But In Truth, They Were More Disappointed In
This Than Even The General, As They Had Reckoned Upon Being Here Revenged
Upon The Portuguese, By Having Them All Slain.
In this God preserved our
people from the intended danger most miraculously, for if they had gone
to Quiloa
They had all surely perished; as the general was so fully
persuaded of the natives being Christians, as reported by the pilot, that
he would doubtless have landed immediately on his arrival, and have
thereby run headlong to a place where he and all his people would have
been slain. Both parties being thus sorry for having missed Quiloa, the
general because he hoped to have found Christians, and the Moorish pilots
because of their intended treachery, it was determined to put back with
the intention of seeking for it; but still the wind and currents opposed
their purpose, and they tried a whole day in vain. This doubtless
proceeded from the providence of God, and his merciful goodness to our
men, who were thus preserved by miracle from the malicious and devilish
intentions of the two Moorish pilots of Mozambique.
The fleet being thus baffled and tossed to and fro, it was determined to
bear away for the island of Mombaza, in which the pilots said there were
two towns, peopled both by Moors and Christians. But they gave out this
as before to deceive our people, and to lead them to destruction; for
that island was solely inhabited by Moors, as is the whole of that coast.
Understanding that Mombaza was seventy miles distant, they bore away for
that place, and towards evening, they came in sight of a great island
towards the north, in which the Moorish pilots pretended there were two
towns, one of Christians and the other of Moors; making this false
assertion to make our people believe that there were many Christians on
this coast.
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