Portuguese royal factor's post at Ughoton finally closed (1506–7)

Duarte Lopes died at Ughoton in 1504; his successor Bastiam Fernandez was probably the last factor, for the post was finally closed in 1506–7. In his twenty months at Ughoton, Fernandez bought 227 slaves, 33,382 coris (stone beads), 1,816 cloths, 128 tusks of ivory, and 4,142 bushels of pepper. The post had rested economically upon the pepper trade, but in 1506 a decree forbade Portuguese subjects to buy Benin pepper because 2,000 quintals of Indian pepper were now arriving annually compared with only 75 quintals from Benin.