Immediately On
Landing, He Went Up And Embraced The General, As If He Had Seen Or Known
Him Before, And Treated The Other Captains With The Same Politeness.
He
told them he was a Christian, born in Italy, and had been brought when a
child into the Indies.
That he now dwelt with a Moorish lord named
_Sabayo_, who ruled a certain island called Goa, about twelve leagues from
thence, and who had 40,000 horsemen on that island. That, as his dwelling
was now among the Moors, he conformed externally to their worship, though
in his heart a Christian. That learning certain men had come in ships to
Calicut, such as had never been seen before in the Indies, and that no one
understood their language, he immediately understood that they must be
_Frangnes_,[67] for so the Christians are named in the Indies. That he was
desirous of seeing them, and had asked leave of _Sabayo_ to come and visit
them; which, if he had not obtained, he would have died of vexation. That
Sabayo had not only granted him leave for this purpose; but desired, if he
found the strangers to be from his country, to offer them any thing they
might stand in need of which his country produced; particularly spices and
provisions. And besides, if they would come and live with him, Sabayo
would entertain them honourably, and give them sufficient to live on. The
general asked many questions concerning the country of Sabayo and other
things, to which he made answer. After which he requested to have a cheese
from the general, to send on shore to a companion, as a token of having
been well received. The general suspected some mystery in this man, yet
ordered a cheese and two new loaves to be given him, which he sent away to
his companion. He continued talking with great volubility, and sometimes
so unguardedly as to raise suspicions of his being a spy. On this Paulo de
la Gama, who particularly suspected him, inquired of some of the natives
if they knew who this man was; they immediately told him he was a pirate,
who had boarded many other ships while laid aground. On receiving this
information, the general ordered him to be carried on board his ship, then
aground, and to be whipped well till he should confess whether all that he
had said was true or false; also, what was his purpose in coming thither,
and whether he were actually a Moor or a Christian. He still insisted that
he was a Christian, and that all he said was true, declaring the
information given by the natives to be entirely groundless. The general
now ordered a more cruel torment to be inflicted to extort confession,
causing him to be hoisted up and down by the members: when at length he
declared he would tell the truth. He then acknowledged himself a spy, sent
to discover how many men the general had, and what were their weapons, as
he was much hated on all that coast for being a Christian; and that many
_atalayas_ or foists were placed in all the bays and creeks of the coast
to assail him, but dared not till they were joined by forty large armed
vessels that were getting ready to fall upon him. But he said he knew not
certainly when these vessels might be ready. The general now ordered him
to be confined under hatches, intending to carry him into Portugal, as a
fit person to give the king his master intelligence respecting the Indies,
and ordered him to get refreshing victuals, and that his cure should be
looked well after.
On receiving this information of the designs of his enemies, the general
would stay no longer than was necessary for completing the repairs of his
own ship, which was got ready in ten days. About this time, the general
was offered 1000 _fanons_ for the ship which had been taken by Coello; but
he refused to sell any thing to his enemies, and ordered her to be burnt.
When the generals ship was ready, and the fleet had taken in a supply of
water, they departed from the island of _Ansandina_, or Anchediva, on the
5th of October 1498, steering directly out to sea on their course for
Melinda. After sailing about 200 leagues from that island, the Moor[68]
whom they had taken prisoner, seeing no prospect of escape, now made a
full and true confession. He acknowledged that he lived with Sabayo, the
lord of Goa, to whom word was brought that the general was wandering about
in those seas, like one who knew not where he was, upon which orders were
given to fit out a powerful fleet to make him prisoner. In the mean time,
learning that the general was at the isle of Anchediva, Sabayo commanded
him to go thither to visit him, to get intelligence of his strength and
intentions, and to endeavour to entice him to Goa; where it was Sabayos
intentions to make him and all his people prisoners, and to employ them in
his wars against the neighbouring princes, as they were reported to be
valiant men. After this confession, the general gave this man better
treatment, allowing him both clothes and money. Some time afterwards he
became a Christian, by the name of Gaspar de la Gama, taking his name of
Gaspar from one of the three kings of the Magi[69], and his surname from
the general, who stood god-father at his baptism.
The general pursued his course for Melinda, where he proposed to take on
board an ambassador from the xeque of that place. In the early part of
this voyage he endured severe storms and contrary winds, which were
succeeded by calms, during which the heat of the sun was quite
insufferable, and the voyage much delayed, insomuch, that water began to
grow scarce, and the people had to be put on short allowance.
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