ku ▁and ▁other ▁parts ▁of ▁eastern ▁Indones ia . ▁After ▁the ▁Portuguese ▁an nex ed ▁Mal ac ca ▁in ▁August ▁ 1 5 1 1 , ▁one ▁Portuguese ▁di ary ▁noted ▁' it ▁is ▁thirty ▁years ▁since ▁they ▁became ▁Mo ors '. ▁ ▁Af onso ▁de ▁Al bu quer que ▁learned ▁of ▁the ▁route ▁to ▁the ▁Band a ▁Islands ▁and ▁other ▁' Sp ice ▁Islands ', ▁and ▁sent ▁an ▁expl or atory ▁expedition ▁of ▁three ▁vessels ▁under ▁the ▁command ▁of ▁Ant ón io ▁de ▁A bre u , ▁Sim ão ▁Af onso ▁Bis ig udo ▁and ▁Francisco ▁Ser r ão . ▁On ▁the ▁return ▁trip , ▁Ser r ão ▁was ▁ship w reck ed ▁at ▁H itu ▁island ▁( nor thern ▁Am bon ) ▁in ▁ 1 5 1 2 . ▁There ▁he ▁established ▁t ies ▁with ▁the ▁local ▁r uler ▁who ▁was ▁im pressed ▁with ▁his ▁mart ial ▁skills . ▁The ▁r ul ers ▁of ▁the ▁compet ing ▁island ▁states ▁of ▁T ern ate ▁and ▁T id ore ▁also ▁sought ▁Portuguese ▁assistance ▁and ▁the ▁new com ers ▁were ▁wel com ed ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁as ▁buy ers ▁of ▁supplies ▁and ▁sp ices ▁during ▁a ▁l ull ▁in ▁the ▁regional ▁trade ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁temporary ▁dis ruption ▁of ▁J avan ese ▁and ▁Mal ay ▁sail ings ▁to ▁the ▁area ▁following ▁the ▁ 1 5 1 1 ▁conflict ▁in ▁Mal ac ca . ▁The ▁sp ice ▁trade ▁soon ▁rev ived ▁but ▁the ▁Portuguese ▁would ▁not ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁fully ▁mon opol ize ▁nor ▁dis