pretended not to notice what they did. The captain said that as they
refused him permission to go back, they would at least allow his men
to do so, as at the place they were in they would die of hunger. But
they said that we must remain where we were, and that if we died of
hunger we must bear it, as they cared nothing for that. Whilst thus
detained, one of the men whom we had missed the night before turned
up. He told the captain that Nicolau Coelho had been awaiting him
with the boats since last night. When the captain heard this he sent
a man away secretly to Nicolau Coelho, because of the guards by whom
we were surrounded, with orders to go back to the ships and place
them in a secure place. Nicolau Coelho, on receipt of this message,
departed forthwith. But our guards having information of what was
going on, at once launched a large number of _almadias_ and pursued
him for a short distance. When they found that they could not overtake
him they returned to the captain, whom they asked to write a letter
to his brother, requesting him to bring the ships nearer to the land
and further within the port [roadstead]. The captain said he was quite
willing, but that his brother would not do this; and that even if he
consented those who were with him, not being willing to die, would not
do so. But they asked how this could be, as they knew well that any
order he gave would be obeyed.
The captain did not wish the ships to come within the port, for it
seemed to him—as it did to us—that once inside they could easily be
captured, after which they would first kill him, and then us others, as
we were already in their power.
We passed all that day most anxiously. At night more people surrounded
us than ever before, and we were no longer allowed to walk in the
compound, within which we were, but confined within a small tiled
court, with a multitude of people around us. We quite expected that
on the following day we should be separated, or that some harm would
befall us, for we noticed that our gaolers were much annoyed with us.
This, however, did not prevent our making a good supper off the things
found in the village. Throughout that night we were guarded by over
a hundred men, all armed with swords, two-edged battleaxes,[179]
shields, and bows and arrows. Whilst some of these slept, others kept
guard, each taking his turn of duty throughout the night.
On the following day, Saturday, June 2, in the morning, these gentlemen
[_i.e._, the _bale_ and others] came back, and this time they “wore
better faces.” They told the captain that as he had informed the king
that he intended to land his merchandise, he should now give orders to
have this done, as it was the custom of the country that every ship on
its arrival should at once land the merchandise it brought, as also the
crews, and that the vendors should not return on board until the whole
of it had been sold. The captain consented, and said he would write to
his brother to see to its being done. They said this was well, and that
immediately after the arrival of the merchandise he would be permitted
to return to his ship. The captain at once wrote to his brother to send
him certain things, and he did so at once. On their receipt the captain
was allowed to go on board, two men remaining behind with the things
that had been landed.[180]
At this we rejoiced greatly, and rendered thanks to God for having
extricated us from the hands of people who had no more sense than
beasts, for we knew well that once the captain was on board those who
had been landed would have nothing to fear. When the captain reached
his ship he ordered that no more merchandise should be sent.
[_The Portuguese Merchandise at Pandarani, June 2-23._]
Five days afterwards [on June 7] the captain sent word to the king
that, although he had sent him straight back to his ships, certain of
his people had detained him a night and a day on the road; that he had
landed his merchandise as he had been ordered, but that the Moors only
came to depreciate it; and that for these reasons he looked forward
to what he (the king) would order; that he placed no value upon this
merchandise, but that he and his ships were at his service. The king at
once sent word saying that those who acted thus were bad Christians,
and that he would punish them. He, at the same time, sent seven or
eight merchants to inspect the merchandise, and to become purchasers if
they felt inclined. He also sent a man of quality to remain with the
factor already there, and authorised them to kill any Moor who might go
there, without fear of punishment.
The merchants whom the king had sent remained about eight days, but
instead of buying they depreciated the merchandise. The Moors no longer
visited the house where the merchandise was, but they bore us no
good-will, and when one of us landed they spat on the ground, saying:
“Portugal, Portugal.” Indeed from the very first they had sought means
to take and kill us.
When the captain found that the merchandise found no buyers at that
place, he applied to the king for permission to forward it to Calecut.
