If you're bored and want to read it as one entire 'story'..
Extracts from the diary of V.A Corte Real G during the colonial expansion of Portugal under John II & Manuel I. 1492-1504
Vice Admiral Corte Real G.
Jan 12th, 1492
'..our gracious and magnificent King has agreed to my suggestion of an expedition to the rumored lands far west of the Sea of Canaries. My excitement grew, on seeing the King give an oratry on how productive such an escapade might turn out to be for our realm. The prestige, the honour and the growth of our realm beyond our wildest expectations. Surely, there will be dangers to face no doubt, but the urge to go perhaps foolishly outweighs these fears. I must, however, make my preparations as quickly as possible. I overheard rumors that the Moroccans are preparing for an invasion of our Tangiers. These African barbarians don't fool me with their pretensions of a 'great centralized north African empire' of theirs. Colonel Preto is ready in Tangiers to deal with any possible incursions onto our territory. I must confess however, that the thrill of discovering new lands makes me giddy with excitement and I'd rather explore uncovered territories for our people, instead of leading another naval transport operation with reinforcements to north Africa.
June 2nd, 1492
' .. preparations are 1/2 complete, the soldiers are being preped, and I am currently in the process of discussing prices with our Merchants regarding final price of the large provisions for our voyage. The threat from Morocco seems to have passed for now, seems discussions with Spain bore fruit. In a few months time the King's daughter is soon to wed the King of Spain and with that comes the promise of an extended alliance with the Spaniards..'
Sep 11th, 1492
'.. the time has arrived! I am currently in my coach, bound for the Port of Lisbon ready to take command of my flotilla...and isn't it brilliant! Twenty-six ships await me, of which twenty-one are our new state of the art warships. Five thousand soldiers are currently in the process of boarding our transports. I hear that the King himself will be there to see us off! My plan is as follows: The first stage of our journey will take us west, past the Sea of Canaries, into the Azores. I expect this journey to last no more than 3-4 weeks with good winds and good luck. Here we will disband for a few days, gaining more provisions and supplies whilst leaving any sick behind. After that, we continue west, into the uncharted oceans past the Azores. From here on out, dangers increases everyday we move out of range of our last friendly, populated territory..I honestly don't know how long the journey will last from here on in, however I am prepared for a long voyage...'
Nov 11th, 1492 (Azores)
'..arrived at the Port, in the Azores, a month after our celebrated departure from Lisbon. It's been a relatively peaceful ride, at times meeting several warships of the Spanish insignia which let us continue without too many hassles. On another note, sitting here for a month with only men as company, it's time for me to go down to the local red district establishments and hoist my own flag with the help of some largely bossomed girls..'
July 11th, 1493
'.. our men are close to complete exhaustion this month. We barely moved, the guiding winds being lazy in their work for our cause. Many men have died, in the past 6 months, and we have barely seen land, apart from three times where we landed on some small, inhospitable islands to replenish our reserves and give our men some rest. I have been very worried about a possible mutiny for the past few weeks, hearing grumblings and arguments from many of our shiphands. There is no way they can attempt anything without the help of our soldiers who are still firmly on mind side. Neverthless, today finally we have been given the good fortune to spy land again. It spreads as far to the north and south on the horizon and therefore must not be merely an island. Perhaps this is the rumored land we have come to claim as ours? Can our journey finally be over?
