After Landing, The Crew Refused
Obedience To Their Officers, And Separated Into Different Parties,
Endeavouring To Make Their Way Through
The unknown countries and
barbarous nations of Africa; but all perished except these twenty, and
five who were found at
The river Quiloma by Antonio de Magelhaens, who
brought them to Sofala.
According to his orders, and by permission of the sheikh or king of
Sofala, Annaya erected a strong wooden fort at that place. The king soon
afterwards repented of his concession, and was for some time in hopes
that the Portuguese would be soon obliged to abandon the place on
account of its unhealthiness. About this time, three of the ships were
dispatched for India, and two of these which were destined for
protecting the coast from the attempts of the Moors were sent off upon a
cruise to Cape Guardafu, both of which were lost; the captains and part
of their crews saving themselves in the boats: In consequence of the
unwholesomeness of Sofala, the Portuguese garrison became so weakened by
sickness that it required six of them to bend a single cross-bow.
Encouraged by these disasters and instigated by his son-in-law, the king
collected a force of 5000 Kafrs with which he invested the fort, filled
up the ditch with fascines, and made a violent assault, darkening the
sun with incessant clouds of arrows. Though only 35 Portuguese were able
to stand to their arms, they made such havock among the assailants with
their cannon, that the part of the ditch which had not been filled up
with wood was levelled with dead bodies. The enemy being thrown into
confusion Annaya made a sally at the head of fifteen or twenty men[87],
with whom he drove the Kafrs before him to a grove of palms, and thence
into the town, crying out in consternation that their king had sent them
to contend against the gods. In the ensuing night, Annaya attacked the
town, and even penetrated into the house where the king resided, who,
standing behind a door, wounded Annaya in the neck with his cymeter as
he entered, but was soon killed with many of his attendants. Next day
the two sons of the slain king made a new assault on the fort, but
without success, many of the garrison who were sick, being cured by the
alarm, joined in the defence, and the Moors were again repulsed with
great slaughter. The two sons of the deceased King of Sofala fell out
about the succession, and one of them named Solyman made an alliance
with Annaya to procure his aid to establish himself in the sovereignty.
[Footnote 87: In the translation of De Faria by Stephens these are
called Moors; but it is not easy to conceive how Annaya should have
had any of these on his side. - E.]
The kingdom of Sofala, now called Sena by the Portuguese who monopolize
its whole trade, is of great extent, being 750 leagues in circumference;
but the inland parts are all subject to the Monomotapa, who is emperor
of this southern part of Africa, his dominions being likewise known by
the same name of Monomotapa, called by the ancients Ethiopia Inferior.
This country is watered by two famous rivers, called Rio del Espiritu
Santo and Cuama, the latter of which is navigable 250 leagues above its
mouth.
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