They had purchased many pearls of different
sorts, which were all lost in the disturbances at Calicut, in which many
of their men and much riches were destroyed.
I must not omit to mention, that there have lately arrived messengers
from _Ubenus_[9] king of Ethiopia to the king of Portugal, bringing gifts
of ivory and many other things. These are soon to return in two ships,
which are to go to India after stopping at the new gold mines. While this
ship which has first arrived was on its voyage home, it met two ships
steering their course from the _new gold mines_[10] for India. These;
thinking themselves lost, or that they would be plundered by the
Christians, offered to pay them a ransom of 15,000 ducats for leave to
continue their voyage: But the Christians, though tempted by so much gold,
gave these people many gifts and permitted them to continue their course,
that they might hereafter be allowed a free trade with their country.
[1] This letter is dated on the 20th of June 1501, and obviously refers to
the voyage of Cabral, who had returned from India not long before. The
writer is described as a native of Crete, and envoy from the lords of
Venice to the king of Portugal. - E.
[2] The strange geographical language here used is inexplicable, probably
because the ideas of the writer were confused. He seems to mean the
_Mina_ in Guinea, which is _five or six_ degrees _within_ the equator,
or to the north; but is at least 18 west from the meridian of Sicily.
- E.
[3] Meaning the tropic of Capricorn, on which the sun is during our
winter solstice - E.
[4] The recession of the coast inwards from Cape Delgado to Melinda,
which may be called the Bay of Zanzibar. - E.
[5] In the map of Grynaeus already mentioned, this _Terra Psittacorum_ or
Land of Parrots, is placed on the _south-west_ coast of Africa,
between the Cape of Good Hope and Congo. Yet there can be no doubt
that the recent discovery of Brazil on the _eastern_ coast of South
America is here alluded to: Consequently, instead of the _lebeccio
vento_, or S.W. wind of the text, it would naturally have required a S.
E. wind to force the Portuguese fleet so far to the westward of its
intended course. - E.
[6] The author assuredly uses these words to denominate two kinds of
ordnance or cannon then used in the Portuguese ships of war. - E.
[7] By the sultan or prefect of Syria, twice so designed in this dispatch,
is evidently meant the Mameluk sultan of Egypt; but who was soon
afterwards defeated and slain by the Turkish emperor.