July 12-13th, 1493
'..oh how the men cheered! Land! I have called this territory, 'Carolina'. Spread as far as the eye can see! We boarded dingies and made our way to the sparkling white beach, our soldiers ever aware of any enemy movement. We have no idea what sort of savages live here, though in my wildest nightmares I have imagined them to be even more brutal and boorish than the Moroccans and that frightens me dearly. I ordered Colonel Estrala to make a sweep of the surrounding territory with some detachements of our army and it wasn't too long before we heard the awful sound of fire and metal clashing upon metal and the screams of fallen men. I ordered the remaining soldiers (some 1,000 strong) to form a protective defensive layer around our sprawling encampment, not daring to allow them to venture forth to help their fellow men. Several hours later, a shell shocked Colonel Estrala comes charging into our encampment on his horse, followed by the lead detachements of his army. I give him a bottle of my most expensive wine and ask him what occured several hours previous. Apparently marching through a wooded area, their army spread out in a long march and still quite tired from the voyage was ambushed by a gang of savages over 500 strong! Before anyone knew it, they had massacred over 30 soldiers and were making inroads on our terrified army. The Colonel however managed to save the situation and ordered a counterattack, which led the fall of most of those brown skinned monsters, while the rest ran in terror at the sounds of our guns. It seems over 100 men died this day.. it pains me to hear such news as it adds to the nearly 900 men that have died on this difficult voyage since leaving the Azores. We lost nearly 2/6ths of our men, equipment and ships so far...My worst fears have come true, this territory is populated and they will resist..'
Feb 1st, 1494 '.. had ordered the Colonel to continue his advance west into the uncharted territory after several months of rest and the expansion of our little encampment into something almost resembling a minor city. However, despite the orders and pleading of the Colonel, his men are completely reluctant to venture forth more than 200-300 metres beyond the ends of our encampment. They are afraid of the brown-skinned savages. I can't say I blame them, however our time grows short. I must return back to Lisbon to make a report about our discovery to the King bringing more reinforcements. Therefore I bid farewell to the Colonel and make my way back out into the sea.. I see fear in the eyes of some of the soldiers waving to us from the beach. Hopefully they will be in good health when I return..'
June 30th, 1494 'our arrival back in Lisbon is greatly celebrated. The whole city comes out to greet our exhausted fleet. But this is nothing compared to the reaction I get from the population on news that we have been triumphant! The King immediately agrees to ready more supplies and promote new Admirals of the fleet which may in haste move back onto Carolina..'
Aug 12th. 1496
'... and the possibility of an armed conflict against the Moroccan scum continues to be of prime worry for our gracious and radiant King, Manuel I. Infact, relationships between the royal envoys stationed at Tangiers, and the diplomats of Morocco who meet them every few months, have degenerated into almost non stop insults from what my sources tell me. The African filth insist on demanding that we meet them on equal terms, that is every second diplomatic visit is to be conducted by our envoys at their capital of ... The nerve! It's insult enough sending in our irreplacable soldiers into the inhospitable desert wastelands to rid ourselves of them completely, let alone sending his majesty's most respected envoys into the heart of the scum pit! Colonel Beja is our top military commander in Tangiers, he has the respected of the entire population, and many Moroccans in the south, holding high places of office within their barbaric structure know he is a man not to be trifled with. I am confident we can stave off any dangers, from these primitive infidels.
On a different note, my servants bring me news of the continued expansion of trade in our west African colonies. After cleaning up several native establishments in Senegal, that whole province is ready to be colonized proper, primitive trading posts have already been established in these areas from our main base of operations - Cape Verde, of shore to the west. However, there have been continued problems with oour Carolina operation. Reports continue to arrive out of the province that the soldiers have still not agreed to venture forth from their established camp. Dear God, this is embarrassing! How can they be afraid of a few savages?? This situation will shortly be resolved, the Lord Admiral of the Fleet, Da Gama has chosen a Conquistador of some experience, the recently promoted Field Marshal Camoens. He will sail to Carolina with a small contingent of reinforcements, the fleet under the leadership of the Lord Admiral, with me and Cabral as 2nd and 3rd in command. We anticipate leaving within the next 6 months, as we cannot wait any longer. Our high council has learnt that the Spaniards have been sighted of the coast in various places. Of course, we are on extremely good terms with our continued allies, however we cannot allow them to grab a strong foothold in the New World, because it will inevitably lead to some extremely bloody Colonial wars...'
Jan 19th, 1497
'.. The day has arrived. Camoens is ready, with contingents of 4250 infantry and 1750 horses. I am worried about the long term effects of such a long voyage on the animals, many suffered appauling sickness and numerous died on our first crossing. The Lord Admiral Da Gama, has taken command of the 10 ship fleet and we leave at midday..'
