He Then Dismissed The
Messengers, Sending As A Present To Their King A Hat Of The Fashion Of
The Time, Two Branches Of Coral, Three Brass Basons, Two Scarfs, And Some
Small Bells.
On the second day after Easter, the general removed his ships nearer the
city.
The king knowing this, and believing that the king of Portugal must
be a high-spirited prince, and the general a worthy subject, who had
hazarded himself in so long and dangerous a voyage, became desirous of
seeing such men; wherefore, he sent a more honourable message to the
general, saying, that he proposed next day to visit him in person,
intending that their meeting should be on the water; and sent him a
present of six sheep, with a considerable quantity of cloves, ginger,
pepper, and nutmegs. Upon this message, the general removed his fleet
still nearer the city, and came to anchor close to the four ships of the
Indies, of which the old Moor had made mention as belonging to Christians.
When the owners of these ships learnt that we were Christians, they came
immediately to visit our general, who happened then to be in the ship of
Paulo de la Gama. These men were of a brown colour, but of good stature
and well proportioned, dressed in long white cotton gowns, having large
beards, and the hair of their heads long like women, and plaited up under
their turbans or head-dresses. The general received them with much
kindness and attention, asking, by means of an interpreter, who
understood the language of Algarve, or Arabic, whether they were
Christians. These men had some knowledge of that language, though it was
not their own tongue, but had learnt it in the course of their trade and
conversation with the Moors of Melinda, of whom they advised the general
to beware, lest their inward intentions might be far different from their
outward shew. Willing to make trial if these men were really Christians,
the general caused a picture to be shewn them, on which our Lady was
painted weeping, surrounded by some of the apostles, but without
informing them what this was meant to represent. Immediately on this
being set before them, they fell down and worshipped the picture, praying
for some time. The general then asked if they were of Calicut; on which
they answered they were of Grangalor[41], still farther off, and could
give him no information respecting Calicut. From this time, so long as
our fleet remained at Melinda, these people came every day on board the
ship of Paulo de la Gama, to pay their devotions before this picture,
offering to the images which it represented gifts of pepper and other
things. These Indian Christians, according to their own account, eat no
beef.
On the last day of the week after Easter, and in the afternoon, the king
of Melinda came off in a great boat to our fleet. He was dressed in a
cassock of crimson damask lined with green satin, and wore, a rich cloth
or turban on his head.
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