25. AFter that the Captaine Generall was thus informed he would tarrie there no longer but immediatlye came to an Ankor at the Ilande of Ansandina the which was distaunt from thence as it were two Gunne shotte where it was tolde him there was excellent swéete water This Iland is but little and but a league of from the firme land There are in the same many woods and also two conduit heads made of frée stone of excellent sweete water the which are springs and do rise ther wherof one is sixe foote déepe Also in the sea about the sayde Iland is great store of fish Before that the Moores did vse to traficke to the Indias the same was inhabited by Gentiles in the which there were goodly buildings in especiall their Pagodes was a goodly thing And after that the Moores which came from the red sea began to saile that way they resorted thether alwayes to take in their water and wood and did so abuse the inhabitants that they could not wel abide the same so that they left their dwellings ther but before their going away they plucked downe almost all their Pagods so that they left nothing standing but the verye Chappell the lyke they did to all other their buildings yet for all that these Gentiles that wer of the firme land which belong to the king of Narsingas had to this Pagode such deuotion that from thence they would goe sundry times to make in the same their praiers vnto thrée black stones that were lieng in the middest of the said Chappell The Iland is called Ansandina which in the Malabars language is called the â—iue Ilandes for that rounde about the same there lye the other foure The Captaine Generall hauing come to an Ankor sent Nicholas Coello with his companye to discouer the same who founde it according as afore is declared and a goodlye place or grounde where they might newe graue their ships And for that the Captaine Generall had a great course to run and also for that he knew not when to finde so conuenient a place he consulted with the other Captaines to bring their shippes there a ground The first ship that they brought there a grounde was the Shippe the which they called Berâ—â—o And whilest they were thus occupyed there came many people to sell them victualls At which time there came two small Brickentines that hadde out theyr Standerds and Flagges in the toppes of theyr Mastes and within them theyr Trumpettes and Drumnies wherevppon they came playeng at theyr pleasure In these Brickentines there came manye men and they all at the Oare and along the shoare side there were other fiue which came to succour them if they shoulde haue anye néede The Captaine Generall after that hée hadde fight of them had warning giuen him by the Malabars to beware of them for that they were rouers and vnder a couloure of peace did robbe all that they coulde take And after that hée was entered into his shippe hée perceiued that hée might haue taken them if so bée that hée woulde haue consented to lette them to come aboorde him but hée woulde not agrée to the same And therefore as soone as they came within Gunne shotte commaunded all theyr Ordinaunce to be shot at them from those two shippes that were a floate They fearing this shotte gaue out a lowde voice crieng Tambarane Tambarane for so they doe call God and with this often shooting they fledde theyr way Nicholas Coello béeing as then in his Boate went after them alwayes shooting his Ordinaunce who pursued them so farre that the Captaine Generall was driuen to put vp his Flagge for a signe hée shoulde retourne and so he did The next daye after the Captaine Generall with all his men béeing a land working vpon the ship called Berrio there came in two litle Paraos to the number of twelue men of the Countrie the which in their apparel séemed to bée of some countenaunce who brought for a present a bundell of Sugar Canes and immediately as soone as they had deliuered the same they asked license to goe aboord and to sée the ships for that they neuer saw any before The Captaine generall was greatly offended with this their request for by that he feared least that they were spies and whilest they were in this talke there came thether other two Paraos with as many more men Those that came first séeing that the Captaine generall was somewhat growen in cholar did will those that came afterward not to come a lande but to returne againe The ship Berrio being made in a redinesse afterward that the Generalls ship was brought a ground to be new rigged and hauing a lande about hir all the other Captaines there came a man in a little Parao who séemed to be of the age of fortie yeares and not of that Countrey for that he had vpon him a Sabaco of fine Cotten which reached downe to his héeles and about his head a toocke or towell which also couered part of his face and at his gyrdell a Fawâ—â—in or Skeyne And assoone as he leapt a lande he went immediately to imbrace the Captaine generall as one that had séene him or knowen him before and after the selfe same sort he vsed the other Captaines telling them that he was a Christian and borne in Italy and that hée was brought into that Countrey of a childe and that his dwelling was with a Noble man that was a Moore called Sabayo the which was Lord of a certaine Iland called Goa lieng about twelue leagues from thence and had forty thousand horsemen within the sayd Iland And for that his habitation was amongst the Moores he obserued their lawe howbeit it was but for an outward shew but inwardly in his soule he was a Christian and being in Sabayos house it was tolde him that there was come by Sea to Calycut certaine men in ships whereof there was neuer séene y e like in the Indias and that there were none that vnderstoode their language and also that their bodies were couered ouer with cloathes And when he had vnderstanding of the same he immediatelye iudged them to be Frangnes for so they do call those that are Christians in that Countrey and for that he was desirous to sée them had therefore asked lycense of Sabayo saieng that if so be that he woulde not giue him license to goe and sée them that he knewe verye well that he should dye with very thought and anger by reason whereof he gaue him license by whome hée sent them word that if so be that there were in his Countrey anye thing y t they had néede of they shuld haue the same in especiall shippes and victualles And moreouer if they woulde come and dwell in his Countrey he would be very gladde thereof and would giue both them and theirs sufficient lyuing with the which they should liue very honourably After that he had ended thus his talke the Captaine generall asked him perticularly for
