How they took the Moors at Cape Branco.
"Let us return", said Antam Gonçalvez, "to Cape Branco, for I have heard
say that on the side opposite the sunset there is a village, in which we
could find some people of whom we could make booty, if we took it
suddenly and by surprise." All said that this was good counsel, and that
they should put it in action at once; and, for this thirty-eight men
were set apart, who were most ready for the service, and they landed and
went to the village straightway, at the beginning of the night, but
found nothing in it. Then said some of them, "It would be well for us to
return to our boats and row as far as we may along the land, till we see
morning; and as soon as that shall happen, we will land and go towards
those Moors to hold the passage of the Cape; because they needs must go
along the said Cape before they can retreat into the upland. And as they
have with them women and children, they will be forced to rest part of
the night, and though they travel continually, they cannot go so fast as
to prevent us from passing them." And in this counsel they were all
agreed, and rowing all the night without taking any rest (because in
such places and times slothfulness is the greatest cause of loss), the
night came to its end. And when the clearness of the day was beginning,
twenty-eight of them landed, for the others stayed to guard the boats.
And those that were on land went on, till they arrived at a certain high
place, from which they perceived they could keep a good watch over all
the parts round about; and concealing themselves as well as they could
on account of the rising of the sun, they saw Moors coming towards them,
men and women, with their boys and girls, in all seventy or eighty, as
they reckoned. And without any further speech or counsel they rushed out
among them, shouting out their accustomed cries, "St. George",
"Portugal". And at their attack the Moors were so dismayed that most of
them at once sought relief in flight, and only seven or eight stood on
their defence, of whom there now fell dead at the first charge three or
four. And these being despatched, there was no more toil of fight, and
only he who knew himself light of foot thought he had any remedy for his
life; but our men did not stand idle, for if their enemies took care to
run they did not for their part let themselves rest; for at such a time
toil of the kind that they underwent is true rest for the conquerors.
And so they captured in all fifty-five, whom they took with them to the
boats. Of their joy I will not speak, because reason will tell you what
it must have been, both of those who took the captives and of the others
on board the caravels, when they came with their prize. And after this
capture they agreed to turn back to the kingdom;[BZ] both because they
perceived that they could accomplish no more to their profit in that
part, and especially because of the deficiency of victuals. For there
was not enough to last any long time for them and for the prisoners they
had with them; and all the more as the way[CA] was long, and they knew
not what kind of a voyage they would have.
[Footnote BZ: Of Portugal.]
[Footnote CA: Home.]
Wherefore they guided their caravels towards Portugal, making straight
for Lisbon, where they arrived quite content with their booty. But who
would not take pleasure at seeing the multitude of people that ran out
to see those caravels? for as soon as they had lowered their sails, the
officers who collected the royal dues[N103] took boats from the shore to
find out whence the ships came and what they brought; and as soon as
they returned and the news passed from one to another, in a short time
there was such a multitude in the caravels that they were nearly
swamped. Nor were there less on the next day, when they took the
captives out of the ships and wished to convey them to a palace of the
Infant, a good way distant from the Ribeira.[N104] For from all the
other parts of the city they flocked on to those streets by which they
had to convey them. Of a surety, saith the author of this history, many
of those I spoke of at first, who murmured over the commencement of this
action, might well rebuke themselves now, for there was no one there who
would be then counted as of that number. And the noise of the people was
so great, praising the great virtues of the Infant (when they saw them
take the captives in bonds along those streets), that if anyone had
dared to speak in the contrary sense he would very soon have found it
well to recant. But perchance it would have availed him little, for the
populace (and most of all in a time of excitement) but rarely pardoneth
him who contradicteth what it willeth to hold established. Nor doth it
appear to me that there could be a man of such evil condition that he
could speak against so manifest a good, from which followed such great
profits.[N105]
The Infant was then in the district of Viseu, from which he sent to
receive his fifth; and, of those who remained, the captains made a sale
in the city, from which all received great advantage.