The king at once ordered the _bale_ to get a sufficient number of men
who were to carry the whole on their backs to Calecut, this to be done
at his expense, as nothing belonging to the King of Portugal was to
be burthened with expenses whilst in his country. But all this was
done because it was intended to do us some ill-turn, for it had been
reported to the king that we were thieves and went about to steal.
Nevertheless, he did all this in the manner shown.
[_The Merchandise removed to Calecut, June 24._]
On Sunday, the 24th of June, being the day of St. John the Baptist,
the merchandise left for Calecut. The captain then ordered that all
our people should visit that town by turns, and in the following
manner:—Each ship was to send a man ashore, on whose return another
should be sent. In this way all would have their turn, and would be
able to make such purchases as they desired. These men were made
welcome by the Christians along the road, who showed much pleasure
when one of them entered a house, to eat or to sleep, and they gave
them freely of all they had. At the same time many men came on board
our ships to sell us fish in exchange for bread, and they were made
welcome by us. Many of them were accompanied by their sons and little
children, and the captain ordered that they should be fed. All this was
done for the sake of establishing relations of peace and amity, and to
induce them to speak well of us and not evil. So great was the number
of these visitors that sometimes it was night before we could get rid
of them; and this was due to the dense population of the country and
the scarcity of food. It even happened that when some of our men were
engaged in mending a sail, and took biscuits with them to eat, that old
and young fell upon them, took the biscuits out of their hands, and
left them nothing to eat.
In this manner all on board ship went on land by twos and threes,
taking with them bracelets, clothes, new shirts, and other articles,
which they desired to sell. We did not, however, effect these sales at
the prices hoped for when we arrived at Moncobiquy [Moçambique], for
a very fine shirt which in Portugal fetches 300 reis, was worth here
only two fanôes,[181] which is equivalent only to 30 reis, for 30 reis
in this country is a big sum. And just as we sold shirts cheaply so we
sold other things, in order to take some things away from this country,
if only for samples. Those who visited the city bought there cloves,
cinnamon, and precious stones; and having bought what they desired they
came back to the ships, without any one speaking to them.
When the captain found the people of the country so well disposed, he
left a factor with the merchandise, together with a clerk and some
other men.
[_Diogo Dias Carries a Message to the King, August 13._]
When the time arrived for our departure the captain-major sent a
present to the king, consisting of amber, corals, and many other
things. At the same time he ordered the king to be informed that he
desired to leave for Portugal, and that if the king would send some
people with him to the King of Portugal, he would leave behind him a
factor, a clerk and some other men, in charge of the merchandise. In
return for the present he begged on behalf of his lord [the King of
Portugal] for a bahar[182] of cinnamon, a bahar of cloves, as also
samples of such other spices as he thought proper, saying that the
factor would pay for them, if he desired it.
Four days were allowed to pass after the dispatch of this message
before speech could be had with the king. And when the bearer of it
entered the place where the king was, he (the king) looked at him with
a “bad face,” and asked what he wanted. The bearer then delivered his
message, as explained above, and then referred to the present which
had been sent. The king said that what he brought ought to have been
sent to his factor, and that he did not want to look at it. He then
desired the captain to be informed that as he wished to depart he
should pay him 600 xerafins,[183] and that then he might go: this was
the custom of the country and of those who came to it. Diogo Dias, who
was the bearer of the message, said he would return with this reply to
the captain. But when he left [the palace] certain men followed him,
and when he arrived at the house in Calecut where the merchandise was
deposited, they put a number of men inside with him to watch that none
of it was sent away. At the same time proclamation was made throughout
the town prohibiting all boats from approaching our ships.
When they [the Portuguese] saw that they were prisoners, they sent a
young negro who was with them along the coast to seek for some one to
take him to the ships, and to give information that they had been made
prisoners by order of the king. The negro went to the outskirts of the
town, where there lived some fishermen, one of whom took him on board,
on payment of three fanôes. This the fisherman ventured to do because
it was dark, and they could not be seen from the city; and when he
had put his passenger on board he at once departed. This happened on
Monday, the 13th August, 1498.