commaunded to beare howbeit the Pilots did not knowe the same notwithstanding they found that it stoode in the altitude of xxvii degrées they were so néere vnto lande that the Shippes laye with their beake heads close to the same But the Captaine generall would not consent that anye of his men shoulde goe a lande yet from their shippes they might easilye perceiue that the same was well inhabited for the great number of people they did sée there and yet of all those there came none to the water side to sée what we were After that he sawe that there was no hope to haue anye refreshing from thence hée did afterwarde procure the same from the Sea where there was great plentie of fish where our men was driuen to fish for it Afterwarde the Captaine generall commaunded to weye their Ankors and to followe his course so néere vnto the shore that he might well sée great numbers and store of sundrye beastes which fed along the Riuer that entred into the Sea and also they sawe many people Now going on that sort the Captaine generall did passe vnto Sofala with the which as yet the Pilot was not acquainted and being néere to the same he sawe two Ilandes and right ouer against one of them there was riding at an Ankor two Shippes which as soone as they had discouered our Fléete did beginne to flye awaye towarde the shore And for that the Captaine generall sawe that they fiedde he commaunded to followe them which was done in such sort that our men did ouertake them and tooke some of them prisoners for that they did not defende themselues and concerning the chiefest person that was in these Shippes the Captaine Generall was aduertised that he was the King of Mylyndes néere kinsman and was going from Sofala laden with Golde to Mylynde Who confessed that when they had descryed our Ships they receiued such a feare as though they shoulde bée taken and that therefore they did throwe the most part of theyr Golde into the Sea and they themselues ranne a lande After that all this was done y e Captaine general told him that he was very sory for theyr so great mischance losse in especially for so much as the King of Mylynde was in so great a credite with the King of Portingale his Master which is the occasion that all Portingales are and shall bée alwayes at his commaundement And hauing shewed vnto him great courtesie he commaunded the Shippes to be retourned with all the golde they hadde founde in the same The Moore asked of him whether he had brought with him any Witches that they might with words of inchantment fetch vp such golde as was throwen into the Sea To whom the Captaine generall made aunswere that the Christians doe beléeue in the true God who hath and doth defende them so that they doe not vse nor beléeue in witchcraft and therefore they do not vse the same Of this Moore the Captaine generall was aduertised that he hadde somewhat ouer runne Sofala and for that he would not returne backe he did at this time leaue it and hauing dispatched the Moore followed his course and on the xx of Iuly arriued at Monsanbique where he tooke in his water and a Pilot to carry him to the Ilande of Quiloa toward the which he directed his course running along the Coast In this his voyage he saw sundry profitable Ilands which were belonging to the King of Quiloa which as I haue declared is a great Prince and is Lord from the Cape De las correntes almost vnto Mombassa y e which is welnéere foure hundred leagues of Coast in the which there doe enter the two Ilands that I haue spoken of before ouer and besides Sofala and other sundry Townes vnto Monsanbique and from thence as many more vnto Mombassa with an infinit number of Ilandes that doth yéeld him great rents Notwithstanding as touching his estate it is but small for he is not able to make many men of warre his abode is alwayes in Quiloa in a certaine Ilande which is a hundred leagues beyonde Monsanbique in the Coast of Aethiopia néere to the firme lande the which is verye fertill of Orchardes and Woodes that beare sundry sorts of fruites there are excellent good waters and also they doe ripe great store of Miso and other seedes which they doe sow and there is bred vp in the same great store of small Cattell In those Seas there is great plentie of Fish and that verye good So that what with the victualls that they haue in the lande and what there commeth from other places of the firme land the Citie is plentifully prouided which citie is compassed about with faire gardens on the one side with the sea on the other which causeth the same to shew very pleasant it standeth in ix degrées to the South is also greate and full of people Their houses are made of lime stone in the which there are goodly chambers Their king is a Moore and so are the inhabitants the naturall people of the Countrie are a kinde of blacke people and those that are strangers are white their common language is Algarauia They doe apparell themselues very richly in especiall the women for they carry alwaies vpon them great store of iewels of gold They are great Merchants for their trade is of the gold that commeth from Sofala and from this citie it is dispearsed to all the Countrie of Arabia Felix other places and therfore there resort thether many merchaunts frō other places Ther are alwaies in this port many ships which lyeth alwayes a ground when they haue no néed of thē These ships haue no nailes but are sowed together w t ropes made of Cairo pitched ouer with wildincense for because as in all y t countrie there is no other kind of pitch The winter in this countrie doth begin in Aprill maketh an end in September The Captaine Generall béeing come to the harbour of this Citie and hauing obteined of the king a safe conduct that hée might send him a messenger did send vnto him Alonso Hurtado who went accompanied with seauen of the principals of their ships and that they might shew themselues in more countenaunce authoritie they went in their best apparell Béeing come before the king he represented vnto him the message which the Captaine Generall gaue him which was to signifie vnto him y t he was come thether with y e king of Portingale his Maisters fléete to settle a trade in y e citie to the same end had brought with him great store of merchandise y ◠were conuenient to be spent in y ◠country therfore he was desirous to talk with him therin howbeit y e king his maister did countermand him y t in any wise he shuld not leap a land but make the agréement a sea boord forasmuch as that is the auncient custome which the Captaines doe alwaies obserue in his coūtry
thence to Mombassa are seauentie seauen leagues they made way to goe thether and being then towards Euening they sawe a great Ilande scituated towards the North in which the Moores Pilots sayde there were two Townes one of Christians and the other of Moores as aforesayd Thus they sayd and inuented to the intent to bring our men in opinion and make them beléeue that there were in that Land and those Coasts many Christians In this sort our ships going vnder saile certayne dayes the ship called Saint Raphael by fortune one morning two houres before daye light came on ground vppon certaine shoells two leagues from the firme lande and as she strake on ground they within made signes to the other ships to take héede and beware wherevpon they shot by the shoells and came to an Ankor launching out their boats to giue succour to Paulo de la Gama Captaine in the Raphael and perceiuing when they came to the same that the water did ebbe the Generall was meruailous glad thereof for then he well knew that at the next floud the ship would be afloate againe so that now he lost the feare and iealousie he had conceiued vpon the doubt he had that she was lost Thus recomforted with the certaintie they saw of y â— safetie of the ship they foorthwith layed into the sea many ankers By this time it was daye lyght and after that it was a lowe water she then remained drye vpon the shore being a Sandie ground which was the cause she tooke no harme by striking vpon the same Our men placed their Ankers which were layd foorth right ouer against themselues and walked vpon the Sandes whilest the Ebbe endured So staieng for the floud and beholding