He Accordingly
Marched Next Day, And Having Encamped In A Convenient Place, A New
Embassy Came From The King To Solicit Peace.
While the Kafr ambassadors
were conferring with Barreto, one of the camels belonging to the
Portuguese happened to break loose and came up to where Barreto was, who
stopped it till those who were seeking for it came up.
The Kafr
ambassadors had never before seen a camel, and were astonished to see it
come up to the governor, at whom they asked many questions concerning
the strange animal. Taking advantage of their ignorance and credulity,
Barreto told them that those animals fed only on human flesh, devouring
all that were slain in battle; and that this camel had come to him from
the rest to desire that he would not make peace as they would then have
no food. Astonished at this intelligence, they intreated him to desire
the camels to be satisfied with good beef, and they would immediately
supply him with great numbers of cattle. He granted their request and
marched on, still in much distress for provisions.
At this time news was brought of some transactions at Mozambique which
rendered his presence there necessary, on which he assigned the command
of the army to Vasco Fermandez Homem, and departed for Mozambique.
Antonio Pereyra Brandam had committed certain crimes at the Moluccas,
for which on his return to Portugal he was banished into Africa, on
which he requested Barreto to take him to Mozambique, which he did
accordingly, and even gave him the command of the fort at that place.
Though eighty years of age, Brandam wished to secure himself in the
command of the fort by sending false informations to the king against
Barreto his benefactor.
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