All Matters Being Arranged, The Portuguese Fleet Sailed From Cananor On
The 31st Of January 1504.
Alonso de Albuquerque and Antonio del Campo came
to Lisbon on the 23d of August, and presented to the
King 400 weight of
seed pearls, which are called _Alhofer or Ragges_, 144 pound weight of
great pearls, and eight of the oysters from which the pearls are procured.
[14] He gave likewise to the king a diamond as big as a large bean, and
many other jewels; and two Persian horses of wonderful swiftness.
Francisco de Albuquerque and Nicholas Coello, who left Cananor some time
after Alonso, were cast away on the voyage and never more heard of. Pedro
de Tayde was driven to Quiloa, where his ship was lost on the bar and most
of his men drowned. From Quiloa he went to Mozambique in a _zambucco_,
where he afterwards died; but left a letter in which he gave a particular
account of the state of affairs in India, which he ordered to be,
delivered to the first captain who might put in there from Portugal[15].
* * * * *
Antonio de Saldanna, the last of the three commanders who were sent to
cruise in the north of the Red Sea, having lost Diego Fernandez Peteira,
came to anchor at a place called St Thomas, on the east side of the Cape
of Good Hope, which was made famous by the name of _Aquada del Saldanna_,
or Saldannas watering-place, on account of his having lost several of his
men there in endeavouring to land. At this time Ruy Lorenzo was parted
from him in a storm which drove him to Mozambique, whence he held on his
course for Quiloa, where he took some small prizes. Being ambitious to
distinguish himself, he went to the island of Zanzibar, twenty leagues
short of Mombasa, where he took twenty small vessels. After this he
appeared before the town of Mombasa, the king of which place sent out a
number of armed almadias or paraws to take his ship: But Lorenzo armed his
long boat with a crew of thirty men, which took four of the almadias and
killed a great many of the Moors. The king sent an army of 4000 men to the
shore under the command of his son, who was killed with some others at the
first volley; on which one of the Moors ran out from the ranks with a flag
of the Portuguese arms, craving a parley. Peace was soon concluded, by
which the king agreed to pay 100 _meticals_ of gold yearly as a tribute to
the king of Portugal[16].
From Mombasa, Lorenzo sailed for Melinda, the king of which place was much
oppressed by him of Mombasa, on account of his connection with the
Portuguese. On his way he took two ships and three small vessels called
_zambuccos_, in which were twelve magistrates of Brava, who submitted
their city to the king of Portugal, and engaged to give 500 meticals of
yearly tribute.
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