and viewing that Ilande so farre as they coulde sée they gaue for name to those Sandes the Shoells of Saint Raphael in respect of the name the shippe there so hazarded did beare And to certayne great Ilandes and Hilles which were within the firme Land directly ouer against those shoells or sands they gaue the name of The Hills and Ilandes of Saint Raphael vpon the same consideration The shippe thus being drye our men sawe two boates and Moores of that Country in the same comming towards them to sée our shippes bringing manie swéete Orenges farre better then those of Portingale and gaue the same to our men saieng also to the Generall that in no wise hée should feare anye damage that coulde ensue to the shippe on grounde for that when it were full Sea she woulde then be on floate agayne so as at will and pleasure the same might passe on the intended voyage thereof with which speaches the Generall was very glad not onelye for the good comfort they gaue him but also in that they came in so good season and time opportune and therefore he gaue them certayne giftes which they accepted with manye thankes and certayne of them vnderstanding that our Fléete intended their Course to Mombassa they desired the Generall to carry them with him thether who graunted their requests permitted them to abide and remayne with him the others retourning from our Fléete to their Countrey And when it was a full Sea the shippe before on ground was afloat and so came off from the Sandes wherevpon the Captaine general returned and procéeded on his way with all his Fléete ¶ The description of the Iland and Citie of Mombassa and how the Captaine generall arriued there and what was the sequell that hapned him after he came thether Chap. 9. THe Generall following this voyage did vpon the Saterday béeing the seauenth day of Aprill about the going downe of the Sunne the same daye come to an Ankor without the Barre of the Iland of Mombassa which is harde by the firme lande and is verye plentie of victualls that is to saye Millyo Rice and Cattell as well great as lyttle but all well growne and fat chiefly their shéepe which be all without fayles Also they haue manye Hennes Moreouer the Ilande is verye pleasaunt hauing many Orchards wherein are planted and are growing great store of hearbes many sorts of fruites that is to saye Pomegranets Figges of the Indias Oreâ—ges both swéete and sower Lymons and Cidrons and in the same are manye excellent good waters In this Ilande there is a Citie bearing the selfe same name of the Ilande being in foure degrées on the South side it is a verye great Citie placed and scituated vppon an Hill which also is a Rocke wherevpon the Sea doth beate so that it cannot bée vndermined At the entering into the Protes or Heauen there is a Marke and at the enteraunce vppon the Barre there is planted or builded a lyttle Fort lowe and néere to the water The most parte of the houses in this Citie are builded with lyme and stone with the loftes thereof wrought with fine knottes of Plaister of Paris the stréetes therein are verye fayre They haue a King of themselues and the dwellers or inhabitaunts of the same are Moores whereof some bée white and some browne of coulour both men and women it appeareth they are good men on horsebacke They goe gallantly arayed especially the women which go apparelled in gownes of silke and be decked and garnished with Iewells of golde and precious stones In this Citie is great trade of all kindes of Marchandize There is also a good Harbour where alwayes are manye shippes lieng at Road and from the firme land commeth thether great plentie of Honnie Waxe and Iuorie the Captaine Generall thus come to the Barre of this Citie did not then enter foorthwith for that it was almost night when he came to an Ankor But he commaunded to put foorth the flagges and to toll their shippes reioycing and making great mirth for that their good fortune and hope they conceyued that in that Ilande there dwelled manye Christians and that the next daye they should heare Masse on the shore Moreouer they were greatly comforted as hauing such confidence that in this place they might and woulde cure and heale all such as were then sicke amongest them as in truth were almost all that were there present albeit in number but fewe for all the others were dead Yet such as remayned and had escaped the sicknesse and diseases past and were not dead of the great infirmities and troubles before in this voyage chaunced vnto them Being thus at an Ankor and the night almost approched our men saw about an hundred men in a great Barcke euery one of them hauing a Sworde and a Target who at their comming to our shippes woulde haue entered therein with all theyr weapons howbeit the Generall would not consent thereto neither permitted he anye more to enter then foure of them and those also without weapon declaring to them in their language that they shoulde pardon him since he was a straunger and therefore coulde not tell whom he might trust and vnto those whom he gaue license to enter aboorde his ship he gaue
a Pilot a Gentile called in their language Gosarate whose name was Canaca making excuse that hée had not sent him sooner and so the king and the Generall remained friends and continued the peace before concluded vpon betwéene them ¶ How the Captaine Generall departed from Mylynde came to Calicut and of what greatnesse and noblenesse that citie is Cap. 13. THE Captaine Generall béeing thus prouided of all things necessarie for his voyage departed from Mylynde towards Calicut vpon the Tewsday being the 22. day of Aprill and from thence he began to cut ouer a goulfe which is of seauen hundreth and fiftie leagues for the land there doth make a certeine great valley which doth runne along the coast from the North to the South and our voiage in demaunding of Calicut lay to the Eastward in following whereof the next Sunday our men sawe the North which a long time before they had not séene and also they sawe the South of which good fortune they thanked God in that it represented as then to them winter of the Indias where alwaies in that goulfe are great stormes they now found none but rather faire weather The Fridaye being the .xvii. daye of May and xxiii daies next after their departing from Mylynde in which time they had séene no land they then discouered came to sight of land And the Fléete béeing viii leagues of seaboord from the shoare the land séemed high their Pilot whose name was Canaca did as then let fall the Plommet found fortie fiue fathom wherevpon to auoide and apart himselfe from that coast he made his way to the Southeast vppon the Saterday he made to landward howbeit he ranne not so néere the same as he might certainly knowe it but he perceiued by small showres of raine which fell as they made towards land y ◠they were on the coast of y e Indias for y ◠at y ◠present time of y e yere y ◠winter is euer in those Indias The sunday being y e xx day of May the Pilot sawe certeine high hils which were ouer the Citie of Calicut and came so néere to land that he did reknowledge the same and with great ioy and pleasure demaunded of the Generall Albrycias saieng that this was the land which he and his companie so greatly desired to sée and come to The General replenished with ioy of that good fortune gaue Canaca his demaund forthwith went to praier saieng the Salue wherein they gaue God greate thanks