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The admiral was struck with admiration; the
address and abilities of the minister appeared so conspicuous. He said
he was an Italian by birth, but in sailing to Greece, had been taken by
pirates, and after various misfortunes, had been necessitated to enter
into the service of a Mohammedan prince, the nobleness of whose
disposition he commended in the highest terms. Yet, with all his
abilities, Gama perceived an artful inquisitiveness--that nameless
something which does not accompany simple honesty. After a long
conference, Gama abruptly upbraided him as a spy, and ordered him to be
put to the torture. And this soon brought a confession, that he was a
Polish Jew by birth, and was sent to examine the strength of the fleet
by Zabajo, who was mustering all his power to attack the Portuguese.
Gama, on this, immediately set sail, and took the spy along with him,
who soon after was baptized, and named Jasper de Gama, the admiral being
his godfather. He afterwards became of great service to Emmanuel.

Gama now stood westward through the Indian Ocean, and after being long
delayed by calms, arrived off Magadoxa, on the coast of Africa. This
place was a principal port of the Moors; he therefore levelled the walls
of the city with his cannon, and burned and destroyed all the ships in
the harbour. Soon after this he descried eight Moorish vessels bearing
down upon him; his artillery, however, soon made them use their oars in
flight, nor could Gama overtake any of them for want of wind. The
hospitable harbour of Melinda was the next place he reached. His men,
almost worn out with fatigue and sickness, here received a second time
every assistance which an accomplished and generous prince could bestow.
And having taken an ambassador on board, he again set sail, in hope that
he might pass the Cape of Good Hope while the favourable weather
continued; for his acquaintance with the eastern seas now suggested to
him that the tempestuous season was periodical. Soon after he set sail
his brother's ship struck on a sand bank, and was burnt by order of the
admiral. His brother and part of the crew he took into his own ship, the
rest he sent on board of Coello's; nor were more hands now alive than
were necessary to man the two vessels which remained.
Having taken in
provisions at the island of Zanzibar (where they were kindly entertained
by a Mohammedan prince of the same sect with the King of Melinda), they
safely doubled the Cape of Good Hope on April 26, 1499, and continued
till they reached the island of St. Iago, in favourable weather. But a
tempest here separated the two ships, and gave Gama and Coello an
opportunity to show the goodness of their hearts in a manner which does
honour to human nature.

The admiral was now near the Azores, when Paulus de Gama, long worn with
fatigue and sickness, was unable to endure the motion of the ship.
Vasco, therefore, put into the island of Tercera, in hope of his
brother's recovery. And such was his affection, that rather than leave
him he gave the command of his ship to one of his officers. But the hope
of recovery was vain. John de Sa proceeded to Lisbon with the flag ship,
while the admiral remained behind to soothe the deathbed of his brother,
and perform his funeral rites. Coello, meanwhile, landed at Lisbon, and
hearing that Gama had not arrived, imagined he might either be
shipwrecked or beating about in distress. Without seeing one of his
family he immediately set sail again, on purpose to bring relief to his
friend and admiral. But this generous design was prevented by an order
from the king, ere he got out of the Tagus.

The particulars of the voyage were now diffused by Coello, and the joy
of the king was only equalled by the admiration of the people. Yet,
while all the nation was fired with zeal to express their esteem of the
happy admiral, he himself, the man who was such an enthusiast to the
success of his voyage that he would willingly have sacrificed his life
in India to secure that success, was now in the completion of it a
dejected mourner. The compliments of the Court, and the shouts of the
street, were irksome to him; for his brother, the companion of his toils
and dangers, was not there to share the joy. As soon as he had waited on
the king, he shut himself up in a lonely house near the seaside at
Belem, from whence it was some time ere he was drawn to mingle in public
life.

During this important expedition, two years and almost two months
elapsed.