The Chronicle of the Discovery and Conquest of Guinea. Vol. IZurara, Gomes Eannes de
History
The Chronicle of the Discovery and Conquest of Guinea. Vol. I
Zurara, Gomes Eannes de
Guinea (Region) -- Discovery and exploration -- Early works to 1800
never have it, except when he had accomplished greater deeds than these.
Yet at last by the excessive entreaties of the rest, and because Nuno
Tristam perceived it was right, he had to make Antam Gonçalvez a knight,
though it was against his will; and for this reason they called that
place henceforth, "the Port of the Cavalier".[N63] And so he was the
first knight that was made in those parts. Then those captains returned
to the ships and bade that Arab whom Nuno Tristam had brought with him,
to speak with those Moors[T] but they were not able to understand him,
because the language of these people was not Moorish, but Azaneguy of
Sahara, for so they name that land. But the noble,[U] in that he was of
better breeding than the other captives, so had he seen more things and
better than they; and had been to other lands where he had learned the
Moorish tongue;[N64] forasmuch as he understood that Arab and answered
to whatever matter was asked of him by the same. And the further to try
the people of the land and to have of them more certain knowledge, they
put that Arab on shore, and one of the Moorish women whom they had taken
captive; who were to say to the others, that if they wished to come and
speak to them about the ransom of some of those whom they had taken
prisoners, or about traffick in merchandise, they might do so. And at
the end of two days there came to that place about 150 Moors on foot and
thirty-five on horses and camels, bringing the Moorish slave with them.
And although outwardly they seemed to be a race both barbarous and
bestial, yet was there not wanting in them something of astuteness,
wherewith they sought to ensnare their enemies. For only three of them
appeared on the shore, and the rest lay in ambush, to the end that our
men, being unaware of their treachery, might land, when they who lay hid
could seize them, which thing they might have done by sheer force of
numbers, if our men had been a whit less cautious than they. But the
Moors, perceiving that their wiles were discovered by us--because they
saw that the men in the boat turned about on seeing that the slave did
not appear--revealed their dissembling tricks and all came into sight on
the shore, hurling stones and making gestures.[V] And there they also
displayed that Arab who had been sent to them, held as one whom they
wished to keep in the subjection of a captive. And he called out to them
that they should be on their guard against those people; for they would
not have come there, except to take them at a disadvantage if they
could. Thereupon our men turned back to the ships, where they made their
partition of the captives, according to the lot of each, and the other
Moors betook themselves to their encampments, taking the Arab with them.
And Antam Gonçalvez, because he had now loaded his ship with cargo, as
the Infant had commanded, returned to Portugal, and Nuno Tristam went on
his way, to fulfil his orders, as we have said before that he had
received commandment.
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