for this their happie and safe arriuall vppon that coast and in sight of the place which they so earnestly longed for to sée when praier was done they made great ioy and feasted on shipboord and the selfe same daie in the euening the Generall came to an Ankor two leagues from Calicut and immediatly came certeine people of that land in fowre boates called Almaydyas to our Fléete to vnderstand what ships these were hauing neuer before séene any of that making come to that cost These people came all naked sauing that their members were couered with little péeces of linnen cloath they are browne people At their comming to vs some of them entered into the Generalls shippe and albeit the Pilot Goserate tolde him that they were Fishermen a poore kinde of people for so they call all such as bee poore men in the Indias yet hée receyued them all well and commaunded his men to buye of their Fish which they brought with them And hauing some talke with them he did vnderstand that that towne was not Calicut for it was they said further off offered to carrie our Fléete thether Wherevpon the Generall required them so to doe and therewith departed thence and were brought by those Fishermen to Calicut which is a Citie scituated on the Coast of Malabar which is a Prouince of the second Indias that hath his beginning in the Mount Dely and endeth at the end of Comory which is in lentgh thréescore leagues and one and fiftéene in breadth All the Countrie lyeth lowe and is apt to be couered with water Ther be many Ilandes in the same it doth enter into the Sea Indico There is a verie high hill which diuideth the limits betwéene them and a great kingdome called Narsinga The Indians do report that this land of Malabar in olde time was maine Sea and ran as far as y e hill where now the Ilands of Maldiua are which were then firme land did couer discouer y e other of Malabar in which are many and pleasaunt Cities those also very rich by reason of y e trade they haue principaly with thē of Calicut which in riches vice doth excel al in our time whose foundation was on this sort This Prouince of Malabar was in the olde time gouerned altogether by one king who made his aboade in the Citie of Conlan and in the last kings daies of this land whose name was Saranaperimal and died sixe hundreth yeares agone the Moores of Meca discouered the Indias and came to the Prouince of Malabar the inhabitaunts wherof then were Gentiles and the king himselfe was a Gentile From the time of the comming of these Moores they beganne to account the yeares as we account from y e birth of our Lord God And after they came thether they grew into such familyaritie with this king and hée entered into such conference good opinion of their lawes that he renounced the manner of religion of his owne Countrie and minded thence forth to imbrace theirs and the loue and liking he had of this sect of Mahomet so déepely tooke roote and entered into his heart that he determined to goe and ende his lyfe in the house of Meca Thus béeing resolued for the loue he bare to that sect to abandon and leaue his kingdome for euer and goe with them before his departure he imparted to his kinred and diuided amongest them all his Lordships and territories and hauing distributed and giuen the same so farre forth that there remained to him no more but xii leagues of his Countrie which laye néere to the shoare where he meant to imbarke himselfe the which was neuer before inhabited therfore he then gaue y e same to a cosin of his which then serued him as his Page commaunding y ◠the same circuit shold be inhabited in perpetuall memorie of his imbarking there To the same his kinsman hée also gaue his swoord a towell after the Morisco sort as things apperteining and incident to the estate gaue commaundement to all the Gentlemen to whom he had giuen all the rest of his lands that they should be obedient true subiects vnto him and to take him for theyr Emperour the kings of Conlan and Canamor onely except whome also he commaunded and charged likewise al the others that they nor no other Lordes shoulde coine money in the Prouince of Malabar but onely the King of Calycut So hauing thus bestowed and giuen
and Fernan Martines the interpretour Iohn de Sala which was afterward Treasurer of the house of the Indias c. So that with him in all they were thirtéene They appointed also that in his absence ther should remaine for Captaine generall his brother Also hée gaue commaundement that he shoulde not suffer any man to come aboord his ship and all those that were desirous to goe aboord to commaund them to remaine in their boate or Almadias Moreouer he left order with Nicholas Coello that he should come euery day with his boate as néere vnto y e shore as he could These things being setled the next day after being Mundaye the xxviij of May the Captaine generall did imbark himself with those twelue before rehearsed they all being apparailed in the best attire that they had their boates furnished with much ordinaunce flagges and trumpets which went alwaies sounding vntill such time y t y e Captaine general came to land whereas y e Catual was tarrieng for him being accompanied with 200 Nayres which attended ther continually besids many others y ◠wer not of that company besides many also y t were of y t towne The Captaine generall being disimbarked was ioyfully receiued of y r Catuall of y e others y t did accompany him as though they were very glad of his comming after y t he was thus receiued he was taken into an Andor which y ◠King of Calicut had sent to bring him vpon for y t in this countrey they are not accustomed to goe a horsebacke but in these Andors which are like vnto a horslitter sauing y t they are wtout any couer ouer them almost plaine y e sides therof are also very low Each of these Andors when they will occupie y e same are caried w t 4. men vpon their sholders which also doth run post w t thē at such time as y e king noble men do make any great iourny or if so be y t they wil go a great ground in a small time for they may trauell in y e same either sitting or lieng as they wil themselues Also ther go with these certain footmen which carie with them hats wherwith to couer those y ◠go in these Andors which they do call Bueys so that by this meanes they are kept from y ◠sunne the raine ther are also other Andors y ◠which haue ouer thē a cane bowed like vnto a hoope which for y ◠they are made very slight may easily carie those 2. men The Captaine generall being moūted in this Andor departed w t the Catuall who was carried in another Andor to a town called Capocate but all y e rest of the cōpany went afoote the people of the country was cōmaunded by the Catuall to carie all such apparel as our mē had brought vp w t thē which was ther redeliuered vnto thē being in Capocate they staid to refresh themselues where the Captaine generall being in one house the Catuall in another they did eate to al our men was giuen to eat sodden fish w t rice butter besides fruits of y e countrey which differ from ours very much yet they are very good The one sort of these is called Lacas and the other Mangas howbeit they haue figs also The water y t they did drinke was very excellent as good as any in Portingal Thus after they had eaten they went againe to imbark themselues for that they shuld go vp a riuer which from thence runneth into the sea the Captaine generall did imbarke himselfe