João da Nova, arriving in Cochin, encounters the factor left behind by Cabral, Gonçalo Gil Barbosa.

Barbosa reports trading difficulties in the local markets.

Indian spice merchants require payment in cash (silver principally), but Cabral had left him only with a stock of Portuguese goods (cloth mainly), expecting him to use the revenues from their sale to buy up the spices.

European goods have little appeal in Indian markets, however, and Barbosa is still saddled with his unsold stock, unable to raise the cash to buy the spices.

Barbosa seems to suspect that the Arab merchant guilds have engineered a boycott of Portuguese goods on Indian markets.

He also reports that the Trimumpara Raja of Cochin, despite his alliance and protection of the factory, is in fact furious at the Portuguese because Cabral's Second Armada had departed so suddenly (without official pleasantries and taking two noble Cochinese noble hostages with them).

The lack of silver cash seems to be the pressing problem that Nova did not anticipate.

He certainly has not brought much cash with him, having also expected to sell Portuguese goods in India to raise it.