A Forgotten Empire (Vijayanagar): A Contribution to the History of India c2.3

c2.3

Both these papers are in the same handwriting, which fact—since they were written by separate Portuguese merchants or travellers at Vijayanagar in different years, one, I believe, shortly subsequent to 1520 A.D., the latter not later than about 1536 or 1537—conclusively proves them to be copies of the originals, and not the originals themselves.¹ I have inserted² a facsimile of two pages of the text, so that no doubt may remain on this point. The first portion consists of the conclusion of the text of Fernão Nuniz; the second of the covering letter written by the person who sent the originals to Europe; the third of the beginning of the text of Domingo Paes.