[16] The Portuguese ships appear to have been now on the coast of Natal,
or the land of the Caffres, certainly a more civilized people than the
Hottentots of the cape. But the circumstance of Alonzo understanding
their language is quite inexplicable: as he could hardly have been
lower on the western coast than Minz, or perhaps Congo. Yet, as a belt
of Caffres are said to cross the continent of Africa, to the north of
the Hottentots, it is barely possible that some Caffre slaves may have
reached the western coast. - E.
[17] This grain was probably what is now well known under the name of
millet. - E.
[18] According to Barros, _Aguada da boa Paz_. - Clarke.
[19] Gibb's Orosius, I. 50.
[20] The text here ought probably to be thus amended, "He and his brother,
_with_ Nicholas Coelle," &c. - E.
[21] These probably swam off to the ships. - E.
[22] De Faria alleges that the people of this river were not so black as
the other Africans, and wore habits of different kinds of stuffs, both
cotton and silk, of various colours, and that they understood Arabic;
and adds, that they informed De Gama there were white people to the
eastwards, who sailed in ships like those of the Portuguese. Osorius
likewise says, that one of the natives spoke Arabic very imperfectly,
and that De Gama left two of his convicts at this place, which he
called San Rafael. - Clarke.
[23] There is no circumstance in the text from which the situation of this
river can even be conjectured. Clarke, p.440, alleges that it was
Soffala; and yet, in a note in his preceding page, says, "That De Gama
seems to have passed Cape Corientes during the night, and to have kept
so far from land, on account of a strong current setting on shore, as
not to have noticed Sofala." In the notes on the Lusiad, this river of
Good Signs is ascertained to have been one of the mouths of the
Zambeze, or Cuama River, which divides Mocaranga from the coast of
Mozambique; the different mouths of which run into the sea between the
latitudes of 19 deg. and 18 deg. S. - E.
[24] They were evidently afflicted with the scurvy; and accordingly De
Barros refers the disease to its proper cause, "Having been for so
long a time confined to the use of salt fish and corrupted biscuit. -
Clarke."
[25] Addition to the narrative of Castaneda, from De Barros. - Clarke.
[26] This obscure expression seems to mean that De Gama wished them to
precede the ships, and point out the way into the harbour. - E.
[27] This expression has probably been misunderstood by the original
translator.
![A General History And Collection Of Voyages And Travels - Volume 2 - By Robert Kerr
- - E.
[15] The sixty leagues in the text are inexplicable on any rational
supposition, as they seem to have again - Page 316](../images/travel.jpg)
