"In This Part Of The Voyage The Greatest Proofs Of Courage And Resolution
Were Evinced By De Gama.
While endeavouring to double this formidable and
almost unknown cape, owing to contrary winds and stormy weather, the
waves rose mountain high.
At one time his ships were heaved up to the
clouds, and seemed the next moment precipitated into the bottomless abyss
of the ocean. The wind was piercingly cold, and so boisterous that the
commands of the pilot could seldom be heard amid the din of the warring
elements; while the dismal and almost constant darkness increased the
danger of their situation. Sometimes the gale drove them irresistibly to
the southwards, while at other times they had to lay to, or to tack to
windward, difficultly preserving the course they had already made. During
any gloomy intervals of cessation from the tempest, the sailors,
exhausted by fatigue, and abandoned to despair, surrounded De Gama,
entreating him not to devote himself and them to inevitable destruction,
as the gale could no longer be weathered, and they must all be buried in
the waves if he persisted in the present course. The firmness of the
general was not to be shaken by the pusillanimity and remonstrances of
the crew, on which a formidable conspiracy was entered into against him,
of which he received timely information from his brother Paulo. With his
assistance, and that of a few who remained stedfast to their duty, the
leading conspirators, and even all the pilots, were put in irons; whilst
De Gama, and his small remnant of faithful followers remained day and
night at the helm, undismayed at the dangers and difficulties that
surrounded them. At length, on Wednesday the 20th November, all the
squadron safely doubled the tremendous promontory[9]."
Continuing the voyage along the coast beyond the cape, they saw great
numbers of large and small cattle as they passed, all well grown and fat;
but could perceive no towns, as the villages inhabited by the natives are
all farther inland, the houses being of earth covered with straw. The
natives were all somewhat black, clothed like those they had seen at St
Elena Bay, speaking the same language, and using similar darts, together
with some other kinds of arms, both for defence and assault. The country
is very pleasant, being diversified with wood and water; and adjoining to
the cape on the east side, they found a great harbour now called False
Bay, almost six leagues wide at the mouth, and running about as much into
the land. Having thus doubled the cape, the squadron came, on the Sunday
after, being St Katherine's day, 25th November, to the watering-place of
St Blaze[10], which is sixty leagues beyond the cape, and is a very large
bay, exceeding safe in all winds except the north[11].
The natives here resembled those already seen in dress and arms. The
country produces many large elephants, and numerous oxen, of vast size
and extremely fat, some of which have no horns.
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