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. Owing to
these circumstances, the people were afflicted with the same disease in
their gums, from which they had formerly suffered such great distress in
the river of Good Signs[70], on the outward voyage. Their arms and legs
also swelled, and many tumours broke out over their bodies, proceeding
from a pestilent stinking humour, which threw them into a flux, of which
thirty persons died. From the continuance of calms and contrary winds,
and the mortality among the people, the whole company became amazed, and
believed they should never be able to get out from their present
distressing situation; insomuch, that they solicited the general to
return to Calicut, or some other part of India, and submit to what God
might appoint, rather than to die on the sea of these terrible diseases,
for which there was no remedy, especially as both provisions and water
began to fail. De Gama reasoned with them to little purpose, as they had
been now four months at sea, and there hardly remained, sixteen persons
in each ship able to do duty, some of whom even were afflicted with the
diseases of which the others had died. It is even said that Paulo de la
Gama and Nicholas Coello had agreed to return to India, if any wind
should spring up that would have served for the voyage.
At length a favourable wind sprung up unexpectedly, and in sixteen days
they came in sight of land on Wednesday the 2d of February 1499, at which
the mariners were much rejoiced, and soon forgot all their past troubles
and dangers. As they came near the land towards evening, the general gave
orders to keep their heads out to sea during the night, to avoid rocks or
shoals. As there were no person on board who knew where they were, a Moor
alleged they had steered direct for Mozambique; saying there were certain
islands 300 leagues from the shore, and directly over against that place,
where the natives were continually subject to the disease which had been
so fatal to our men.
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