Having
thus dismissed the Indians, he fired his cannon and hoisted his sails.
thus dismissed the Indians, he fired his cannon and hoisted his sails.
Camoes - Lusiades
The servants he set ashore to relate the tidings, the
noblemen he detained. As soon as the news had time to spread through the
city, he hoisted his sails, and, though with a slow motion, seemed to
proceed on his homeward voyage. The city was now in an uproar; the
friends of the captive noblemen surrounded the palace, and loudly
accused the policy of the Moors. The king, in all the perplexed distress
of a haughty, avaricious, weak prince, sent after Gama, delivered up all
the hostages, and submitted to his proposals; nay, even solicited that
an agent should be left, and even descended to the meanness of a
palpable lie. The two factors, he said, he had put in irons, only to
detain them till he might write letters to his brother Emmanuel, and the
goods he had kept on shore that an agent might be sent to dispose of
them. Gama, however, perceived a mysterious trifling, and, previous to
any treaty, insisted upon the restoration of the goods.
The day after this altercation Monzaida came aboard the fleet in great
perturbation. The Moors, he said, had raised great commotions, and had
enraged the king against the Portuguese. The king's ships were getting
ready, and a numerous Moorish fleet from Mecca was daily expected. To
delay Gama till this force arrived was the purpose of the Court and of
the Moors, who were now confident of success. To this information
Monzaida added, that the Moors, suspecting his attachment to Gama, had
determined to assassinate him; that he had narrowly escaped from them;
that it was impossible for him to recover his effects, and that his only
hope was in the protection of Gama. Gama rewarded him with the
friendship he merited, took him with him, as he desired, to Lisbon, and
procured him a recompense for his services.
Almost immediately seven boats arrived loaded with the goods, and
demanded the restoration of the captive noblemen. Gama took the goods on
board, but refused to examine if they were entire, and also refused to
deliver the prisoners. He had been promised an ambassador to his
sovereign, he said, but had been so often deluded he could trust such a
faithless people no longer, and would therefore carry away the captives
to convince the King of Portugal what insults and injustice his
ambassador and admiral had suffered from the Zamorim of Calicut.
Having
thus dismissed the Indians, he fired his cannon and hoisted his sails. A
calm, however, detained him on the coast some days; and the zamorim,
seizing the opportunity, sent what vessels he could fit out (sixty in
all), full of armed men, to attack him. Though Gama's cannon were well
handled, confident of their numbers, they pressed on to board him, when
a sudden tempest arose, which Gama's ships rode out in safety, miserably
dispersed the Indian fleet, and completed their ruin.
After this victory the admiral made a halt at a little island near the
shore, where he erected a cross,[61] bearing the name and arms of his
Portuguese majesty. From this place, by the hand of Monzaida, he wrote a
letter to the zamorim, wherein he gave a full and circumstantial account
of all the plots of the catual and the Moors. Still, however, he
professed his desire of a commercial treaty, and promised to represent
the zamorim in the best light to Emmanuel. The prisoners, he said,
should be kindly used, were only kept as ambassadors to his sovereign,
and should be returned to India when they were enabled from experience
to give an account of Portugal. The letter he sent by one of the
captives, who by this means obtained his liberty.
The fame of Gama had now spread over the Indian seas, and the Moors were
everywhere intent on his destruction. As he was near the shore of
Anchediva, he beheld the appearance of a floating isle, covered with
trees, advance towards him. But his prudence was not to be thus
deceived. A bold pirate, named Timoja, by linking together eight vessels
full of men and covered with green boughs, thought to board him by
surprise. But Gama's cannon made seven of them fly; the eighth, loaded
with fruits and provision, he took. The beautiful island of Anchediva
now offered a convenient place to careen his ships and refresh his men.
