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.
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