A Journal of the First Voyage of Vasco da Gama 1497-1499
History
A Journal of the First Voyage of Vasco da Gama 1497-1499
Africa -- Description and travel; Gama, Vasco da, 1469-1524; India -- Description and travel; Voyages and travels
[117] Trigo tremez, corn that ripens in three months. This, according
to a note furnished by Sir John Kirk, would be sorghum (the “matama” of
the Swahili), which is sent in shiploads to Arabia and the Persian Gulf.
[118] These two “Moors” were undoubtedly two of the four men whom Paulo
da Gama had captured at Moçambique, but whom the author previously
described as “Negroes”. Of the two pilots who escaped, one had been
given them by the Sultan of Moçambique, the other must have been the
old Moor who came on board voluntarily, unless one of the men taken by
Paulo was a pilot. (See note 1, p. 31).
[119] Barros (_Dec. I_, liv. 8, c. 7) says erroneously that this fort
was built _after_ Vasco da Gama’s visit. When the vessel of Sancho de
Toar, of the armada of Pedro Alvarez Cabral, was lost near Mombaça, the
Moors succeeded in fishing up seven or eight of her guns. These they
placed in this fort, in the vain hope of being thus enabled to resist
the attack of D. Francisco d’Almeida in 1505.—KOPKE.
[120] Castanheda (I, c. 10, p. 35) says they waited two days in
the hope of being able to secure a pilot to take them to Calecut. On
crossing the bar they were unable to heave up one of the anchors. The
Moors subsequently fished it up and placed it near the royal palace,
where D. Francisco d’Almeida found it when he took the town in 1505.
[121] The author spells Milinde, Milynde, Milingue.
[122] Sir J. Kirk suggests to me that these places are Mtwapa, Takaungu
and Kilifi, distorted into Benapa, Toca-nuguo and Quioniete. “Kioni” is
the native name of the village usually called Kilifi.
[123] The ruins of the ancient town of Malindi lie to the south of the
modern village of that name, and are of great extent. They include
the remains of a town wall. Persian and Arabic inscriptions have
been discovered, but, with the exception of Vasco da Gama’s pillar,
no traces of occupation by the Portuguese. Malindi Road, or Port
Melinda of the Admiralty chart, lies about three miles to the south
of the town, but Vasco da Gama anchored off the town, and not in this
sheltered road. The anchorage is less than half a mile from the town in
four fathoms and a half. Comp. Lord Stanley’s _Vasco da Gama_, p. 109.
[124] Barros speaks of these Christians as Banyans, while Goes and
Castanheda say that these vessels belonged to merchants from Cranganor,
in Malabar.
[125] Correa (p. 113) says that the Moor sent with this message was the
Davane already referred to, and (p. 115) distinguishes him from the
Moor who was captured on April 14th.
[126] _Balandrau_, a surtout worn by the Brothers of Mercy in Portugal.
[127] _Lambel_, a striped cotton stuff which had a large sale at the
beginning of the African trade.—HERCULANO.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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