Page:History of the Indian Archipelago Vol 2.djvu/435

CHAPTER VIII. PORTUGUESE HISTORY OF THE ARCHIPELAGO. General remarks on the intercourse of European nations tvith the Indian Islanders. — First appearance of the Portuguese under Seqiieira. — Albuquerque conquers Malacca. — Wealth obtained by the Conquerors. — Military character of the Malays at the time of the conquest. — Account of the Po- licy pursued by Albuquerque for re-establishing Malacca, — Conduct of the neighbouring Princes — Character of the Policy pursued by the Portuguese in the Indian Archipelago during their possession of Malacca. — Albtc querque sends D'Abreu to the Moluccas, — Serrano one of his officers, is shipwrecked, and hospitably entertained by the Inhabitants. — De Britto, toith a squadron of nine shiys, makes a permanent establishment in the Moluccas^ and is the frst Governor. — He forthwith enters upon the scene of iniquity and crime which characterized the whole duration of the Portuguese yoke. — The Administration of Antonio Galvan, the only exception in a period of sixty years.^^ Circumstances to which so aggravated a degree of misrule ought to be ascribed^ 1 HE object of the four following chapters is to fur- nish a brief sketch of the history of European na- tions in the Indian Archipelago, in the course of which, the principal aim is to illustrate the efforts