This news made us sad; not only because we saw some of our men in
the hands of our enemies, but also because it interfered with our
departure. We also felt grieved that a Christian king, to whom we
had given of ours, should do us such an ill turn. At the same time
we did not hold him as culpable as he seemed to be, for we were well
aware that the Moors of the place, who were merchants from Mecca and
elsewhere, and who knew us, could ill digest us. They had told the king
that we were thieves, and that if once we navigated to his country,
no more ships from Mecca, nor from Quambaye [Cambay], nor from
Imgros,[184] nor from any other part, would visit him. They added that
he would derive no profit from this [trade with Portugal] as we had
nothing to give, but would rather take away, and that thus his country
would be ruined. They, moreover, offered rich bribes to the king to
capture and kill us, so that we should not return to Portugal.
All this the captain learnt from a Moor of the country,[185] who
revealed all that was intended to be done, warning the captains, and
more especially the captain-major, against going on shore. In addition
to what we learnt through the Moor, we were told by two Christians
that if the captains went ashore their heads would be cut off, as this
was the way the king dealt with those who came to his country without
giving him gold.
Such then was the state of affairs. On the next day [August 14] no
boats came out to the ships. On the day after that [August 15] there
came an _almadia_, with four young men, who brought precious stones
for sale; but it appeared to us that they came rather by order of the
Moors, in order to see what we should do to them, than for the purpose
of selling stones. The captain, however, made them welcome, and wrote a
letter to his people on shore, which they took away with them. When the
people saw that no harm befell them, there came daily many merchants,
and others who were not merchants, from curiosity, and all were made
welcome by us and given to eat.
On the following Sunday [August 19] about twenty-five men came. Among
them were six persons of quality, and the captain perceived that
through these we might recover the men who were detained as prisoners
on land. He therefore laid hands upon them, and upon a dozen of the
others, being eighteen[186] in all. The rest he ordered to be landed
in one of his boats, and gave them a letter to be delivered to the
king’s Moorish factor, in which he declared that if he would restore
the men who were being kept prisoners he would liberate those whom he
had taken. When it became known that we had taken these men, a crowd
proceeded to the house where our merchandise was kept, and conducted
our men to the house of the factor, without doing them any harm.
On Thursday, the 23rd,[187] of the same month, we made sail, saying we
were going to Portugal, but hoped to be back soon, and that then they
would know whether we were thieves. We anchored about four leagues to
the leeward of Calecut, and we did this because of the headwind.
On the next day [August 24] we returned towards the land, but not being
able to weather certain shoals in front of Calecut, we again stood off
and anchored within sight of the city.
On Saturday [August 25] we again stood off and anchored so far out at
sea that we could scarcely see the land. On Sunday [August 26] whilst
at anchor, waiting for a breeze, a boat which had been on the lookout
for us approached, and informed us that Diogo Dias was in the king’s
house, and that if we liberated those whom we detained, he should be
brought on board. The captain, however, was of opinion that he had
been killed, and that they said this in order to detain us until they
had completed their armaments, or until ships of Mecca able to capture
us had arrived. He therefore bade them retire, threatening otherwise
to fire his bombards upon them, and not to return without bringing
him [Dias] and his men, or at least a letter from them. He added that
unless this were done quickly he intended to take off the heads of his
captives. A breeze then sprang up, and we sailed along the coast until
we anchored.
[_The King sends for Diogo Dias._]
When the king heard that we had sailed for Portugal, and that he
was thus no longer able to carry his point, he thought of undoing
the evil he had done. He sent for Diogo Dias, whom he received with
marked kindness, and not in the way he did when he was the bearer of
[Vasco’s] present. He asked why the captain had carried off these men.
