He Immediately Called A Council Of The Other Captains And
Principal Officers Of The Fleet, To Take Their Advice On The Present
Emergency, To Whom He Intimated His Intention Of Going To Visit The King
Of Calicut On Purpose To Settle A Treaty Of Trade And Amity.
Paulo de
Gama, his brother, strongly objected to his venturing on shore; alleging
that although the natives of the
Place were Christians, as they still
believed them, yet there were many Moors among them who were much to be
feared as his mortal enemies; since these people at Mozambique and
Mombaza, where they had only passed by their ports, endeavoured to
destroy them all, they were much more to be feared at Calicut where we
had come on purpose to enter into competition with them in trade, by
which their profits would be diminished. It was therefore the more
probable that they would use every effort to destroy the general, on whom
our whole hope of safety and success depended; and, however much the
zamorin might regret the commission of such a deed, he could not restore
him to life: besides which, the Moors were inhabitants of the place,
where they had much interest, whereas the general was an utter stranger.
Likewise, it was quite impossible for them to be assured that the king of
Calicut might not have leagued with the Moors for his death or captivity;
either of which would ruin their voyage and prove the destruction of them
all, and all the toils and dangers they had passed through would prove in
vain.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 540 of 812
Words from 149803 to 150065
of 224388
