The Reason Of The General Remaining During The Two Days Off Mombaza Was, That He Might Endeavour To Procure Two Pilots From Thence To Carry Him To Calicut, Without Which Assistance The Voyage Would Have Been Very Difficult, As Our Pilots Had No Knowledge Of That Country.

But finding none were to be had, he took his departure from that place on Friday morning, though with a very light wind.

On leaving the anchorage, he was forced to leave one of his anchors behind, as the crew was so completely exhausted by hauling up the rest, that they were unable to weigh this one. It was afterwards found by the Moors, and carried into their city, where it was deposited near the kings palace. When Don Francisco de Almeida, first viceroy of the Indies, took this place from the Moors, this anchor was there found, as I shall afterwards relate in the second book of this work.

Departing thus from Mombaza, the fleet continued its voyage along the coast to the north-east, and having very light wind, was obliged to come to anchor in the evening near the shore, about eight leagues from Mombaza. Towards the dawn of next day, two sambuccos, or little pinnaces, were seen about three leagues to the leeward of the fleet, and out at sea; on which, in hope of procuring some pilots who could carry him to Calicut, the general ordered the anchors to be weighed, and he and the other captains gave chase to the sambuccos the whole of that day.

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