Assuredly The Jesuit Had More To Answer
For On Account Of The Death Of The Governor, Than He For The Unfortunate
Result Of The Expedition, Which Was All Owing To The Arrogant Ignorance
Of The Jesuit In Forcing It Into A Wrong Direction.
Thus fell, by the
angry words of a priest, a great man who had escaped from many bullets
among the Indians, from numerous darts and arrows of the Mongas, and
from the malice of a villain.
King Sebastian greatly lamented his
untimely end, which he expressed by giving an honourable reception to
his body when brought to Lisbon.
After the death of Barreto, a royal order was found among his papers by
which Vasco Fernandez Homem was appointed his successor. By the
persuasions of Monclaros, who was now disgusted with the expedition of
Monomotapa, Homem returned with the troops to Mozambique, abandoning the
projected conquest of the mines. At that place some judicious persons,
and particularly Francisco Pinto Pimentel, urged him to resume the
execution of the orders which had been given by the king to Barreto, and
he determined upon resuming the enterprise for the conquest of
Monomotapa; but as Monclaros was now gone back to Portugal, he found
himself at liberty to take the route for the mines through Sofala, as
Barreto wished to have done originally. Landing therefore at Sofala, he
marched directly inland towards the mines of Manica in the kingdom of
Chicanga, bordering by the inland with the kingdom of Quiteve
which is next in power to Monomotapa[397]. To conciliate the king of
Quiteve, Homem sent messengers with presents to request the liberty of
passing through his dominions, but being jealous of his intentions, that
king received his propositions very coldly. Homem advanced however,
having nearly a similar force with that which accompanied Barreto on the
former expedition into the kingdom of Monomotapa, and several bodies of
Kafrs that attempted to stop his progress were easily routed with great
slaughter. Finding himself unable to defend himself against the invaders
by force of arms, the king of Quiteve had recourse to policy, and caused
all the people and provisions to be removed from the towns, so that the
Portuguese suffered extreme distress till they arrived at Zimbao[398],
the residence of the king, whence he had fled and taken refuge in
inaccessible mountains. Homem burnt the city, and marched on to the
kingdom of Chicanga, where he was received by the king rather through
fear than love, was supplied with provisions, and allowed a free passage
to the mines. At these the Portuguese vainly expected that they would be
able to gather gold in great abundance; but seeing that the natives
procured only very small quantities in a long time and with much
difficulty, and being themselves very inexpert in that labour, they soon
abandoned the place which they had so long and anxiously sought for, and
returned towards the coast, parting from the king of Chicanga in much
friendship. Thus, though disappointed in their main design of acquiring
rich gold mines, the ease with which they had penetrated to the place
evinced how great an error had been formerly committed by subjecting
Barreto to the direction of Monclaros, who had led him by a tedious and
dangerous way merely to gratify his own extravagant humour.
[Footnote 397: In modern geography, which indeed is mainly ignorant of
the foreign possessions of the Portuguese, the dominion of Sofala on
both sides of the river of that name, extend about 520 miles from east
to west, in lat. 20 deg. S. from the Mozambique channel, by about 100 miles
in breadth. The commercial station of Sofala belonging to the Portuguese
is at the mouth of the river; and about 220 miles from the sea is a town
called Zimbao of Quiteve. Manica the kingdom of Chicanga is an inland
district to the west of the kingdoms of Sofala and Sabia; all three
dependent upon Monomotapa. - E.]
[Footnote 398: This Zimbao of Quiteve is to be carefully distinguished
from a town of the same name in Monomotapa. The former is nearly in lat.
20 deg. S. on the river of Sofala, the latter is about 16 deg. 20' S. near the
river Zambezi or Cuama. - E]
Homem returned to the kingdom of Quiteve, and the king of that country
now permitted him to march for the mines of Maninnas[399], on
condition that the Portuguese should pay him twenty crowns yearly. Homem
accordingly marched for the kingdom of Chicova[400], which borders upon
the inland frontier of Monomotapa towards the north, having heard that
there were rich mines of silver in that country. Having penetrated to
Chicova, he inquired among the natives for the way to the mines; and as
they saw that it was in vain for them to resist, while they feared the
discovery of the mines would prove their ruin, they scattered some ore
at a place far distant from the mines, and shewing this to the
Portuguese told them that this was the place of which they were in
search. By this contrivance the Kafrs gained time to escape, as the
Portuguese permitted them to go away, perhaps because they were
unwilling the natives should see what treasure they procured. Homem
accordingly caused all the environs to be carefully dug up, and after a
vast deal of fruitless labour was obliged to desist, as provisions grew
scarce. Thus finding no advantage after all his fatigues and dangers,
Homem marched away towards the coast with part of his troops, intending
to return to his government at Mozambique, and left Antonio Cardoso de
Almeyda with 200 men to continue the researches for some time for the
treasures that were said to abound in that country. Cardoso suffered
himself to be again deceived by the Kafrs who had before imposed upon
Homem, as they now offered to conduct him to where he might find a vein
of silver. But they led him the way of death rather than of the mines,
and killed him and all his men after defending themselves with
incredible bravery.
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