March 27th, 1497
'..It's been a week now that we've been recovering our strength in the Azores. The voyage here from Lisbon was painless, and casualty free though the men are still tired. I have introduced the Lord Admiral to some of the local classy establishments, and he has taken a particular fondess for them. Infact, The men have hardly seen him the last few days, the poor sinner! Perhaps when I retire, our Lord may give me the strength to pen a book 'bout the fine living offered by these temptresses of the Azores! Surely, our Lord would understand the longing these mariners suffer on these extensive voyages. May he forgive us for indulging in the fine, soft flesh of these nymphomaniacs! Now it's time for this old sea dog to rest his tired body..'
June 26th, 1497,
'We've finally arrived at Carolina, our arrival celebrated by much of the population. Not much has changed since I left this camp, some years back in time. It seems the soldiers have been living in this filthy squaller for months. Their condition is deteriorating as many are afraid to go out to forage for supplies since they are terrified of being ambushed. I've heard some greatly exaggerated stories of 'demon monsters' hiding just in the thickets beyond our camp. I've been told of strange 'unnatural' shrills and cries heard throughout the night making many shiver with sweat and so petrified that they've been unable to rest at all. This is why their condition does not surprise me anymore. Paranoid fools, what do they expect, this is a strange land, filled with many secrets to uncover. It's not at all inconceivable that the barbarian population and wildlife of this exotic land is vastly different in appearance and custom of the one we've faced so far in Morocco or in west Africa. No doubt the Field Marshal was also aghast with their condition, he will take charge this day with vigour and re-instill some order and discipline within this ragged bunch. I cannot stay here for very long, though. Our orders are to deliver the Field Marshal to this colony, have a fortnights rest if needed and return immediately back to Lisbon. The King is in the middle of preparing for a possible war with the Moroccans, he needs his closest military advisers within his proximity..'
Dec 20th, 1497,
'No less than a week back after my return voyage and I've already been summoned to the King's chambers ten times. He is very worried that if a possible war occurs, we won't be able to send in reinforcements fast enough to relieve Tangiers from the sea. Da Gama advises that we send reinforcements in now, before any active operations can begin, but the King is afraid of 'upsetting' these primitives! If only our gracious King had as much backbone as John II, oh what a relief that would be! His fear is not alliviated, by his closest advisers who continually blurt out completely unfounded and astronomical figures of their armies. 'One-hundred thousand!!', 'two-hundred!!', 'three!!' Dear Lord, some common sense gentlemen! Many of the generals demand that they charge in now with the forces stationed in Tangiers... which are approaching 18,000 men, mostly infantry. It would be most sensible that the commanders of the navy are given seniority here a long with the chief of our forces in Tangiers, the brave Colonel Beja...'
March 12th, 1500,
'..The Royal Court is celebrating this morning, they have received great news from the Spanish heralds of the defeat of Russian barbarians by the fierce Germans of the Teutonic Order a world away to our east, bordering on the savage lands of the Khanates and Muscovy. Hah, Pskovians, pet dogs of the Muscovites, the stinging pus sore languishing merrily under the protection of eastern barbarians are no more. May God grant unity among all Catholics to join in holy crusade against these infidels of the Church, for the Russians are only one of the numerous plagues which fester upon our clean, wholesome Catholic body. Bayezid the second, the leader of the Turk has again waged war onto that great pearl of the middle east, the eternal Persian Empire. The savages have pillaged much of the countryside, stopping their offensive only after the couragous Persians offered them land in exchange for peace. Oh how my blood boils on hearing such news! My heart burns, and my hand grips for my sword in anger, for perhaps one day I may quit my commission and sail against these uncivilized scum myself in the seas of the Aegean.
Almeida shares my views, though he is persistantly getting more impatient regarding the date of our departure for western Africa. A good soldier he may be, but he doesn't realise it takes much time to gather all needed provisions for such a long voyage. He does however hold the King's ear, and it would be wise for our servants to speed their readiness, it may just save their heads -- not to mention my own. Our stalled expansion in Dakar and Senegal will continue ever stronger after this impatient soldier sets his foot on African soil. I do so hope the natives get a chance to pray to whatever foul Gods they worship, before Almeida sends them straight to hell!..'
