The Military System of the Marathas, with a Brief Account of Their Maritime Activities c17.14

c17.14

In the next century also the Portuguese ‘still exercised this authority over all ships of Moors and Gentils’.² Among the instructions issued by the Viceroy, Conde de Sandomil, on 12 September 1735, occurs the following: ‘Whenever the captain takes or sees a ship he will immediately send for its *cartaz* and if it does not possess one or possesses only an old *cartaz* or if it is discovered that the ship has made a voyage to a forbidden port or carries forbidden cargo, he shall formally cause it to be taken and have the date and the latitude where the capture took place and whether there was any fighting or not, recorded through his scribe’.³ In 1736 Antonio de Britto Freire was expressly ordered to give chase to all ships he might meet on his way, if he could do so without any prejudice to his voyage or to the safety of the *cafilla* he was convoying.⁴ The same instructions were repeated on 13 September 1737, and 5 September 1738, when the same officer was entrusted with the responsibility of convoying Portuguese merchant fleets.⁵