Of what happened to Rodrigueannes de Travaços and Dinis Diaz.
We have already told how Rodrigueannes and Dinis Diaz sailed in company,
but this is the fitting place where it behoveth us to declare certainly
all that happened to them. And it was so, that they, sailing in company
after the manner we have already told, which we believe was after the
scuttling of the pinnace, came to Cape Verde; and thence they went to
the islands,[N165] and took in water, and knew for sure by the tracks
all over them that other ships had already passed by that way. From
there they began to make proof of the Guineas, in search of whom they
had come there, but they found them so well prepared, that though they
essayed to get on shore many a time, they always encountered such a bold
defence that they dared not come to close quarters. "It may be," said
Dinis Diaz, "that these men will not be so brave in the night time as by
day; therefore I wish to try what their courage is, and I can readily
know it this next night." And this in fact was put in practice, for as
soon as the sun had quite hidden its light, he went on shore, taking
with him two men, and came upon two inhabited places which seemed to him
so large that he thought it best to leave them, for his expedition was
not in order to adventure anything, but only that he might advise his
other comrades of what they should do. Then he returned to the ship and
there described to Rodrigueannes and the others all that he had found.
"We," said he, "should be acting with small judgment, were we wishful to
adventure a conflict like this; for I discovered a village divided into
two large parts full of habitations, and you know that the people of
this land are not so easily captured as we desire, for they are very
strong men, very wary and very well prepared in their combats, and the
worst is that they have their arrows poisoned with a very dangerous
herb. Wherefore it seemeth to me that we ought to turn back, for all our
toil will be the cause of our death, if we should make an attempt upon
these people." To this the others replied that it was well said, for
they all knew that he spake the truth. Then they mended their sails and
commenced to leave. Now Dinis Diaz said that he had seen one thing on
that island that seemed to him a novelty, as far as his knowledge went,
that is he saw, among the cows, two strange animals, very ugly in
comparison with the other cattle; but as these two were going in company
with them, I hold that they might perchance be buffaloes,[N166] which
are animals in the nature of oxen. And it was so, that as those men were
returning, Rodrigueannes, who was leaving that land ill-contented
because he had found no opportunity of displaying the good-will he
nourished to achieve some honourable action, said to Dinis Diaz that it
seemed to him it would be well were they to send some of their men on
shore, for it might happen that some Moors would come to seize the wood
of the pinnace which they had left scuttled, and if they chanced on
them, they could not fail to capture some. And as Dinis Diaz agreed with
this, they put out their boats, in the which they dispatched twenty men
to the shore. And clear it is that Rodrigueannes was not mistaken in his
thought, for the Moors were already engaged in collecting that wood on
the shore; and when they saw that the boats were coming to the land,
they drew away a space from the beach, as men who said: "these are
arrived in search of us, therefore let us seek out a way by which we may
not only secure ourselves, but even do them hurt as well." So they threw
themselves into two ambushes with the object of enticing our men away
from the shore and employing their strength safely and without danger to
themselves. Meanwhile the Christians landed, and halted for a space to
order their movements, and this because they discovered such traces of
the Moors that they thought they could not be removed far from there;
yet they perceived by the number of the footmarks that the enemy was
many more in number than their forces could cope with, and this made
some ask that they should return, saying that it was not a thing to be
attempted. But others said, "There is no help for it; we are already on
shore, and it would be a disgrace were we to turn back; let the boats
return, and let us go forward in search of our enemies, and let all our
fortune rest in God's hand." And of the first twenty that were there six
turned back to the boats to take them to the ships, and the fourteen[BU]
went forward as they found that the tracks led in the direction of the
Upland. But their toil in marching was not long, for lo, the first
ambuscade began to disclose itself, and in it there would be about forty
Moors, who issued forth against them[BV] very eagerly, like men who felt
they had victory in their grasp, as well by reason of their numbers,
which were greater, as on account of the others who were lying in the
other ambuscade, on whom they relied to come and aid them. But although
the Moors came on thus boldly, the Christians did not turn their backs
to them, but on the contrary made ready their weapons, and after the
manner of fearless men awaited the coming of their foes. And after this
there began a very fierce combat between them, in the which lances and
arrows were not without employment, and they found neither harness nor
coat of mail to stay their course. Now there were no stones on the field
of which the Moors could much avail themselves; and as they were without
armour and the Christians employed all their efforts in wounding and
slaying them, the Moors began to feel themselves overmatched, and they
withdrew from our men as far as they could. And in this fight a page of
the Infant's Household, called Martin Pereira, toiled hard, and his
shield was as full of the enemy's weapons as though it were the back of
a porcupine when he lifteth his quills.
[Footnote BU: In text, Eighteen.]
[Footnote BV: The Portuguese.]