Whilst the work of taking in cargo was going on, news reached Coulam of the liberalities of the captain-major on account of the good peace and friendship which was established with the King of Cochym, with so considerable a trade of such profit to the King and his people. The Queen of Coulam—for by their laws women govern the kingdom, and they are called Queens, and their husbands not, of which I will give an account further on in its place—was desirous of obtaining for her kingdom the same advantage as Cochym had got; and she held a council with her ministers and principal merchants, saying to them that she desired for her kingdom the same great profit that the King of Cochym had through the peace and friendship which he had with the Portuguese, because she had in her kingdom pepper enough to load twenty ships each year, from which they would derive great profit, according to the mode of trade in Cochym, if our people had a factory established in Coulam, and they would enjoy the great profit which the merchants of Cochym had, who came to Coulam to buy, in order to carry it away and sell it in Cochym. This was indeed so, for the greater quantity of pepper which went to Cochym the merchants bought it in this kingdom of Coulam, and carried it in boats to Cochym, by rivers which flow inside the country.