Oct 10th, 1502,
'.. growing tired of this moored stay in Dakar. Almeida is having HIS fun, putting the natives to the sword, and what am I to do? Perhaps one is here to safeguard our colonies against marauding gangs of sea monsters and mermaids? I would be in a much happier state if I was forced to bunk down in a much more hospitable place, the Azores doesn't sound too bad right now! At least the girls there are much more responsive to an old sailors needs than the dark, unkempt and uncivlized native girls of these parts. Their arrogance at defying the will of our soldiers is oddly curious, brave but extremely foolish. Our saviour, however has granted me the iron will to keep myself from punishing these savages wickedly. What greater honour could savage girls like these receive than bedding a white man of my stature? Almeida's constitution, however is not as strong as mine, his reputation amongst the natives is spreading like wild fire, which is precisely the tool he most uses to spread fear across this wasteland. Not one standing hut remains unburnt and unblackened to coal within a radius of many miles, thanks to this humble crusader of our nation.
Morocco continues to be of primary concern from what I can gleen of the monthly letters I receive of the occurances at the royal court. There is constant deliberation as to whether seek a final peace, or final war with the Moroccan upstarts. One should note, that the nation of Algiers, neighbouring the Moroccans on their eastern borders have recently signed an alliance with the Turk. I believe that it is only a matter of time before the Algierians decide to invade eastern Morocco with the considerable help of the massive Turkish naval fleet. What do we do after the Moroccans fall, which of course is assured? Tangiers is next, and from there it's just a short trip through the straights of Gibraltar into southern Spain. Armaggedon on earth! There is no easy solution to this problem, and at best we can only extend the inevitable. However in my opinion, which I've penned to our gracious King, Manuel the first, it would be best to keep the Moroccans as a buffer between us and the Turkish allies. Making war now would weaken us, and final victory is not assured..'
March 14th, 1503,
'.. ah finally we've arrived back in Lisbon. It's been nearly two years since I've moored at this the most beautiful of ports and everytime I do, it envigorates my soul, re-igniting my passion for the sea.
Almeida's path of destruction cut a crimson shaded swaythe through native settlements in the last two years like a plague as far as the southern Moroccan border in the unending wastes of the Sahara. Our colonies and trading posts now border their southern lands and worse yet these newly established territories are weak and poorly defended by a man who has established his superiority over weaker native tribes armed with clubs and fists, but how he will handle any possible invasions from the Moroccan hordes is another matter entirely. My happiness therefore was very short lived. The King's advisors continue to press him for war against the Moroccans and he continues to receive letters from Almeida urging him to strike now. My presence here may hopefully extend any discussions on the matter, and I will protest most strongly against any sort of offensive action to be undertaken. However, if worse comes to worst then we should be relatively ready for war. Our tax collectors inform us of the possibility of almost double the collection of normal tax incomes for the next 12 months. Our ventures in the colonies, combined with good harvesting by our hearty peasants has much to do with this economic upturn..'
May 1st, 1504,
'..our loyal allies the Spaniards have been sighted by passing transports in the Jamaican Seas and the Bahamas most recently. It seems, they are not content with erradicating whole civilizations on just one continent. Our envoys have been discussing this with their counterparts in Madrid, and there is an agreement of goodwill of our two nations in the colonies Still, God grant them luck aye say, there is plenty of room to divide the New World between ourselves!
My humble abode has been chosen to host a summit of several converging central European envoys. Our gracious King, Manuel the first has ordered for a great diplomatic offensive to be conduct with the eternal enemies of the Turkish empire. Our King seeks the establishment of a firmer communicative foothold in central Europe, through the wedding of our prospective royalty to the Kings, Princes and Princesses of the most holy of Catholic nations, the Habsburg Austrians under Maximilian I and the great Catholic powerhouse, the Jagiellonian Empire of Poland under Zygmund the first. Informing the King of the significance of attracting the Venetians, he whole heartedly agreed with my reasoning and will order his envoys to sail for Genova, and then make their way across country to the city of Venice..'
