How Antam Gonçalvez went to make the ransom.
If I marvelled before at the endurance of John Fernandez (to wit, his
living in that land and enduring what I have said), little less do I
marvel at the affection which those who dwelt there came to feel for
him. And albeit that his affability was very great towards all other
people, I was astonished it could exist towards these, or how it could
be so felt and returned by such savages; for I am assured that when he
parted from the men among whom he had lived those seven months, many of
them wept with regretful thought. But why do I say so, when I know that
we are all sons of Adam, composed of the same elements, and that we all
receive a soul as reasonable beings? True it is that, in some bodies,
the instruments are not so good for producing virtues as they are in
others, to whom God by His grace hath granted such power; and when men
lack the first principles on which the higher ones depend, they lead a
life little less than bestial. For into three modes is the life of men
divided, as saith the Philosopher. The first are those who live in
contemplation, leaving on one side all other worldly matters and only
occupying themselves in praying and contemplating, and those he calls
demi-gods. And the second are those who live in cities, improving their
estates and trading one with another. And the third are those who live
in the deserts, removed from all conversation,[BT] who, because they
have not perfectly the use of reason, live as the beasts live; like
those who after the Division of Tongues (which by the will of our Lord
God was made in the Tower of Babylon), spread themselves through the
world and settled there[BU] without increasing any part of their first
stock of knowledge. But yet these last have their passions like other
reasonable creatures; as love, hate, hope, fear, and the other twelve
which all of us naturally have; the which each one of us setteth in use
more or less, according to the grace he hath of God, for as St. Paul
hath said: God is He who worketh in us the fulfilment of His will. And
by these primal passions I hold that these men were moved to the love of
John Fernandez, for which reason they henceforth felt sorrow at his
departure. And it would be very fitting to speak a little upon these
passions, and in what way they are universal in all men; but I fear to
prolong my story, and to weary your goodwill by lengthening out my
words, even though all would be profitable.[N99] So let us leave the
long conferences that there might be among those on board the caravels
at the coming of John Fernandez, and let us only tell how he said to
Antam Gonçalvez that there was hard by there a noble called Ahude
Meymam, and that he wished to traffic with them in the matter of some
blacks whom he had taken; and of this Antam Gonçalvez was very glad, and
put on shore the same John Fernandez, who in a short time brought a
great number of that people there. And, after settling the matter of
hostages, Antam Gonçalvez received two Moors as security; and he on his
side gave two others of those that he had with him. And those two, who
were so given on the part of Antam Gonçalvez while the exchanges were
being made, were taken to the tents of the Moors, where was a very great
number of Moorish women, and those among the best of that land.
[Footnote BT: Of men.]
[Footnote BU: In the deserts.]
Now it happened that the Moors raised an uproar among themselves, for
which reason they went out of their dwellings a good way on to the
plain. And the Moorish women, looking upon those two hostages, thought
to try them, shewing a very great desire of lying with them; and those
who thought themselves best favoured shewed themselves right willingly
as naked as when they first came out of the bellies of their mothers,
and so made them other signs sufficiently unchaste. But seeing that the
others[BV] were more concerned at the terror they felt (thinking that
the tumult of those Moors was warily raised in order chiefly to cause
them injury), the women nevertheless persevered in their unchaste
purpose, making them signs of great security, and asking them, as could
be understood by their gestures, that they should perform what they
sought. But whether this was attempted with deceit, or whether it was
only the wickedness of their nature that urged them to this, let it be
the business of each one to settle as he thinks best. Great confidence
was shown by those Moors in their trafficking, for, in speaking about
their matters, many came boldly on to the ships, bringing their women
with them, who above all desired to see that novelty.[BW]
[Footnote BV: Our men.]
[Footnote BW: Of the ships.]
And when the noble[BX] concluded his bargaining, he received some things
which pleased him most among those tendered to him by our men (though
they were really small and of little value), and he gave us for the same
nine negroes and a little gold dust.[N100] And upon the end of this same
bargaining, one squire who dwelt in the isle of Madeira required of
Antam Gonçalvez that he should knight him; because, as I believe, he was
of great age and had some lineage of nobility; and, having a sufficient
wealth, he wished to acquire an honourable title for his sepulchre. He
was called Fernam Taavares, and that place was known from henceforth by
the name of the Cape of the Ransom.[N101]
[Footnote BX: Ahude Meymam.]
Well would it have pleased me to speak somewhat in this chapter of the
things that John Fernandez saw and learnt in that land; but it is
necessary that I should bring the action of those three caravels to an
end; and afterwards when I find time I will tell you of all, that I may
pursue my story in the order that seemeth best to me.
Now the Moors having left that place, and the caravels sailing on, those
men of ours who were working the sails saw near the shore some 200
camels, with certain Moors who followed them. And because they seemed to
be very near they went towards them right briskly; but those Moors,
seeing themselves pressed by the others, jumped up lightly upon the
camels and fled upon them. But the camels were more in number than the
men, for which reason some stayed on the spot where they were; and of
these our men killed forty, and the others fled and escaped.
And so the caravels going on, came nigh to the island of
Tider,[BY][N102] where we have said already there were many Moors; and
seeing near the shore where they were, some houses; and wishing to know
if they could find anything there, they landed. And perceiving that all
was desolate, they had a mind to go further inland; where they saw two
Moors, who were coming in their direction, and our men, anxious to take
them, contended for them. But Antam Gonçalvez, being advised of their
deceit, understood by their countenance that that movement of theirs was
for the purpose of some ambush; for, as to such confidence shewn by two
men against so many, any man of judgment could understand that it was to
essay some stratagem.
[Footnote BY: _I.e._, Tiger.]
"Go", said Antam Gonçalvez to two of his men, "a little way inland
(signing to them whither they were to proceed), and you will see the
treachery of these dogs." And so, as the Christians advanced from the
side of the shore, the Moors came out against them; and being near, they
hurled their spears, and the Christians ran after them till they came to
the place that had been marked out for them before, and so turned back.
And as our men began to retire to the ships the ambuscade was
discovered; and those who were of it very soon came down upon the shore,
so that, if our people had not retired thus sharply, they could not have
escaped from these without very great loss. For the Moors, perceiving
their advantage, shewed clearly enough their desire, entering into the
water as far as they could; whence, had they not been kept at a distance
by the cross-bows, they would have followed still, even by swimming, in
order to accomplish their desire of injuring our men.