To
Oblige The King Of Melinda, The Portuguese Attacked The City Of Oja, The
King Of Which Place, Aided By The King Of Mombaza, Made War On The King
Of Melinda.
In this country, which is inhabited by Arabs, there are some
ancient and wonderful structures.
Each city, and almost every village
has a separate king, whom they call xeque or sheikh; but the principal
among these are the sheikhs of Quiloa, Zanzibar, and Mombaza, while the
sheikh of Melinda pretends to be the most ancient, deducing his pedigree
from the sheikhs of Quitau, which, though in ruins, shows evident marks
of ancient grandeur, having been superior to all its neighbours. These
are Luziva, Parimunda, Lamon, Jaca, Oja, and others. This country is
watered by the river Gulimanja, up which George Alfonso sailed for the
space of five days, finding the banks every where covered with
impervious woods, and the river inhabited by a prodigious number of sea
horses or hippopotami.
[Footnote 90: This wintering, being in the southern hemisphere, probably
refers to June and July 1507. - E.]
Having now only six ships out of thirteen with which he left Portugal,
one being lost, some separated by storms, and others sent away, Tristan
de Cunna appeared before the city of Oja, on an open shore seventeen
leagues from Melinda, and defended by a wall towards the land, to
protect it against the Kafrs. De Cunna sent a message to the sheikh
desiring an interview, as having some important matters to arrange with
him; but the sheikh answered, that he was subject to the soldan of
Egypt, caliph or head of the Musselmans, and could not therefore treat
with a people who were enemies to the prophet. Considering delay
dangerous, Tristan resolved upon an immediate attack, and dividing his
men into two parties, one commanded by himself and the other by
Albuquerque, made for the shore as soon as day light appeared. The Moors
were drawn up on the shore to resist the landing, but were soon forced
to take shelter behind their walls; and, not trusting to them for
protection, no sooner entered at the sea gate but they ran out at the
gate opposite. Nunno de Cunna and Alfonso de Noronha pursued the sheikh
and his people to a grove of palm trees, in which the sheikh and many of
his attendants were slain. At this time, George Silveyra observed a
grave Moor leading a beautiful young woman through a path in the wood,
and made towards them. The Moor turned to defend himself, desiring the
woman to make her escape while he fought; but she followed him,
declaring she would rather die or be taken along with him, than make her
escape alone. Seeing them thus strive who should give the strongest
demonstration of affection, Silveyra allowed both to go away unhurt,
unwilling to part so much love. The town was plundered and set on fire,
and burnt with such fury that some of the Portuguese perished in the
flames while in anxious search of plunder.
On being informed of what had happened at Oja, the sheikh of Lamo,
fifteen leagues distant, came to make his submission, and to render
himself more acceptable offered to pay a tribute of 600 meticals of gold
yearly, about equal to as many ducats, and paid the first year in
advance. From hence De Cunna proceeded to Brava, a populous town which
had been formerly reduced, but the sheikh was now in rebellion, trusting
to a force of 6000 men with which he opposed the landing of the
Portuguese. But De Cunna and Albuquerque landed their troops next day in
two bodies, in spite of every opposition from showers of arrows, darts,
and stones, and scaled the walls, routing the Moors with prodigious
slaughter. The city was plundered, and burnt; but in this enterprise the
Portuguese lost forty-two men; not the half of them by the sword, but in
consequence of a boat sinking which was overloaded with spoil. Those who
were drowned had been so blinded with covetousness while plundering the
town, that they barbarously cut off the hands and ears of the women to
save time in taking off their bracelets and earrings. Sailing from
Brava, Tristan de Cunna was rejoined off Cape Guardafu by Alvaro Tellez,
who had been in great danger in a storm of losing his ship with all the
rich booty formerly mentioned. Having got sight of Cape Guardafu, De
Cunna now stood over for the island of Socotora, according to his
instructions.
Socotora, or Zakatra is an island twenty leagues long and nine broad,
stretching nearly east and west, in lat. 12 deg. 40' N. and is the largest
of the islands near the mouth of the Red Sea, but has no ports fit for
any great number of ships to ride in during winter. Through the middle
of this island there runs a chain of very high hills, yet covered over
with sand blown up by the north winds from the shore to their tops, so
that they are entirely barren and destitute of trees or plants,
excepting some small valleys which are sheltered from these winds. It is
30 leagues from Cape Guardafu, and 50 leagues from the nearest part of
the Arabian continent. The ports principally used by us are Zoco or
Calancea to the westwards, and Beni to the east, both inhabited by
Moors, who are very unpolished. In those valleys that are sheltered from
the sand, apple and palm trees are produced, and the best aloes in the
world, which from its excellence is called Socotorine aloes. The common
food of the people is maize, with milk and tamarinds. The inhabitants of
this island are Christians of the Jacobite church, similar in its
ceremonies and belief to that which is established in Ethiopia[91]. The
men generally use the names of the apostles, while most of the women,
are named Maria. They worship the cross, which they set up in all their
churches, and wear upon their clothes, worshipping thrice a-day in the
Chaldean language, making alternate responses as we do in choirs.
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