Diogo Dias said it was because the king would not allow him and his to
return to the ships, and detained them as prisoners in the city. The
king said he had done well. He then asked whether his factor had asked
for anything,[188] giving us to understand that he was ignorant of the
matter, and that the factor alone was responsible for this extortion.
Turning to his factor, he asked whether he was unaware that quite
recently he had killed another factor because he had levied tribute
upon some merchants that had come to this country? The king then said:
“Go you back to the ships, you and the others who are with you; tell
the captain to send me back the men he took; that the pillar, which I
understood him to say he desires to be erected on the land shall be
taken away by those who bring you back, and put up; and, moreover,
that you will remain here with the merchandise.” At the same time he
forwarded a letter to the captain, which had been written for him by
Diogo Dias with an iron pen upon a palm-leaf, as is the custom of
the country, and which was intended for the King of Portugal. The
tenor[189] of this letter was as follows:—
“Vasco da Gama, a gentleman of your household, came to my
country, whereat I was pleased. My country is rich in cinnamon,
cloves, ginger, pepper, and precious stones. That which I ask of
you in exchange is gold, silver, corals and scarlet cloth.”
[_Off Calecut, August 27-30._] On Monday, the 27th of this month, in
the morning, whilst we were at anchor, seven boats with many people in
them brought Diogo Dias and the other [Portuguese] who were with him.
Not daring to put him on board, they placed him in the captain’s long
boat, which was still attached to the stern. They had not brought the
merchandise, for they believed that Diogo Dias would return with them.
But once the captain had them back on board, he would not allow them
to return to the land. The pillar[190] he gave to those in the boat,
as the king had given orders for it to be set up. He also gave up, in
exchange, the six most distinguished among his prisoners, keeping six
others, whom he promised to surrender if on the morrow the merchandise
were restored to him.
On Tuesday [August 28], in the morning, whilst at anchor, a Moor of
Tunis,[191] who spoke our language, took refuge on board one of our
ships, saying, that all he had had been taken from him, that worse
might happen, and that this was his usual luck. The people of the
country, he said, charged him with being a Christian, who had come to
Calecut by order of the King of Portugal; for this reason he preferred
going away with us, rather than remain in a country where any day he
might be killed.
At ten o’clock seven boats with many people in them approached us.
Three of them carried on their benches the striped cloth which we had
left on land, and we were given to understand that this was all the
merchandise which belonged to us.[192] These three came to within a
certain distance of the ships, whilst the other four kept away. We were
told that if we sent them their men in one of our boats they would
give our merchandise in exchange for them. However, we saw through
their cunning, and the captain-major told them to go away, saying that
he cared nought for the merchandise, but wanted to take these men to
Portugal.[193] He warned them at the same time to be careful, as he
hoped shortly to be back in Calecut, when they would know whether we
were thieves, as had been told them by the Moors.
On Wednesday, the 29th [of August], the captain-major and the other
captains agreed that, inasmuch that we had discovered the country we
had come in search of, as also spices and precious stones, and it
appeared impossible to establish cordial relations with the people,
it would be as well to take our departure. And it was resolved that
we should take with us the men whom we detained, as, on our return to
Calecut, they might be useful to us in establishing friendly relations.
We therefore set sail and left for Portugal, greatly rejoicing at our
good fortune in having made so great a discovery.
On Thursday [August 30], at noon, being becalmed about a league below
[that is, north of] Calecut, about seventy boats approached us.[194]
They were crowded with people wearing a kind of cuirass made of red
cloth, folded. Their weapons for the body, the arms and the head were
these[195].... When these boats came within the range of our bombards,
the captain-major ordered us to fire upon them. They followed us for
about an hour and a half, when there arose a thunderstorm which carried
us out to sea; and when they saw they could no longer do us harm they
turned back, whilst we pursued our route.
[_Calecut and its Commerce._]
From this country of Calecut, or Alta India,[196] come the spices which
are consumed in the East and the West, in Portugal, as in all other
countries of the world, as also precious stones of every description.