While he stayed here, the first minister of Zabajo, king of Goa, one of
the most powerful princes of India, came on board, and, in the name of
his master, congratulated the admiral in the Italian tongue. Provisions,
arms, and money were offered to Gama, and he was entreated to accept the
friendship of Zabajo.
noblemen he detained. As soon as the news had time to spread through the
city, he hoisted his sails, and, though with a slow motion, seemed to
proceed on his homeward voyage. The city was now in an uproar; the
friends of the captive noblemen surrounded the palace, and loudly
accused the policy of the Moors. The king, in all the perplexed distress
of a haughty, avaricious, weak prince, sent after Gama, delivered up all
the hostages, and submitted to his proposals; nay, even solicited that
an agent should be left, and even descended to the meanness of a
palpable lie. The two factors, he said, he had put in irons, only to
detain them till he might write letters to his brother Emmanuel, and the
goods he had kept on shore that an agent might be sent to dispose of
them. Gama, however, perceived a mysterious trifling, and, previous to
any treaty, insisted upon the restoration of the goods.
The day after this altercation Monzaida came aboard the fleet in great
perturbation. The Moors, he said, had raised great commotions, and had
enraged the king against the Portuguese. The king's ships were getting
ready, and a numerous Moorish fleet from Mecca was daily expected. To
delay Gama till this force arrived was the purpose of the Court and of
the Moors, who were now confident of success. To this information
Monzaida added, that the Moors, suspecting his attachment to Gama, had
determined to assassinate him; that he had narrowly escaped from them;
that it was impossible for him to recover his effects, and that his only
hope was in the protection of Gama. Gama rewarded him with the
friendship he merited, took him with him, as he desired, to Lisbon, and
procured him a recompense for his services.
Almost immediately seven boats arrived loaded with the goods, and
demanded the restoration of the captive noblemen. Gama took the goods on
board, but refused to examine if they were entire, and also refused to
deliver the prisoners. He had been promised an ambassador to his
sovereign, he said, but had been so often deluded he could trust such a
faithless people no longer, and would therefore carry away the captives
to convince the King of Portugal what insults and injustice his
ambassador and admiral had suffered from the Zamorim of Calicut.
Having
thus dismissed the Indians, he fired his cannon and hoisted his sails. A
calm, however, detained him on the coast some days; and the zamorim,
seizing the opportunity, sent what vessels he could fit out (sixty in
all), full of armed men, to attack him. Though Gama's cannon were well
handled, confident of their numbers, they pressed on to board him, when
a sudden tempest arose, which Gama's ships rode out in safety, miserably
dispersed the Indian fleet, and completed their ruin.
After this victory the admiral made a halt at a little island near the
shore, where he erected a cross,[61] bearing the name and arms of his
Portuguese majesty. From this place, by the hand of Monzaida, he wrote a
letter to the zamorim, wherein he gave a full and circumstantial account
of all the plots of the catual and the Moors. Still, however, he
professed his desire of a commercial treaty, and promised to represent
the zamorim in the best light to Emmanuel. The prisoners, he said,
should be kindly used, were only kept as ambassadors to his sovereign,
and should be returned to India when they were enabled from experience
to give an account of Portugal. The letter he sent by one of the
captives, who by this means obtained his liberty.
The fame of Gama had now spread over the Indian seas, and the Moors were
everywhere intent on his destruction. As he was near the shore of
Anchediva, he beheld the appearance of a floating isle, covered with
trees, advance towards him. But his prudence was not to be thus
deceived. A bold pirate, named Timoja, by linking together eight vessels
full of men and covered with green boughs, thought to board him by
surprise. But Gama's cannon made seven of them fly; the eighth, loaded
with fruits and provision, he took. The beautiful island of Anchediva
now offered a convenient place to careen his ships and refresh his men.
While he stayed here, the first minister of Zabajo, king of Goa, one of
the most powerful princes of India, came on board, and, in the name of
his master, congratulated the admiral in the Italian tongue. Provisions,
arms, and money were offered to Gama, and he was entreated to accept the
friendship of Zabajo.