with his company into 2. Almadias lieng the one close to the other which in y ◠countrey they did call Ensangada The Catuall w t his traine were imbarked in many others and the people that came to the riuers side to sée and view our men were without number for so much as that countrey is well inhabited And after that they had gone in this riuer about a league and that along the shores side they saw lieng a ground many great ships the Captaine generall with the Catuall being disimbarked did returne to their Andors and following their waye there resorted alwayes about them thousandes of people to sée them wherein they tooke such a felicitie that the very women also with their children hanging at theyr backes did not féele the waye they went in following to féed their eyes From this place which I haue made mention of the Catuall did carrie him vnto a certaine Pagode of their Idolls into which when they were entred he told him that the same was a Church of great deuotion which the Captaine generall beléeued to be true to be some church of the Christians therfore he gaue the more credit therevnto the rather for that he saw y t ouer the principall dore therof there hanged seuen little bells afore the same there was a pillour made of wier the which was as high as the mast of a ship vpon the top thereof there stoode a wether cock made likewise of wier This church was as great as a good Monestary and was made all of frée stone and couered or vauted ouer with bricke which gaue an outwarde shewe as though within side it shoulde be of verye faire workmanshippe Our Captaine was very glad to sée the same for that he thought himselfe to be among Christians and entering within this Church with the Catuall they were receiued by certaine men naked from the girdle vpwarde and from thence downe to the knée couered with certaine linnen cloth made of cotten with y ◠which their arme holes were couered also without any thing vpon their heads and vpon their left sholders they had certaine number of thrids which came vnder their right shoulders much like as the Priests were wont to weare their stoles héere amongst vs when they went to Masse These men are called Cafres and are Gentiles which serue in Malabar in their Pagodes who with a sprinkle tooke water out of a certaine fountaine threw the same vpon the Captaine generall vpon the Catuall and on the rest of the companye After all this they gaue them Saunders in pouder to cast the same vpon their heads as they did héere their Ashes as also they shuld do y e like vpon y e brawns of their armes but they could not do so by reason of their apparrel which they had on but yet they did not let to doe it on their heads so going about this Church they saw many Images painted vpon y ◠wal wherof some ther wer y ◠had great téeth which appeared to be so monstrous y t they were of an inch of length without their mouth Others ther wer y t had foure armes therwith wer so ill fauoured that they séemed to be very diuells y t which sight made our men stand in doubt whether the same wer a Church of Christians or no. Being come afore the Chappel which stood
that by the aduise of the other Captaines to burne one of those shippes and that the same should be Saint Raphael which they determined to doe the rather forsomuch as the same was al open and they had not brought him a grounde as they did the others and also determined to burne the same vppon the shoels of Saint Raphael vnto which place they came on the Sunday following where what for taking in of her furniture as also for burning the same he spent fiue daies and during that time from a village the which is called Tangata there were brought to sell many hens This béeing done the Captaine Generall departed hauing with him in his shippe his brother called Paulo de la Gama and on the .xx. of Februarie he found himselfe with onely Nicholas Coello in the Iland of Zenziber which standeth in the altitude of sixe degrées lieng but ten leagues from the firme land This Iland is verye greate with the other two that standeth néere vnto it whereof the one is called Pemba and the other Mofya and are verye fertill and haue in them great store of victualls Their groues are of Orenge trées which bringeth forth goodly Orenges They are inhabited by Moores which are but a weake kinde of people and they haue but small store of weapons howbeit they goe very well apparelled in silke and fine cloath made of Cotten the which they doe buye in Mombassa of Merchants of Cambayo The women haue store of iewells of golde from Sofala and of siluer from the Iland of Saint Larence They are merchants their trade is in the firme land and thether they do carry victuals to sell in litle boats Each of these Ilands hath a king of himselfe the which also doe obserue Mahomets lawe as all the rest of the subiectes doe As soone as the king of Zenziber hearde that the Captaine Generall was there arriued he sent to visit him and sent him great presents of the fruits of the country requesting him of his friendship to the which he agréed After all this he departed on the first of March and came to an Ankor before the Ilands of Saint George in Monsanbique and the next day after he sent a marke to be erected within that Ilande where at his going thether he heard Masse without any conuersation with those of Monsanbique he departed And on the third of March he came to the Iland of Saint Blase where he stayed to take in his water and to victuall himselfe of Sea woulfes and of Solitarius which they salted to eate whilest they were on the sea and for the same they gaue God great thanks After that they were departed from thence being once before putte back with westerly winds which blew right against them God of his goodnes sent them so prosperous a winde that on the twentith of March they hadde doubled the Cape of Buena Esperansa with great pleasure forsomuch as all those that came thether were all in health and verie strong and as they thought were all in good liking to arriue at Lishborne And finding héere a colde Winde which endured well twentye dayes did set them in a good forwardnesse towarde the Ilande of Santiago which by theyr Sea cardes was by the Pilots we known not to bée at the vttermost a hundred leagues from thence Some there were that thought themselues to bée with the same but it was not so Héere that goodly and fayre winde did faile them and forsomuch as the Captaine Generall would néedes knowe where that he was for that hée coulde not tell by reason there fell certeine showres which came from the landewarde he commaunded to make as much waye as they coulde possible And going after this sorte on Thursdaye being the xxv of Aprill he commaunded the Pilot to let fall his Plommet who founde that they were in xxv fathome Yet in all that daye sailing and kéeping the selfe same course the least water that they came to was at xx fathome and therefore the Pilottes iudged themselues to bée vppon the shoels Del zio Grands All the rest of this voyage perticularlye what aduentures the Captaine Generall did passe vntill such time as he came to the Ilande of Santiago I coulde not come to the knowledge thereof but only how that as they went néere to the same Nicholas Coello to carry the king newes of this discouerie did on a certeine night a parte himselfe from the Captaine Generall and followed his course vnto Portingale where hée arriued at a place called Cascais on