Our Ships Which Remained
In These Seas Last Year Made No Small Booty, As They Took One Morning
Five Ships
Bound from the kingdom of Cambaya for Mecca, the shrine of
Mahomet, in which they found 1000 _cantari_ or quintals
Of clean cloves,
besides a large quantity of the same spice not freed from the husk as is
usual with us. These ships had likewise castor and other perfumes of that
kind[4], sanders wood, amber, purified lac, and excessively fine linen,
and a large sum in gold and silver coin; insomuch that the value of this
prize exceeded 200,000 ducats.
Having thus informed you of the wealth of that country, which abounds in
almost every thing, we now proceed to relate that two of our ships above
mentioned have been cast away in a storm near the mouth of the Red Sea,
their commander Vincentius and above six hundred men having perished, but
the other two were saved[5]. Another vessel, which escaped that dreadful
tempest, was soon afterwards dashed to pieces against a rock; so that the
sea was covered with dead bodies and with rich merchandize of all kinds:
Thus, as the proverb says, wealth ill acquired is ill lost. Of all these
ships one small caravel only rode out the storm, and brought intelligence
of the destruction of the others.
We have now to inform you, that our king has given permission to all who
choose to proceed to India and to carry on trade, providing that he is
paid a quarter part[6] of all returns, and that they purchase from him
for the purpose such ships as he thinks proper, and the price of these
ships must be paid before setting out on the voyage; because, considering
the loss of ships which he has already sustained, he is desirous that
others should now bear the risk:
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