Sapura
Extracts from the diary of V.A Corte Real G during the colonial expansion of Portugal under John II & Manuel I. 1492-1504
Vice Admiral Corte Real G.
Jan 12th, 1492
'..our gracious and magnificent King has agreed to my suggestion of an expedition to the rumored lands far west of the Sea of Canaries. My excitement grew, on seeing the King give an oratry on how productive such an escapade might turn out to be for our realm. The prestige, the honour and the growth of our realm beyond our wildest expectations. Surely, there will be dangers to face no doubt, but the urge to go perhaps foolishly outweighs these fears. I must, however, make my preparations as quickly as possible. I overheard rumors that the Moroccans are preparing for an invasion of our Tangiers. These African barbarians don't fool me with their pretensions of a 'great centralized north African empire' of theirs. Colonel Preto is ready in Tangiers to deal with any possible incursions onto our territory. I must confess however, that the thrill of discovering new lands makes me giddy with excitement and I'd rather explore uncovered territories for our people, instead of leading another naval transport operation with reinforcements to north Africa.
June 2nd, 1492
' .. preparations are 1/2 complete, the soldiers are being preped, and I am currently in the process of discussing prices with our Merchants regarding final price of the large provisions for our voyage. The threat from Morocco seems to have passed for now, seems discussions with Spain bore fruit. In a few months time the King's daughter is soon to wed the King of Spain and with that comes the promise of an extended alliance with the Spaniards..'
Sep 11th, 1492
'.. the time has arrived! I am currently in my coach, bound for the Port of Lisbon ready to take command of my flotilla...and isn't it brilliant! Twenty-six ships await me, of which twenty-one are our new state of the art warships. Five thousand soldiers are currently in the process of boarding our transports. I hear that the King himself will be there to see us off! My plan is as follows: The first stage of our journey will take us west, past the Sea of Canaries, into the Azores. I expect this journey to last no more than 3-4 weeks with good winds and good luck. Here we will disband for a few days, gaining more provisions and supplies whilst leaving any sick behind. After that, we continue west, into the uncharted oceans past the Azores. From here on out, dangers increases everyday we move out of range of our last friendly, populated territory..I honestly don't know how long the journey will last from here on in, however I am prepared for a long voyage...'
Nov 11th, 1492 (Azores)
'..arrived at the Port, in the Azores, a month after our celebrated departure from Lisbon. It's been a relatively peaceful ride, at times meeting several warships of the Spanish insignia which let us continue without too many hassles. On another note, sitting here for a month with only men as company, it's time for me to go down to the local red district establishments and hoist my own flag with the help of some largely bossomed girls..'
July 11th, 1493
'.. our men are close to complete exhaustion this month. We barely moved, the guiding winds being lazy in their work for our cause. Many men have died, in the past 6 months, and we have barely seen land, apart from three times where we landed on some small, inhospitable islands to replenish our reserves and give our men some rest. I have been very worried about a possible mutiny for the past few weeks, hearing grumblings and arguments from many of our shiphands. There is no way they can attempt anything without the help of our soldiers who are still firmly on mind side. Neverthless, today finally we have been given the good fortune to spy land again. It spreads as far to the north and south on the horizon and therefore must not be merely an island. Perhaps this is the rumored land we have come to claim as ours? Can our journey finally be over?
July 12-13th, 1493
'..oh how the men cheered! Land! I have called this territory, 'Carolina'. Spread as far as the eye can see! We boarded dingies and made our way to the sparkling white beach, our soldiers ever aware of any enemy movement. We have no idea what sort of savages live here, though in my wildest nightmares I have imagined them to be even more brutal and boorish than the Moroccans and that frightens me dearly. I ordered Colonel Estrala to make a sweep of the surrounding territory with some detachements of our army and it wasn't too long before we heard the awful sound of fire and metal clashing upon metal and the screams of fallen men. I ordered the remaining soldiers (some 1,000 strong) to form a protective defensive layer around our sprawling encampment, not daring to allow them to venture forth to help their fellow men. Several hours later, a shell shocked Colonel Estrala comes charging into our encampment on his horse, followed by the lead detachements of his army. I give him a bottle of my most expensive wine and ask him what occured several hours previous. Apparently marching through a wooded area, their army spread out in a long march and still quite tired from the voyage was ambushed by a gang of savages over 500 strong! Before anyone knew it, they had massacred over 30 soldiers and were making inroads on our terrified army. The Colonel however managed to save the situation and ordered a counterattack, which led the fall of most of those brown skinned monsters, while the rest ran in terror at the sounds of our guns. It seems over 100 men died this day.. it pains me to hear such news as it adds to the nearly 900 men that have died on this difficult voyage since leaving the Azores. We lost nearly 2/6ths of our men, equipment and ships so far...My worst fears have come true, this territory is populated and they will resist..'