the x. of Iuly in the yeare of our Lorde God 1499. who informed the king of all that the Captaine Generall hadde past in the discouery of the Indias and of the commodytyes that he had brought with him from thence Of whose discouery the king was so gladde to heare of and that they might trade into the Indias by sea as when he was proclaimed king of the kingdomes of Portingale Now after that the Captaine Generall founde missing Nicholas Coello hée went forwarde on his course towarde the Ilande of Santiago for because his Brother was verye sicke of a Tyssicke and also for that his Shippe made but small waye for that shée was all open and therefore hée did fraight there a Caruell which he found there for to carrye him to Portingale before that he should dye who left there Iohn de Sala for Captaine of his ship as I sayd before who as soone as the ship was new rigged had charge to bring the same to Portingale from the which place the Generall departed with his brother in the Caruell whose infirmitie did dayly increase in such sort that the Captaine Generall was driuen to beare with the Iland of the Terceras And béeing there arriued commaunded that his brother might be brought a lande where he was so cruellye handled with his disease that he dyed thereof who at his end shewed himselfe to be a good and perfect christian and a very honest Gentleman After that he was dead and buried the Captaine Generall departed toward Portingale who came to Belen in the moneth of September in the selfe same yere 1499. being two yere two moneths past after his departure frō Lishborne with 108. men of them came backe but fiftie aliue which considering theyr great trauaile and trouble that they had past was verye much After that the Captaine Generall had giuen God greate thanks for that he had escaped so many great daungers he sent word of his arriuall vnto the king of Portigale who for the great pleasure that he receiued of his comming sent Don Diego de la Silua de Menesis Lord of Portugalete with many other Gentlemen to receiue him as they did brought him vnto y e court w t an excéeding great number of people that came thether to sée so new rare a matter as that was of y e Captaine General not onely for that hée had done but also for that they tooke him for dead
who was desirous to haue landed Howbeit for that they did not know the land he commaunded them to cast about a sea boord and so they passed along by the same vntill tewsdaie following at what time they came to perfect viewe and sight of the land perceiuing the same to lye lowe and that there was a great bay which as it was a conuenient place for the ships so he commanded them to fall to an anker there of purpose to take in water And afterward they named it the Iland of Sancta Haelena The people of the countrie within the said Iland as our men afterward found the same bée lyttle men ill fauoured in the face and of colour blacke and when they did speake it was in such manner as though they did alwayes sigh theyr apparell is of beastes skinnes made after the manner of the French Cloakes they truste vp and hide theyr members in certeine Cases made of woode verye well wrought They haue for armes or weapons certaine staues of an Oke trée bathed or toasted with fire at the endes whereof are hornes of beasts somwhat burnt or hardened with fire also seruing them for swoords and wherewith they do hurt their enimie These people doe mainteine themselues with rootes of hearbes with Sea Woulfes and Whale fish of which the countrie there hath great plentie and likewise of sea crowes and sea mewes Also they doe eate of beastes which they call Gazelas and of doues and other beasts and birds which they haue in the land They kéepe also dogs as those ben of Portingale barking after the same manner The Generall thus lyeng at Anker commaunded to goe rounde about the Ilande to sée if there were anie riuer of swéete water and finding none he then sent Nicholas Coello in his boate along the coast to séeke out water which he found fowre leagues of from thence the which he named Sancty Ago from whence the whole Fléete prouided themselues of fresh water The next day the Generall and the other Captaines and some of their companie went a shore intending to sée and view what manner of people they were that inhabited that countrie or land and whether they coulde informe him how farre from thence the Cape of Buena Esperansa was which he knew not neither was the head or chiefe Pilot of that voyage of any certeintie which it was for that in the voyage wherein hée went before with Bartholome Dyas he departed in the morning from the Cape into the Sea and past the same in the night with a fore-winde and at his first going came not néere the Shore By reason wherof he did not know the land notwithstanding hée coniectured and déemed it not aboue thirtie leagues distaunt from thence at the vttermost The Generall being disimbarked and come to land and walking there he ouertooke a man one of the inhabitaunts of the same who was going to gather honny at the foote of a bush where the Bées made the same without anie hiue with this man y e general returned vnto his ship right well contented thinking he had gotten by him an interpreter but it happened not so for ther was not any of that company could vnderstand him The Generall commaunded to giue him meate and he did both eate and drinke of all that was giuen him and when they saw he vnderstood none of their languages nor any of them had any vnderstanding of his he was the next daye set vppon the shore well apparelled from whence he went as it appeared amongst others his countrey men for that y ◠next day then following vpon shew of himselfe to them there came about the number of fiftéene of his Countrey men where our ships were At sight of which the Captaine generall went to lande carrieng with him Spice Golde and Pearle to make triall whether those people had any knowledge of the same or of any part thereof but by the lyttle estimation they seemed to make of those things it appeared they had no knowledge of the same Then they gaue them bells little rings of tinne and counters and of these things they wer very glad and from thence forward vnto the next Saterday following very many of them repayred to our Fléete and those people so returning to their Townes one of our men desirous to sée the same and to viewe the order and manner of their liues craued then licence of the Generall to goe with them whose petition albeit he was verye vnwilling to condescend vnto yet vanquished by importunitie he graunted the same Fernan Veloso for so was his name that was licensed then going in their company they tooke a Sea Woulfe which they rosted at the foote of a hill and supped altogethers after which it then appeared that they of that Countrey had armed themselues and practised treason against our men for so soone as they had supped they caused Fernan Veloso to returne to our Fléete againe which was hard by and when he was departed from them they followed and came after him a little and a little the manner whereof Fernan espieng fearing he therefore hasted to the water side and hailed to our ships The Generall then being at supper and hearing that call and looking out to landward sawe those sauage people comming after him and presently imagined they meant him harme and therefore foorthwith he commaunded the whole Fléete to put themselues in battaile araye