How the Infant ordered Gonçallo de Sintra to go to Guinea, and how he
was killed.
It would be an ugly thing in prosecuting our history, if we did not
write the misfortunes of our people, as well as their successes; for
Tully[N83] saith in his books, that among the great charges that are
laid upon the historian, he ought chiefly to remember that of writing
the truth, and when he writeth the truth he should not diminish it in
aught. And of a surety[AX] he not only doth his duty, but is a cause of
much profit; for it oft happeneth that men receive great warnings by the
misfortunes of their fellows. And the ancient sages said: "Blessed is
the man who gaineth admonishment by the evils of others."[N84]
[Footnote AX: If he so act.]
But you must know that this Gonçallo de Sintra, of whom at present we
intend to speak, was a squire brought up from early youth in the
Infant's household--indeed I believe he had been his equerry. And
because he was a man who had a good stature of body and a high courage,
the Infant greatly increased him; ever laying upon him the charge of
great and honourable matters.
And some time after Lançarote's return, the Infant caused a caravel to
be armed; and gave it in charge of Gonçallo de Sintra as captain,
admonishing him, before his start, that he should go straight to Guinea,
and for nothing whatever should fail of this.
And he, pursuing his voyage, arrived at Cape Branco; and like a man
envious of obtaining fame, and desiring to win for himself advantages
above the others,[AY] he began to talk of going to the isle of Arguim,
which was now very near[N84] them; where he thought that with little
trouble he could make some prisoners. The others began to contradict
this; saying, that he ought not to do anything of this sort; for, in
meddling with any such matter, he would work two evils: to wit, first in
going beyond the command of the Infant; secondly, in tarrying there and
wasting the time without any profit--but they should rather (they said)
make their way straight to Guinea, the land of the Negroes. But he, like
a man whom death invited to make his end there, said that the detention
would be only short; and that in these matters the injunctions of lords
were not always to be strictly attended to; and so at once he gave
command to the mariners that they should make their way to the said
isle. And it appeareth that arriving by night, they were perceived; so
that when they landed in the morning they only found one girl, whom they
took to their ship. And thence they went off to another island, that
lieth near there; where they caught one woman, being discovered in just
the same way when they arrived there.
[Footnote AY: Who had preceded him on this way.]
Now Gonçallo de Sintra took with him an Azanegue boy as an interpreter,
who already knew a great deal of our language, and whom the Infant had
given into his charge, commanding him to keep a good watch over him. But
it appeareth that there was lack of good advisement among those who had
the charge of him; and principally on the part of the captain, whose
care should have been all the greater. For the boy, seeking for a
suitable time and place, escaped one night from among them; and joined
those dwellers on the island, to whom he gave information of all that he
knew about their enemies.
And although they knew who he was, yet they were not so ill-advised as
to believe all that he said straightway; but to obtain certainty of the
truth, one of them undertook to go with false dissimulation to the
caravels; calling out from the shore that they should take him on board,
for he sought to go with them to Portugal. And afterwards when he was
among our men he made his signs to them; to shew that on account of the
great longing and regret that he had for his relations and friends, who
were now in this realm of Portugal, he did not know how to live except
among them; and that by God, let his life be what it might, he would be
very content to endure it, if only he could have sight of them and
intercourse with them again. And the others, like men very little on
their guard against his devices, were exceedingly pleased with him;
though some there were who said they were not at all content with his
coming on board, for it looked like treachery to them. And because of
the speech of these they put some guard over the Moor, though it was but
a small one. But on the second night the Moor took greater care to
escape than they to guard him; and made his way out of the caravel so
softly that he was never perceived by our people; and in truth they had
pretty well forgotten all about him. But when his escape was known next
day, everyone saw that they had been much deceived; and said at once to
the Captain that all these signs were against their making any booty in
that land. "For look," said they, "how we have been discovered in both
islands whither we have gone; how the youth has escaped from us; how one
Moor by himself has come to befool us. Of a surety we are not the men to
accomplish any great action."
"Then," said Gonçallo de Sintra, "may I perish in these islands; for I
will never depart hence till I have performed some exploit so signal
that never shall one like me, nor yet a nobler, come here and accomplish
a greater deed or perform it better than I."
The others however contended strongly with him, that he should not make
any further delay (since the danger was so well understood), and said
that he should pursue his voyage straight away. For in doing what the
Infant bade him he would be doing his duty; and in any other way he
would fall into error, especially seeing how manifest were the chances
of his ruin.
But neither did these reasons prevail, nor many others that were spoken
for his advisement; for in spite of them he steered the caravel towards
the isle of Naar; and as the islands are all near one to another, and
the Moors are able to move quickly about in their canoes, all in that
island were at once advised of his approach. Gonçallo de Sintra, in his
desire of honour as well as profit, bade them launch his boat, and
embarked in it with twelve men, the best of his company; and a little
before midnight he left the boat and began to walk along the island;
and, as it appeareth, the tide had already passed the ebb, and was now
beginning to flow somewhat. And there they came upon a creek, which they
passed over easily enough, and likewise another near it. But because
Gonçallo de Sintra and the rest of his company did not all know how to
swim, they determined to wait a little, and see how far the tide would
rise, so that if by chance it rose so much that they would have to
return, yet they would be near at hand to cross. And during the stay
that they made there, morning came on, and either because they slept or
because they did not understand the extent of the water, when dawn came
they perceived that they would not be able with such ease to retrace
their steps; because the tide was now nearly at the full, and the creek
had become large and deep. So it was necessary for them to remain there
till the water should fall somewhat, and give them a better chance for
their passage; and in this they spent two or three hours of the day
without seeking to move from there.
And the Moors (though they saw them as soon as it was dawn), like men
who were already prepared for it, did not attempt for a long time to
attack them, hoping that they would come up further into the country, so
that they might seize them more readily; but after they fully perceived
their intention they fell upon them all together, as upon a vanquished
party. And as in the fight they were very unequally matched (for the
enemy were 200 in number and our men but twelve, without hope of
succour), they were very easily overcome.
There was killed Gonçallo de Sintra, not in truth like a man who had
forgotten his courage, but inflicting great injury upon his enemies,
till his strength could aid him no more and he had to make his end. And
of the others there perished seven--to wit, two youths of the Infant's
Household, one whom they called Lopo Caldeira and another Lopo
d'Alvellos, and an equerry who was named George, and one Alvaro
Gonçalvez Pillito and three sailors. And in truth I wish to make no
difference between them, for they all died fighting, without one of them
turning back a foot; and although the youths of the Household and the
equerry knew how to swim and so to escape, yet they would never abandon
their captain, but bravely received burial around him. May God receive
the soul that He created, and the nature that came forth from Him, for
it is His very own!
The five survivors returned to their caravel, and shortly made sail for
the Kingdom;[AZ] for after such a loss they had no inducement to do
anything else, or to push on further,[BA] as had been commanded them
before.[N84]
[Footnote AZ: Portugal.]
[Footnote BA: To the South.]