Feb 1st, 1494 '.. had ordered the Colonel to continue his advance west into the uncharted territory after several months of rest and the expansion of our little encampment into something almost resembling a minor city. However, despite the orders and pleading of the Colonel, his men are completely reluctant to venture forth more than 200-300 metres beyond the ends of our encampment. They are afraid of the brown-skinned savages. I can't say I blame them, however our time grows short. I must return back to Lisbon to make a report about our discovery to the King bringing more reinforcements. Therefore I bid farewell to the Colonel and make my way back out into the sea.. I see fear in the eyes of some of the soldiers waving to us from the beach. Hopefully they will be in good health when I return..'
June 30th, 1494 'our arrival back in Lisbon is greatly celebrated. The whole city comes out to greet our exhausted fleet. But this is nothing compared to the reaction I get from the population on news that we have been triumphant! The King immediately agrees to ready more supplies and promote new Admirals of the fleet which may in haste move back onto Carolina..'
Aug 12th. 1496
'... and the possibility of an armed conflict against the Moroccan scum continues to be of prime worry for our gracious and radiant King, Manuel I. Infact, relationships between the royal envoys stationed at Tangiers, and the diplomats of Morocco who meet them every few months, have degenerated into almost non stop insults from what my sources tell me. The African filth insist on demanding that we meet them on equal terms, that is every second diplomatic visit is to be conducted by our envoys at their capital of ... The nerve! It's insult enough sending in our irreplacable soldiers into the inhospitable desert wastelands to rid ourselves of them completely, let alone sending his majesty's most respected envoys into the heart of the scum pit! Colonel Beja is our top military commander in Tangiers, he has the respected of the entire population, and many Moroccans in the south, holding high places of office within their barbaric structure know he is a man not to be trifled with. I am confident we can stave off any dangers, from these primitive infidels.
On a different note, my servants bring me news of the continued expansion of trade in our west African colonies. After cleaning up several native establishments in Senegal, that whole province is ready to be colonized proper, primitive trading posts have already been established in these areas from our main base of operations - Cape Verde, of shore to the west. However, there have been continued problems with oour Carolina operation. Reports continue to arrive out of the province that the soldiers have still not agreed to venture forth from their established camp. Dear God, this is embarrassing! How can they be afraid of a few savages?? This situation will shortly be resolved, the Lord Admiral of the Fleet, Da Gama has chosen a Conquistador of some experience, the recently promoted Field Marshal Camoens. He will sail to Carolina with a small contingent of reinforcements, the fleet under the leadership of the Lord Admiral, with me and Cabral as 2nd and 3rd in command. We anticipate leaving within the next 6 months, as we cannot wait any longer. Our high council has learnt that the Spaniards have been sighted of the coast in various places. Of course, we are on extremely good terms with our continued allies, however we cannot allow them to grab a strong foothold in the New World, because it will inevitably lead to some extremely bloody Colonial wars...'
Jan 19th, 1497
'.. The day has arrived. Camoens is ready, with contingents of 4250 infantry and 1750 horses. I am worried about the long term effects of such a long voyage on the animals, many suffered appauling sickness and numerous died on our first crossing. The Lord Admiral Da Gama, has taken command of the 10 ship fleet and we leave at midday..'
