He
Therefore Gave Orders For All The Ships To Be In Readiness Against An
Attack, And Went Himself On Shore With Several Others Unarmed, Not
Dreading Any Harm.
On seeing our boats coming towards the shore, the
savages began to run away with much clamour; but when
Our people landed,
they returned and set upon them furiously, throwing their darts, and
using other weapons, which constrained our people to take to their boats
in all haste, taking Veloso along with them; yet in this scuffle the
general and three others were wounded. The Negroes returned to their
towns; and during four days after, while our ships remained in the bay,
they never saw any more of the natives, so that they had no opportunity
to revenge the injury they had done.
"Some commerce took place between the Portuguese and the Hottentot
natives around St Elena Bay, by means of signs and gestures; when the
fleet received plenty of excellent fresh provisions, in exchange for
clothes, hawks bells, glass beads, and other toys; but this friendly
intercourse was interrupted through the imprudence of a Portuguese young
man named Veloso. Delighted with the novelty of the scene, and anxious to
see the manners of the natives more intimately, he obtained permission to
accompany them to their huts, where a sea calf was dressed in the
Hottentot fashion, to his great astonishment. Disgusted at their
loathsome cookery, he rose abruptly, and was impatient to depart, and was
accompanied by the natives on his way back to the ships with the utmost
good humour. Veloso, however, became apprehensive of personal danger, and
horridly vociferated for assistance on his approach to the shore. Coellos
boat immediately put off to bring him on board, and the natives fled to
the woods. These needless apprehensions on both sides were increased by
mutual ignorance of each others language, and led to hostilities. While
De Gama was taking the altitude of the sun with an astrolabe, some
Hottentots sprung from an ambush, and threw their spears, headed with
horn, very dexterously among the Portuguese, by which the general and
several others were wounded. On this occasion, the Portuguese deemed it
prudent to retreat to their ships[7]."
Having taken in fresh water and provisions in St Elena Bay, the squadron
left that place on the forenoon of Thursday the 16th November, with the
wind at S.S.W. and steered for the Cape of Good Hope, and on the evening
of the following Saturday came in sight of that cape. But on account of
the wind being contrary, he had to stand out to sea all day, and turned
towards the land as night set in. In that manner he continued plying to
windward until the following Wednesday, which was the 20th of November[8],
when he doubled the cape with a fair wind, sounding the trumpets of all
the ships, and making every demonstration of joy, but placing the chief
confidence in God, that his providence would guide and protect them in
accomplishing the enterprise in which they were engaged.
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