To This The General Made Answer, That He Would Make No
Peace With The Governor Unless He Sent Him The Other Pilot Whom He Had
Hired And Paid.
With this answer the _molah_ departed, and never came
back.
After this, while still waiting for a fair wind, there came another
Moor on board, accompanied with his son, a boy, and asked the general to
give him a passage to the city of Melinda, which he said was on his way
to Calicut. He said that he was a native of the country near Mecca,
whence he had piloted a ship to Mozambique, and would gladly go with him,
that he might return to his own country; and farther, he counselled the
general not to remain in expectation of any answer from the _zeque_, who
he was sure would make no peace with him, on account of his hatred to the
Christians. The general was rejoiced at the coming of this Moor,
expecting to acquire information from him concerning the straits of the
Red Sea, and of the towns on the coast between Mozambique and Melinda, by
which he had to sail, and therefore gave orders to receive this Moor and
his son on board.
As the ships were rather short of water, the general and the other
captains determined upon entering the harbour of Mozambique, to take in
what they needed; but ordered strict watch to be kept, lest the Moors
should set the ships on fire. They entered therefore again into the
harbour on Thursday; and when night came, they went in their boats in
search of water, which the Moorish pilot assured them was to be found on
the firm land, and offered to guide them to the place.
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