The
Portuguese Surrounded The Island And Took 500 Prisoners, Only Twenty Of
Whom Were Men, Among Whom Was The Xeque Or Chief, An Aged Man Of A
Respectable Appearance.
Next morning the sea was covered with boats,
bringing over 600 men to demand the release of their wives and children.
After some negociation, the Portuguese commander restored the prisoners
to their liberty.
He here learnt that the island of Madagascar was
chiefly inhabited by negro cafrs, and produced but little ginger. He
afterwards wished to have entered a town on this island called Zada,
but the inhabitants set it on fire.
[Footnote 89: By Moors in the writings of the early Portuguese,
Mahometans are always to be understood. The Moors of Madagascar were a
mixed breed between the Arabs and Negroes. - E.]
From this place, De Cunna sent on Alfonso de Albuquerque with four ships
to Mozambique, with orders to reduce some places on the coast of
Melinda; while he went himself with three ships to Matatama in
Madagascar, where he was told that cloves, ginger, and silver were to be
had. On this expedition however, he lost one of his ships, only the
pilot and seven men being saved; on which account he steered for
Mozambique, but was forced by stress of weather into the island of
Angoza. At night he discovered the lights of the ship St Jago which he
had left at Mozambique, and soon after Juan de Nova arrived from Angoza,
where he had wintered[90], laden with pepper.
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