On The Second Day After Easter, The General Removed His Ships Nearer The
City.
The king knowing this, and believing that the king of Portugal must
be a high-spirited prince, and the
General a worthy subject, who had
hazarded himself in so long and dangerous a voyage, became desirous of
seeing such men; wherefore, he sent a more honourable message to the
general, saying, that he proposed next day to visit him in person,
intending that their meeting should be on the water; and sent him a
present of six sheep, with a considerable quantity of cloves, ginger,
pepper, and nutmegs. Upon this message, the general removed his fleet
still nearer the city, and came to anchor close to the four ships of the
Indies, of which the old Moor had made mention as belonging to Christians.
When the owners of these ships learnt that we were Christians, they came
immediately to visit our general, who happened then to be in the ship of
Paulo de la Gama. These men were of a brown colour, but of good stature
and well proportioned, dressed in long white cotton gowns, having large
beards, and the hair of their heads long like women, and plaited up under
their turbans or head-dresses. The general received them with much
kindness and attention, asking, by means of an interpreter, who
understood the language of Algarve, or Arabic, whether they were
Christians. These men had some knowledge of that language, though it was
not their own tongue, but had learnt it in the course of their trade and
conversation with the Moors of Melinda, of whom they advised the general
to beware, lest their inward intentions might be far different from their
outward shew.
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