March 27th, 1497
'..It's been a week now that we've been recovering our strength in the Azores. The voyage here from Lisbon was painless, and casualty free though the men are still tired. I have introduced the Lord Admiral to some of the local classy establishments, and he has taken a particular fondess for them. Infact, The men have hardly seen him the last few days, the poor sinner! Perhaps when I retire, our Lord may give me the strength to pen a book 'bout the fine living offered by these temptresses of the Azores! Surely, our Lord would understand the longing these mariners suffer on these extensive voyages. May he forgive us for indulging in the fine, soft flesh of these nymphomaniacs! Now it's time for this old sea dog to rest his tired body..'
June 26th, 1497,
'We've finally arrived at Carolina, our arrival celebrated by much of the population. Not much has changed since I left this camp, some years back in time. It seems the soldiers have been living in this filthy squaller for months. Their condition is deteriorating as many are afraid to go out to forage for supplies since they are terrified of being ambushed. I've heard some greatly exaggerated stories of 'demon monsters' hiding just in the thickets beyond our camp. I've been told of strange 'unnatural' shrills and cries heard throughout the night making many shiver with sweat and so petrified that they've been unable to rest at all. This is why their condition does not surprise me anymore. Paranoid fools, what do they expect, this is a strange land, filled with many secrets to uncover. It's not at all inconceivable that the barbarian population and wildlife of this exotic land is vastly different in appearance and custom of the one we've faced so far in Morocco or in west Africa. No doubt the Field Marshal was also aghast with their condition, he will take charge this day with vigour and re-instill some order and discipline within this ragged bunch. I cannot stay here for very long, though. Our orders are to deliver the Field Marshal to this colony, have a fortnights rest if needed and return immediately back to Lisbon. The King is in the middle of preparing for a possible war with the Moroccans, he needs his closest military advisers within his proximity..'
Dec 20th, 1497,
'No less than a week back after my return voyage and I've already been summoned to the King's chambers ten times. He is very worried that if a possible war occurs, we won't be able to send in reinforcements fast enough to relieve Tangiers from the sea. Da Gama advises that we send reinforcements in now, before any active operations can begin, but the King is afraid of 'upsetting' these primitives! If only our gracious King had as much backbone as John II, oh what a relief that would be! His fear is not alliviated, by his closest advisers who continually blurt out completely unfounded and astronomical figures of their armies. 'One-hundred thousand!!', 'two-hundred!!', 'three!!' Dear Lord, some common sense gentlemen! Many of the generals demand that they charge in now with the forces stationed in Tangiers... which are approaching 18,000 men, mostly infantry. It would be most sensible that the commanders of the navy are given seniority here a long with the chief of our forces in Tangiers, the brave Colonel Beja...'
March 12th, 1500,
'..The Royal Court is celebrating this morning, they have received great news from the Spanish heralds of the defeat of Russian barbarians by the fierce Germans of the Teutonic Order a world away to our east, bordering on the savage lands of the Khanates and Muscovy. Hah, Pskovians, pet dogs of the Muscovites, the stinging pus sore languishing merrily under the protection of eastern barbarians are no more. May God grant unity among all Catholics to join in holy crusade against these infidels of the Church, for the Russians are only one of the numerous plagues which fester upon our clean, wholesome Catholic body. Bayezid the second, the leader of the Turk has again waged war onto that great pearl of the middle east, the eternal Persian Empire. The savages have pillaged much of the countryside, stopping their offensive only after the couragous Persians offered them land in exchange for peace. Oh how my blood boils on hearing such news! My heart burns, and my hand grips for my sword in anger, for perhaps one day I may quit my commission and sail against these uncivilized scum myself in the seas of the Aegean.
Almeida shares my views, though he is persistantly getting more impatient regarding the date of our departure for western Africa. A good soldier he may be, but he doesn't realise it takes much time to gather all needed provisions for such a long voyage. He does however hold the King's ear, and it would be wise for our servants to speed their readiness, it may just save their heads -- not to mention my own. Our stalled expansion in Dakar and Senegal will continue ever stronger after this impatient soldier sets his foot on African soil. I do so hope the natives get a chance to pray to whatever foul Gods they worship, before Almeida sends them straight to hell!..'
