From Thence They
Came To The Cape Anciently Called _Prasum_, Which Was Considered By
Ptolemy As The Extremity Of The Southern Regions, All Beyond Being
Unknown To The Ancients.
After that they reached the country of the
_Troglodites_, now called _Zaphala_, or Sofala, which our ancestors
affirm to have abounded in gold, infinitely more than any other part of
the earth.
Stretching from Sofala across the _Barbaric Gulf_,[4] they
came into the Indian Ocean, and at length to the city of Calicut. Such
was their voyage, which carefully calculated, as following the coasts of
the ocean, extends to the prodigious length of 15,000 miles; but which,
if the lands and mountains would allow in a direct line, were greatly
shorter.
Before passing the Cape of Good Hope, in consequence of being forced out
of their course by a S.W. wind, they discovered a new country to which
they gave the name of the _Land of Parrots_, because they found, there an
incredible number of these birds, of many beautiful colours, some of them
a cubit and a half in length and more. We have seen two of these birds,
and can vouch for the truth of the description. On exploring this
extensive coast, the navigators believed that it must necessarily belong
to a continent, as they sailed along it for the space of 2000 miles
without having seen either extremity. Its coasts are inhabited by people
of a tolerably handsome appearance, who go quite naked.[5]
In this voyage they lost four ships. Two others were sent to the gold
mines, which are not yet returned; and seven only reached Calicut, where
they were honourably received, and had a house allotted them by the
prince, and there they brought their ships to anchor. Soon afterwards
there assembled many boats of the Moors and other neighbouring people,
and some frigates belonging to the great sultan, all the people belonging
to which conspired together against the Christians, being exceedingly
adverse to the coming of the Christians into these parts, lest they
should diminish their profits. They insisted therefore to have their
ships first loaded, to the great dissatisfaction of the Christians, who
immediately complained to the king of the insolence of the Moors, but
soon discovered that he favoured them. The king of Calicut was a person
of very doubtful faith, and made the following answer: That it did not
seem equitable for the Moors to be permitted to finish their traffic
before the Christians; and gave orders accordingly, that the Christians
might carry on their trade. The Moors trangressed this decree, and took
away the goods of the Christians at pleasure; upon which disputes arose
between the Christians and the Moors, in which the whole inhabitants of
the city took part with the Moors. Whereupon a great slaughter was made
of the Christians, above forty of them being slain; among whom was their
principal factor, when endeavouring to escape by swimming. In revenge for
this cruelty, the Christians made severe reprisals; as they burnt ten
ships belonging to the prefect of Syria, that is the sultan; and
destroyed a considerable portion of the city by means of their
_catapults_ and _bombards_[6], many houses being burnt to the ground, as
they are covered with thatch like cottages, and exceedingly combustible.
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