce. Albuquerque had doubtless already fully determined on his course of action with
regard to Hormuz; but he seems to have thought it prudent to call a council of war and to
discuss the matter with his captains. At this council it was resolved that as provisions were
running short and the south-west monsoon still prevailed, the expedition against Jeddah
^ should be abandoned in favour of a short cruise to pick up Moorish vessels coming from the
^ Red Sea, after which the fleet should proceed to Muscat, where they could decide what to do
ower next -
On the 10th August, accordingly, the little fleet set sail from Soko for the Arabian coast,
• intending to commence the cruise at the Kooria-Mooria islands. These islands, however, were
passed without being sighted by any of the ships, and Albuquerque then determined to give up
the cruise altogether, as he feared to run out of supplies, and he had only agreed to the plan in
ig, deference to the opinion of his captains.
rich Sailing on to the north-east, the fleet appears to have anchored for the first time in
^ive Oman waters near the island of Maseera, from whence, on the following day, they proceeded on
.jyal until they had weathered Ras-el-Had, inside of which Albuquerqne anchored in smooth water
a ta and commenced hostilities by firing all the Arab vessels he found lying in Khor Hejareh, some
30 or 4?0 in number. The next place, Khor Jerameh, was explored in the boats by the master of
the transport, who sounded seven fathoms in the lagoon. Here four more vessels were
given to the flames.