We were at anchor here, near the coast, exposed to the swell of the sea. We called the country _Terra da Boa Gente_ (land of good people), and the river _Rio do Cobre_ (copper river).[70] [_Rio dos Bons Signaes._][71] On Monday [January 22] we discovered a low coast thickly wooded with tall trees. Continuing our course we perceived the broad mouth of a river. As it was necessary to find out where we were, we cast anchor. On Thursday [January 25], at night, we entered. The _Berrio_ was already there, having entered the night before—that is eight days before the end of January [_i.e._, January 24.][72] The country is low and marshy, and covered with tall trees yielding an abundance of various fruits, which the inhabitants eat. These people are black and well made. They go naked, merely wearing a piece of cotton stuff around their loins, that worn by the women being larger than that worn by the men. The young women are good-looking. Their lips are pierced in three places, and they wear in them bits of twisted tin. These people took much delight in us. They brought us in their _almadias_[73] what they had, whilst we went into their village to procure water. When we had been two or three days at this place two gentlemen (senhores) of the country came to see us. They were very haughty, and valued nothing which we gave them. One of them wore a _touca_,[74] with a fringe embroidered in silk, and the other a cap of green satin. A young man in their company—so we understood from their signs—had come from a distant country, and had already seen big ships like ours. These tokens (signaes) gladdened our hearts, for it appeared as if we were really approaching the bourne of our desires. These gentlemen had some huts built on the river bank, close to the ships, in which they stayed seven days, sending daily to the ships, offering to barter cloths which bore a mark of red ochre. And when they were tired of being there, they left in their _almadias_ for the upper river. As to ourselves, we spent thirty-two days[75] in the river taking in water, careening the ships,[76] and repairing the mast of the _Raphael_. Many of our men fell ill here, their feet and hands swelling, and their gums growing over their teeth, so that they could not eat.[77] We erected here a pillar which we called the pillar of St. Raphael,[78] because it had been brought in the ship bearing that name. The river we called Rio dos Bons Signaes (River of good signs or tokens). [_To Moçambique._] On Saturday [February 24] we left this place and gained the open sea. During the night we stood N.E., so as to keep away from the land, which was very pleasing to look upon. On Sunday [February 25] we still stood N.E., and at vesper time discovered three small islands, out in the open, of which two were covered with tall trees, while the third and smallest was barren. The distance from one island to the other was four leagues.[79]