This Intelligence Gave Great Hopes To Our
People That The Indies Were Not Far Off, Which Was Much Confirmed By The
Chiefs Who Had Been On Board, Sending Off For Sale Certain Cloths Made Of
Cotton, On Which There Were Marks Of Ochre.
In respect of all these
encouraging tokens, the general named this river _Ho rio dos bos Sinaes_,
or River of Good Signs; and called the place San Rafael, after the name
of his own Ship[23].
From the signs of the before-mentioned young men, that the country of the
head men who had been on board was far off, where they had seen large
ships, the general concluded that the Indies were still at a great
distance; and therefore determined, in consultation with the other
captains, to lay the ships aground, to give their bottoms a thorough
repair, which was done accordingly. In this operation they employed
thirty-two days, during which, our people were much afflicted with a
grievous sickness, thought to proceed from the air of the country. Their
hands and feet became swelled, and their gums became so sore and putrid
that they could not eat, and the smell of their breath was quite
intolerable[24]. With this pestilent infection our people were much
discouraged, and many of them died, the survivors being in great trouble
and perplexity. But De Gama took much care, and used much diligence for
their recovery, and to comfort their affliction; continually visiting the
sick, and giving them such wholesome and medicinal things as he had
provided for his own use; through all which many recovered who would have
died, and the rest were thereby greatly comforted, and encouraged.
Having repaired the ships, and provided them with all necessaries that
could be procured at the river of Good Signs, the fleet departed from
thence on Saturday the 24th of February.
"At this period, two accidents occurred which had nearly frustrated all
the hopes of this expedition. De Gama being along side of the ship
commanded by his brother, with whom he wished to speak, had hold of the
chains, when the boat was carried from under him by the force of the
current, but by immediate assistance, he and his boats crew were
providentially saved. Soon afterwards, when the fleet was passing the bar
of the river, the ship of De Gama grounded on a sand bank, and her loss
was for some time considered as inevitable; but she floated again with
the return of the tide, and to their inexpressible joy received no
damage[25]."
As there was little or no wind, the fleet stood out to sea to avoid the
shore, and about vespers on Sunday, they descried three small islands out
to sea, about four leagues distant from each other. Two of these were
replenished with trees, but the third was quite bare. Seeing no cause to
delay the voyage in examining these islands, De Gama held on for six days,
coming always to anchor at night. On the evening of Thursday, the first
of March, they came in sight of four islands, two of which were near the
land, and the other two farther out to sea; and the fleet steered through
the channel next morning, the ship commanded by Coello, as being the
smallest, going first. But endeavouring to enter a certain harbour,
between the mainland and one of these islands, Coello missed the channel
and ran aground, on which the other ships put about and went back. They
soon perceived seven or eight boats under sail coming from the island
which was a good league distant from Coello, at which sight they were
much rejoiced, and Coello and his people received them with much
demonstration of friendship and satisfaction, Coello went along with
these people to the general, and presented them, saying, that here was a
quite different kind of people from any they had seen hitherto. Then the
general commanded _to let them go a seaboard with their boats_[26], as he
proposed to go with them to their island to anchor with his ships, that
he might see what kind of a country it was, and if he could learn any
certain intelligence concerning India. But the boats continued to follow
our ships, making signals, and calling to our people to wait for them;
wherefore the ships came to anchor, and the boats came to our fleet. The
people on board were of good stature and somewhat black, clothed in
dresses of cotton, striped with sundry colours; some girdled to their
knees, while others carried their apparel on their shoulders like cloaks.
Their heads were covered with kerchiefs, somewhat wrought with silk and
gold thread, and they were armed with swords and daggers like Moors. In
their boats, also, they had certain musical instruments named _sagbuts_.
They came immediately on board with as much confidence as if they were
long acquainted, and entered into familiar conversation in the language
of Algarve, and would not be known as Moors[27].
The general ordered these people to be well entertained, and they eat and
drank willingly of whatever was set before them; after which, by means of
Fernan Alvarez, who could speak their language, he learned that the
island to which they belonged was called Monsambicke, or Mozambique, on
which was a town full of merchants, who traded with the Moors of India,
who bring them silver, linen cloth, pepper, ginger, silver rings, many
pearls, and rubies; and that, from a country behind, they procure gold.
They offered likewise to conduct our people into the harbour, where they
would learn the truth of these things more fully. On consulting with the
other captains, the general determined upon going into this harbour, to
examine more accurately into these reports, and to procure pilots to
carry them on their voyage, as they had no one in the fleet who knew the
way. Nicholas Coello was therefore ordered to make the first essay, and
to take the soundings of the bar, his ship being the smallest.
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