Manuel sat down at his desk in his increasingly cramped castle outside Lisbon. He stretched his back after signing his name on a letter. The letter was authorizing the final preparations for the movement of the royal court to the new Ribeira Palace.

He began his next task, a report on the state of his navy. Portuguese naval tradition and technology, it would seem, was unmatched. The last twenty years had brought great change to the Portuguese navy. It was after all King João II that invented the reinforced deck that allowed heavy camelos to be mounted on the lower deck and fired through gun ports ao lume do agua-at the waterline.

Portuguese admirals have proven the destructive power of such cannons. Portuguese camelos, breech loaded 12 to 18 pound stone throwers, are the finest naval artillery pieces in the world. Each caravel carries four of these destructive weapons below deck in addition to eight falconets and up to a dozen swivel guns. The naus of the Portuguese navy are ships unlike any others built outside of Portugal or Spain. As large as a carrack, more squat than a caravel, but of carvel construction and carrying 50 percent more firepower than a caravel.

To maximize the destructive power of these guns each ship has an expert team of bombardeiros led by a condestável. The recent tactical breakthroughs during the fights in India have validated Portuguese naval development. Recent experience in India has shown Portuguese admirals the best way to maximize the horizontal firepower of their ships.

But the production of the bronze cannons needed for the King's navy is simply not enough to continue supplying quality cannons to the large fleets sent to India. Portugal is already importing obscene amounts of Fugger copper, but the Lisbon foundrycannot keep up with the Casa da India’s demands.

The crown already pays wage premiums and bonuses to lure the best European artisans and gunners, but more are needed. The administrators of the Casa da India have made clear the need to expand the Lisbon foundry and Manuel is anything but deaf to these needs. The Portuguese King quickly drafts a letter ordering that all arrangements be prepared to expand the Lisbon foundry as necessary and that he will secure the funding.

[M]Expanding the capability of the Lisbon Foundry to produce high quality, bronze, naval artillery and make it a mechanical military holding for 400,000f civilian. Also requesting that estates interested in India help pay some of the cost.

[Sources]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KbpU3KFwglnbN02T-f-AmcPBGwLyIJzU/view?usp=sharing

https://www.silverhawkauthor.com/post/artillery-in-portugal-lisbon-marine-museum