Thus ended the government and conquest of Monomotapa shortly after its commencement, under two successive governors, who lost their object almost as soon as it was seen.  The first killed by a few rash words, and the second expelled by a prudent stratagem.  Yet peace and trade continued between the Portuguese and the empire of Monomotapa.  These actions of Barreto and Homem took place during the time when Luis de Ataide, Antonio de Noronha, and Antonio Moniz Barreto[401], were governors of India; but we have never been able to ascertain when the former died and the latter abandoned the projected conquest of the mines.

[Footnote 401:  The commencement of the government of Barreto has been already stated as having taken place in 1569.  Antonio Moniz Barreto governed India from 1573 to 1576:  Hence the consecutive governments of Francisco Barreto and Vasco Fernandez Homem in Monomotapa could not be less than four or more than seven years.—­E.]

SECTION IX.

Continuation of the Portuguese Transactions in India, from 1576 to 1581; when the Crown of Portugal was usurped by Philip II. of Spain, on the Death of the Cardinal King Henry.

In 1576 Ruy Lorenzo de Tavora went out as viceroy of Portuguese India; but dying on the voyage, at Mozambique, Don Diego de Menezes assumed the government in virtue of a royal patent of succession.  Nothing extraordinary happened during his government of nearly two years, when he was superseded by the arrival of Don Luis de Ataide count of Atougaia as viceroy of India for the second time.  Ataide had been appointed general in chief of the Portuguese forces by king Sebastian, who had resolved to bury the glory of his kingdom in the burning sands of Africa; and finding his own youthful impetuosity unable to conform with the prudent councils of the count, he constituted him viceroy of India as a plausible means of removing him.  The count arrived at Goa about the end of August 1577, where he immediately fitted out a mighty fleet which struck terror into all the neighbouring princes.  After continuing the war for some time against Adel Khan, a peace was concluded with that prince.

Soon afterwards news was brought to India of the melancholy catastrophe which had befallen king Sebastian in Africa, and that the Cardinal Don Henry had succeeded to the throne; but he soon afterwards died, and the kingdom of Portugal came under the direction of a council of regency consisting of five members.  The viceroy Don Luis died soon afterwards at Goa in the beginning of the year 1580, after governing India this second time for two years and seven months.  He seemed to have had a presentiment of his death; for being applied to for leave to bury his cousin Antonio Borello beside his brother Don Juan de Ataide, he refused it, saying that he had long designed that situation for himself.  He was a man of most undaunted courage,