Oct 10th, 1502,
'.. growing tired of this moored stay in Dakar. Almeida is having HIS fun, putting the natives to the sword, and what am I to do? Perhaps one is here to safeguard our colonies against marauding gangs of sea monsters and mermaids? I would be in a much happier state if I was forced to bunk down in a much more hospitable place, the Azores doesn't sound too bad right now! At least the girls there are much more responsive to an old sailors needs than the dark, unkempt and uncivlized native girls of these parts. Their arrogance at defying the will of our soldiers is oddly curious, brave but extremely foolish. Our saviour, however has granted me the iron will to keep myself from punishing these savages wickedly. What greater honour could savage girls like these receive than bedding a white man of my stature? Almeida's constitution, however is not as strong as mine, his reputation amongst the natives is spreading like wild fire, which is precisely the tool he most uses to spread fear across this wasteland. Not one standing hut remains unburnt and unblackened to coal within a radius of many miles, thanks to this humble crusader of our nation.
Morocco continues to be of primary concern from what I can gleen of the monthly letters I receive of the occurances at the royal court. There is constant deliberation as to whether seek a final peace, or final war with the Moroccan upstarts. One should note, that the nation of Algiers, neighbouring the Moroccans on their eastern borders have recently signed an alliance with the Turk. I believe that it is only a matter of time before the Algierians decide to invade eastern Morocco with the considerable help of the massive Turkish naval fleet. What do we do after the Moroccans fall, which of course is assured? Tangiers is next, and from there it's just a short trip through the straights of Gibraltar into southern Spain. Armaggedon on earth! There is no easy solution to this problem, and at best we can only extend the inevitable. However in my opinion, which I've penned to our gracious King, Manuel the first, it would be best to keep the Moroccans as a buffer between us and the Turkish allies. Making war now would weaken us, and final victory is not assured..'
March 14th, 1503,
'.. ah finally we've arrived back in Lisbon. It's been nearly two years since I've moored at this the most beautiful of ports and everytime I do, it envigorates my soul, re-igniting my passion for the sea.
Almeida's path of destruction cut a crimson shaded swaythe through native settlements in the last two years like a plague as far as the southern Moroccan border in the unending wastes of the Sahara. Our colonies and trading posts now border their southern lands and worse yet these newly established territories are weak and poorly defended by a man who has established his superiority over weaker native tribes armed with clubs and fists, but how he will handle any possible invasions from the Moroccan hordes is another matter entirely. My happiness therefore was very short lived. The King's advisors continue to press him for war against the Moroccans and he continues to receive letters from Almeida urging him to strike now. My presence here may hopefully extend any discussions on the matter, and I will protest most strongly against any sort of offensive action to be undertaken. However, if worse comes to worst then we should be relatively ready for war. Our tax collectors inform us of the possibility of almost double the collection of normal tax incomes for the next 12 months. Our ventures in the colonies, combined with good harvesting by our hearty peasants has much to do with this economic upturn..'
May 1st, 1504,
'..our loyal allies the Spaniards have been sighted by passing transports in the Jamaican Seas and the Bahamas most recently. It seems, they are not content with erradicating whole civilizations on just one continent. Our envoys have been discussing this with their counterparts in Madrid, and there is an agreement of goodwill of our two nations in the colonies Still, God grant them luck aye say, there is plenty of room to divide the New World between ourselves!
My humble abode has been chosen to host a summit of several converging central European envoys. Our gracious King, Manuel the first has ordered for a great diplomatic offensive to be conduct with the eternal enemies of the Turkish empire. Our King seeks the establishment of a firmer communicative foothold in central Europe, through the wedding of our prospective royalty to the Kings, Princes and Princesses of the most holy of Catholic nations, the Habsburg Austrians under Maximilian I and the great Catholic powerhouse, the Jagiellonian Empire of Poland under Zygmund the first. Informing the King of the significance of attracting the Venetians, he whole heartedly agreed with my reasoning and will order his envoys to sail for Genova, and then make their way across country to the city of Venice..'
Sapura