and he himselfe with certaine others went to landward without anye weapons déeming verely that those blacke men meant him no harme nor would offer anye force and indéede when they sawe our boates comming to the shoreward they began to runne away with a great clamour and outcrie and so did manye others also which lay secretly hidden amongst certeine bushes there which policie they vsed to traine our men the rather to lande for when ours were disimbarked and landed they then returned and furiously set vpon them shooting their darts and vsing their other weapons in such sort as they inforced our men to retire to their boates and imbarke themselues and that in hast taking with them Fernan Veloso which being done the Negroes retourned to theyr townes hauing hurt the Captaine generall thrée others who afterward remaining in that road foure dayes coulde not sée any moe of those people and therefore could not vse any reuenge for the damage they had done them ¶ How the Captaine generall doubled the Cape of Buena esperansa and what hapned vntill they passed the Riuer called El Ryo del Infante Cap. 3. THE Fléete hauing taken in fresh water and flesh which they néeded the Generall and the rest then departed thence vpon the Thursday being the sixtéenth daye of Nouember in the forenoone of the same daye making their waye into the Sea with a South southwest winde and vpon the Saterdaye then next following in the euening he came within sight of the Cape of Buena esperansa and for that the winde was contrarye as being then
of our men in those fiue daies wherein they had houered vpon and viewed that Coast had no manner domage done or offered them and saw both many quiet and gentle people there also many noble men he gaue to this land an apt name calling it The Land of good people in the Towne where Martyn Alonso was theyr houses bée made all of strawe and verie well furnished within The owmen be more in number then the men for in the companie of fortie women there are no more but twentie men They carrie with them long bowes with arrowes and darts of yron and vpon their armes and legges they weare many braceléets of Copper and some péeces of them in their haires Also they carrie daggars the hafts or handles of Pewter and the sheathes of Iuorie so that it is manifest that they haue in that Countrie plentie of copper and tinne Moreouer they haue great store of Salt which they make of Salt water carrieng the same from the Sea side in gourds and putting it into certeine Caues where they make the Salt These kinde of people were so gladde of the linnen that our men carried with them and brought with them thether that they gaue for one shirt much Copper They also were so quiet amongest our men that they brought them water to their boates from a riuer which was two Crosbowe shotte from the place where our men tooke in the same which riuer they call Ryo de Cobio From this place our Fléete departed the fiftenth daye of Ianuarie and going vnder saile did discouer land of an other countrie which lyeth very lowe wherein were trées verie high and thicke and so procéeding forward they discouered or found a riuer which was verie open at the entering of the same And for that the Generall thought it necessarie to reknowledge or haue notice of that Countrie there to learne whether they might heare anye newes or intelligence of the Indias hée commaunded to come to an Ankor which was vpon the Thursday béeing seauen daies before the end of Ianuarie and the same night he with his brother Nicholas Coello entered the riuer and at the dawning of the daye did well perceiue the lande to bée lowe and couered with water hauing trées of great height and thicke loaden with sundrie sortes of fruites Our men then beholding the land which was verie pleasaunt they sawe also certeine boates at that present comming towardes them with men in the same whereof the Generall was very glad supposing vppon sight of those people and view of their countrie in that manner which argued they had some knowledge and experience of the Sea that therefore they were not farre of from the Indias or at leastwise could not then goe far but they should heare newes of the same when the people with their boates came néere to our Fléete our men perceiued they were all blacke people of good stature howbeit all naked sauing their priuie members which wer couered with little péeces of linnen made of Bomebast or Cotten they came neere and entered into our ships without any feare and in such sorte vsed themselues towardes our men as though they had ben of long acquaintance and familiaritie with them They were very well receiued of our people of the Fléet the Captaine Generall commanded the same and also that there shuld be giuen vnto them certeine little Bels other things he talked with them by signes for they did not vnderstand any of Martin Alonso his languages nor any other interpretour y t our men thē had After this their good interteinment they departed and as it séemed well liking of the same they and many others with them afterward returned in their boates to our ships bringing vnto them such victuals as their countrie yéeldeth They in appearance shewed themselues verie well contented with our men as they came by water so also did many others of those people repaire thether by land amongst them women of indifferent good beautie especially y ◠young maides which goe after the same sort that the men doe They haue in their lips thrée holes and in euery hole a péece of tinne which they estéeme as a thing very gallant and gaye They tooke with them certeine of our men to make merrie at a countrie towne there néere hand and where they fet water for our ships And after the thrée daies space that our Generall was in that riuer there came of curtesie two noble men of that countrie to visit him in their boates whose apparell was none other then of the rest sauing the péeces of lynnen wherewith they couered their members were farre greater then those the common sorte vsed and one of them ware vpon his head a tucke or kerchiefe wrought with silke and the other had a night cap of gréene Satten The Captaine Generall séeing those men somewhat addicted to cleanlinesse was verie glad thereof receiued them in curteous manner and commaunded to giue them meate and moreouer he gaue them apparell and certeine other things but it appeared by their countinaunces they smallye or nothing at all estéemed thereof Howbeit while they remained in our Shippes the Generall perceiued by tokens and signes which a young man that came with them then shewed that their countrie was farre of thence and that they had séene as great ships as ours were wherof he greatly reioysed and all our people in like manner as then verely hoping and thereby coniecturing that the Indias were néere to that place which their hope and coniecture was also farre the more augmented and confirmed for that after those noble men were gone to shore they sent to the Fléete certeine linnen cloth to sell which was made of Cotten vpon which also were certeine marks of Okar in respect of which good newes and intelligence héere found and likely to ensue the Captaine Generall gaue to this riuer a name calling it The Riuer of the good tokens or marks and caused there a marke to be erected calling the same San Raphael according with the name of the shippe wherein hée was and went that voyage And forasmuch as he perceiued by the signes of the young man that those noble men inhabited a Countrie farre thence and that they had séene shippes as greate as ours hée thereby and vppon other coniectures gathered that their Countrie was néere to the Indias and so consequently that the Indias was farre of from that riuer where our ships then lay wherefore consulting héereof it was by him and the other Captaines then determined vpon that all the shippes should be brought on ground which determination was executed accordinglye the same ships repaired dressed and trimmed in all points néedfull and necessarie In dooing whereof they spent and passed ouer two and thirtie daies in which time our men susteined and passed ouer great troubles and tormentes of minde by occasion of a sicknesse there happened amongest them which was thought to growe by meanes of the aire
