Towards
Vespers, The General Came Up With And Captured One Of These Pinnaces, But
The Other Escaped To The Land.
In the captured pinnace there were
seventeen Moors, among whom was an old man who seemed master over the
rest, and had his young wife along with him.
In this boat there was great
store of silver and gold, and some victuals. On the same evening the
fleet came to anchor off Melinda, which is eighteen leagues from Mombaza,
and is in lat. 3 deg. S. This place has no good harbour, being only an almost
open roadstead, having a kind of natural pier or reef of rocks on which
the sea beats with much violence, owing to which the ships have to ride
at a considerable distance from the shore. The city stands in a broad
open plain, along the shore, surrounded with many palms, and other sorts
of trees, which are green the whole year. It has also many gardens and
orchards, abounding with all kinds of herbs and fruits, and many
fountains of good water. Their oranges are particularly excellent, very
large and sweet. They have also abundance of millet and rice, plenty both
of cattle and sheep, and great store of fine poultry, which are very
cheap. Melinda is a large city, with fair streets, and many good houses
of stone and lime, containing several storeys, with windows, and having
terraced roofs made of lime and earth. The native inhabitants are black,
of well proportioned bodies, having curled hair; but many strangers
resort thither and dwell in the city, who are Moors from Arabia, who
conduct themselves in a commendable manner, especially the gentlemen or
better sort. These, from the girdle upwards, go naked; but below the
girdle they are dressed in silk, or fine stuffs of cotton, though some
wear short cotton cloaks, after the old fashion. On their heads they wear
certain cloths embroidered with silk and gold. They wear also rich
daggers, ornamented with silken tassels of many colours, and very
handsome swords. They are all left-handed, and go constantly armed with
bows and arrows, taking great delight in archery, at which they are very
expert. They account themselves good horsemen; yet there is a common
saying on this coast, _the horsemen of Mombaza, and the women of
Melinda_, as in Mombaza they are excellent horsemen, and the women of
Melinda are very handsome, and dress richly.
In this city also there are many Gentiles from the kingdom of Cambaya in
India, who are great merchants and trade to this place for gold, which is
found in this country, as likewise ambergris, ivory, pitch, and wax; all
of which commodities the inhabitants of Melinda exchange with the
merchants of Cambaya for copper, quicksilver, and cotton cloth, to the
profit and advantage of both parties. The king of this city is a Moor,
who is served with far more state than any of the kings on this coast to
the southwards. Being arrived over against this city, the general and all
the people of the fleet were much rejoiced at seeing a city resembling
those of Portugal, and gave thanks to God for their safe arrival.
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