The following spices are to be found in this city of Calecut, being
its own produce: much ginger and pepper and cinnamon, although the
last is not of so fine a quality as that brought from an island called
Çillan [Ceylon],[197] which is eight days journey from Calecut. Calecut
is the staple for all this cinnamon. Cloves are brought to this city
from an island called Melequa [Malacca].[198] The Mecca vessels
carry these spices from there to a city in Mecca[199] called Judeâ
[Jidda], and from the said island to Judeâ is a voyage of fifty days
sailing before the wind, for the vessels of this country cannot tack.
At Judeâ they discharge their cargoes, paying customs duties to the
Grand Sultan.[200] The merchandise is then transshipped to smaller
vessels, which carry it through the Red Sea to a place close to Santa
Catarina of Mount Sinai, called Tuuz,[201] where customs dues are paid
once more. From that place the merchants carry the spices on the back
of camels, which they hire at the rate of 4 cruzados each, to Quayro
[Cairo], a journey occupying ten days. At Quayro duties are paid again.
On this road to Cairo they are frequently robbed by thieves, who live
in that country, such as the Bedouins and others.
At Cairo the spices are embarked on the river Nile, which rises in
Prester John’s country in Lower India, and descending that river for
two days they reach a place called Roxette [Rosetta], where duties have
to be paid once more. There they are placed on camels, and are conveyed
in one day to a city called Alexandria, which is a sea-port. This city
is visited by the galleys of Venice and Genoa, in search of these
spices, which yield the Grand Sultan a revenue of 600,000 cruzados[202]
in customs duties, out of which he pays to a king called Cidadym[203]
an annual subsidy of 100,000 cruzados for making war upon Prester
John. The title of Grand Sultan is bought for money, and does not pass
from father to son.
[THE VOYAGE HOME.]
I now again speak of our voyage home.
Going thus along the coast we kept tacking, with the aid of the land
and sea breezes, for the wind was feeble. When becalmed in the day we
lay to.
On Monday, September 10, the captain-major landed one of the men whom
we had taken, and who had lost an eye, with a letter to the Çamolin,
written in Moorish [Arabic] by one of the Moors who came with us.[204]
The country where we landed this Moor was called Compia,[205] and its
king, Biaquolle, was at war with the King of Calecut.
On the following day [September 11], whilst becalmed, boats approached
the ships, and the boatmen, who offered fish for sale, came on board
without exhibiting any fear.
[_Santa Maria Islands._][206]
On Saturday, the 15th of said month, we found ourselves near some
islets, about two leagues from the land. We there launched a boat
and put up a pillar on one of these islets, which we called Santa
Maria, the king having ordered three pillars (padrãos), to be named S.
Raphael, S. Gabriel, and Santa Maria. We had thus succeeded in erecting
these three, _scilicet_, the first, that of S. Raphael, on the Rio dos
bons signaes; the second, that of S. Gabriel, at Calecut; and this, the
last, named Santa Maria.
Here again many boats came to us with fish, and the captain made the
boatmen happy by presenting them with shirts. He asked them whether
they would be glad if he placed a pillar upon the island. They said
that they would be very glad indeed, for its erection would confirm
the fact that we were Christians like themselves. The pillar was
consequently erected in much amity.
[_Anjediva, September 20 to October 5._][207]
That same night, with a land breeze, we made sail and pursued our
route. On the following Thursday, the 20th of the month,[208] we came
to a hilly country, very beautiful and salubrious, close to which there
were six small islands.
There we anchored, near the land, and launched a boat to take in water
and wood to last us during our voyage across the Gulf, which we hoped
to accomplish, if the wind favoured us. On landing we met a young man,
who pointed out to us a spring of excellent water rising between two
hills on the bank of a river. The captain-major gave this man a cap,
and asked whether he was a Moor or a Christian. The man said that he
was a Christian, and when told that we too were Christians he was much
pleased.