In
Consequence Of Intelligence Of These Events Sent Home To Portugal By
Nuno, Duarte And Diego De Fonseca Were Sent
Out in search of these men.
Duarte perished in Madagascar; and Diego found only four Portuguese and
one Frenchman, who
Had belonged to three French ships that were cast
away on that island. These men said that many of their companions were
still alive in the interior, but they could not be got at. From these it
was thought had sprung a people that wore found in Madagascar about
eighty years afterwards. This people alleged that a Portuguese captain,
having suffered shipwreck on the coast, had conquered a district of the
island over which he became sovereign; and all his men taking wives from
among the natives, had left numerous issue, who had erred much in
matters of faith. Great indeed must have been their errors, to have
been discovered by the atheistical Hollanders! Doubtless these people
did not descend from that shipwreck only, but might have sprung likewise
from the first discoverers, who were never heard of, and among others
from three ships that sailed from Cochin in 1530 along with Francisco de
Albuquerque.
While Nuno was at Madagascar, his own ship perished in a storm. The men
were saved in the other two ships, but much goods and arms were lost.
Sailing thence to Zanzibar, he landed 200 of his men who were sick,
under the care of Alexius de Sousa Chichorro, with orders to go to
Melinda when the people were recovered.
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