The first voyage round the world, by Magellan : $b translated from the accounts of Pigafetta, and other contemporary writersPigafetta, Antonio
History
The first voyage round the world, by Magellan : $b translated from the accounts of Pigafetta, and other contemporary writers
Pigafetta, Antonio
Magalhães, Fernão de, -1521; Voyages around the world -- Early works to 1800
On Tuesday, the 12th of November, the king had a house built in the
city for our merchandise, and it was built in one day. Thither we
carried all that we had to barter, and placed it in the custody of
three of our men, and the trade began at once. It was carried out in
this manner. For ten ells of red cloth of pretty good quality they
gave a bahar of cloves. A bahar is four quintals[369] and six pounds.
For fifteen ells of middling quality a bahar, for fifteen hatchets a
bahar, for thirty-five glass cups a bahar; and the king in this manner
had from us almost all our goblets: for seventeen cathils of cinnabar a
bahar; the same for as much quicksilver. For twenty-six ells of common
linen a bahar, and the same for twenty-five ells of finer linen; for
a hundred and fifty knives a bahar; for fifty scissors a bahar; for
forty caps a bahar; for ten Guzerat cloths a bahar; for three of their
cymbals two bahars: for a quintal of bronze a bahar. Almost all our
mirrors were broken, and the few that remained entire the king wished
to have. Many of the above-mentioned goods had been obtained by us by
the capture of the junks, which I have related; and the haste we were
in to return to Spain caused us to sell our goods at a lower price than
we should have done had we not been in a hurry.
Every day there came to the ships many boats laden with goats, fowls,
plantains, cocoanuts, and other victuals, that it was a wonder to see.
We supplied the ships with good water taken from a spring whence it
issued hot, but if it remains only one hour in the open air it becomes
very cold. They say that it comes out like that because it issues from
the mountain of the cloves. It may be seen from this how those lied
who said that fresh water had to be brought to Maluco from distant
countries.
The next day the king sent his son named Mossahap to the island of the
Mutir for cloves with which to freight our ships. We had spoken to the
king that day of some Indians whom we had captured, and he entreated us
to make a present of them to him, as he had the intention of sending
them back to their native country, accompanied by five men of Tadore,
who, on restoring them to their country, would praise and commend the
King of Spain and make a good name for the Spaniards. We gave him the
three ladies whom we had destined for the queen, as has been said
above, and all the men except those of Burné: he very much appreciated
this gift.
The king then asked another favour—that was, that we should kill all
the pigs we had on board, for which he would give an ample compensation
in fowls and goats. We gave him satisfaction in this, cutting their
throats and hanging them up under the deck, so that the Moors should
not have occasion to see them, since if by accident they see any pig
they covered their faces not to see it or perceive its smell.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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