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
On Monday, September 10, the captain-major landed one of the men whom
we had taken, and who had lost an eye, with a letter to the Çamolin,
written in Moorish [Arabic] by one of the Moors who came with us.[204]
The country where we landed this Moor was called Compia,[205] and its
king, Biaquolle, was at war with the King of Calecut.
On the following day [September 11], whilst becalmed, boats approached
the ships, and the boatmen, who offered fish for sale, came on board
without exhibiting any fear.
[_Santa Maria Islands._][206]
On Saturday, the 15th of said month, we found ourselves near some
islets, about two leagues from the land. We there launched a boat
and put up a pillar on one of these islets, which we called Santa
Maria, the king having ordered three pillars (padrãos), to be named S.
Raphael, S. Gabriel, and Santa Maria. We had thus succeeded in erecting
these three, _scilicet_, the first, that of S. Raphael, on the Rio dos
bons signaes; the second, that of S. Gabriel, at Calecut; and this, the
last, named Santa Maria.
Here again many boats came to us with fish, and the captain made the
boatmen happy by presenting them with shirts. He asked them whether
they would be glad if he placed a pillar upon the island. They said
that they would be very glad indeed, for its erection would confirm
the fact that we were Christians like themselves. The pillar was
consequently erected in much amity.
[_Anjediva, September 20 to October 5._][207]
That same night, with a land breeze, we made sail and pursued our
route. On the following Thursday, the 20th of the month,[208] we came
to a hilly country, very beautiful and salubrious, close to which there
were six small islands.
There we anchored, near the land, and launched a boat to take in water
and wood to last us during our voyage across the Gulf, which we hoped
to accomplish, if the wind favoured us. On landing we met a young man,
who pointed out to us a spring of excellent water rising between two
hills on the bank of a river. The captain-major gave this man a cap,
and asked whether he was a Moor or a Christian. The man said that he
was a Christian, and when told that we too were Christians he was much
pleased.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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