the Countrey of Sabayo and other things Wherevppon he requested of the Captaine generall a chéefe for to sende to a companion of his which remained in the firme Lande for that it was agréed betwéene them that if so be that he were well entertained that he woulde sende vnto him a token in signe thereof This kinde of dealing made the Captaine generall suspect him notwithstanding he commaunded a chéefe to be giuen him and also two newe loaues the which he sent to his companion as aforesaide and he remained alwayes talking with the Captaine Generall His talke was so much that some time hée discouered himselfe to bée a spye Paulo de la Gama which noted the same asked of certaine countrey men what hée was and they vp and tolde him that he was a Rouer and that he had laide aboorde other Shippes which had bene there brought a grounde before that time The Captaine Generall béeing thereof informed commaunded him to be carried aboorde his shippe which was then a grounde and there he commaunded him to bee well whipped to confesse whether that all or anye parte of the same was true that hée had tolde him and also what he meant by his comming thether and whether he were a Moore or a Christian who aunswered that he was a Christian as he had said before al the rest he denied therefore the General sought one other more cruell torment then whipping which was by hanging of him vp by his members by a pulley to hoist him vp and downe and by the great paine which he suffered there he requested to be let downe for that as their he would tell him the truth and being come downe he declared that hée was a spie and was sent thether to discouer how manye men the Captaine generall had and what weapons forsomuch as he was ill beloued along all that Coast because he was a Christian And that there were manyr Atalayas or Foysts placed in euery Baye or Kricke to set vpon him howbeit they durst not vntill such time as there came thether other fortie great Vessells which were a making in a readinesse for to ioyne with those that are armed and so to set vpon him and to take him and therefore in the meane space he was sent to knowe what he sayd he affirmed also that he knewe not certainelye when those fortie sayle woulde come This much he declared after that he had receiued thrée or foure torments all the rest they vnderstood by coniectures forsomuch as he did not perticularlye declare the same The Captaine generall séeing that he would declare no more was contented with the aduice he had giuen him and commaunded him to prison vnder the hatches for to carrie with him vnto Portingale also to be cured verye well and to giue him some refreshing of victualles Afterward he tolde him that he did not minde to kéepe him prisoner to haue him as his Captiue but to carie him vnto the King his Master to the ende he might tell him some newes of the Indias knowing verye well that he would rewarde him Now the Captaine generall hauing knowledge of the comming of his enimies would therefore tarrie no longer then whilest his ship was new dressing the which was done in ten dayes At this instaunt the Captaine generall was offered for the shippe the which shippe he had taken of the eight that did set vpon him a thousand Fanons but he wold not take it saieng that he wold not sell any thing y t was his enimies but commaunded the same to be burnt The Captaine Generalls ship being ready and the water being taken in hée immediately departed vpon the fifth daye of October and going a Sea boord about a two hundred leagues from thaf Iland then the Moore which he caried with him as prisoner seeing there was no other remedie said that now he would tell him the truth how that indéede he did dwell with the Sabayo to whom word was brought that the Captain generall went wandring vpon the Seas as one that knewe not where he was and therefore there was in preparing a great Fléete for to take him The Sabayo hauing notice thereof commaunded him to goe thether to visite him and to marke how they went and also to sée whether that hée could bring them to Goa which if so be that he could bring to passe he would as then laye hand vpon them for that the fame went that they were valyaunt and so meant to kéepe them to make warres against other Kings his next neighbours These newes the Captaine Generall was glad to heare of and gaue him from thenceforth better entertainment allowed him both apparell and also money afterward he was made a Christian to whom he gaue for name Gaspar in honour of one of the thrée Kings called Magus of that name and for that the Captaine generall was his God father he gaue him the title of his surname and so euer after he was called Gaspar de la Gamas ¶ How the Captaine generall went forwarde on his Voyage towarde Mylynde and of the great troubles he past vntill such time as he came thether Chap. 26. FOllowing from hence his course towards Mylynde whether hee was minded to returne to take in there an Embassadour he went alwayes in cruell stormes which the Captaine generall continually indured vntil such time he had entred the goulfe hauing alwayes the winde right against him it was the occasion that the shippes made but small way and therefore it was the longer time before he entered the gulfe But after that he was entered within the same he was again troubled with great calmes which on the Sea is very troublesome not only for the gouerning of their ships but also with the heat which is more hurtfull vpon the sea then vpon the land for that ther is no couering to defend the Sunne whereon with the same only men are stiffeled vp as hath bene séene in the voyage toward the Indias And as I say the winde hauing coursing thus with the heates the space of many dayes together did afterward returne and breake vp in contrary windes to go forward and very good to goe backward But the Captaine generall being loath to go backward wold yet rather tarie ther wher he was as indéed he did And when he perceiued that the winde was so great and the Seas went so high that there was no tarrieng for him with his shippes then was he driuen of force to kéepe the Seas sometime on this boord and sometime that so that both he and his men passed great troubles by reason they all had inough to doe to gouerne their ships And hoping that after so great stormes there would come faire weather were driuen once more to pray for those great calmes which they had before And when they sawe that this weather was like to endure many dayes and that their water beganne to fayle them was the occasion that the Captaine Generall commaunded the same to