greater suffering, greater torments, than fell to the lot of any one
amongst us; but it was doubtless no other than God, who bestowed
upon him such energy, that it was He alone who animated the courage,
and reawakened the patience of the sailors under their severe toil;
in a word, looking upon him, one might have fancied him a sailor who
had grown old in contending with storms, an astonishing fact, almost
incredible, but one which awakened some gleam of joy amidst the
sorrows which overwhelmed me. I was ill, and several times I thought
my last hour was near.... To complete my misery comes the thought
that twenty years of service, of fatigues and perils, have brought
me no profit, and I find myself to-day unpossessed of even a roof to
shelter me in Spain, and forced to betake myself to an inn when I
would obtain repose or food; and when there I often find myself
unable to pay my reckoning." Do not these lines indicate clearly the
intensity of sorrow which overwhelmed the soul of Columbus? In the
midst of such dangers and anxieties, how could he preserve the
energy needful to command an expedition?
Throughout the duration of the storm, the ships had been following
the line of coast which successively bears the names of Honduras,
Mosquito, Nicaragua, Costa-Rica, Veragua, and Panama, the twelve
Limonare Islands being also discovered at this time, and at last, on
the 25th of September, Columbus cast anchor between the small island
of Huerta and the continent. On the 5th of October he again set sail,
and after having taken the bearings of the Bay of Almirante, he
anchored opposite to the village of Cariaz. There he remained until
the 15th of October, the repairs of the vessels meanwhile going
actively forward.
Columbus now believed himself to be arrived near the mouth of the
Ganges, and from the natives speaking of a certain province of
Ciguare, which was surrounded by the sea, he felt himself confirmed
in this opinion. They declared that it was a country containing rich
gold-mines, of which the most important was situated seventy-five
miles to the south. When the admiral again set sail, he followed the
wooded coast of Veragua, where the Indians appeared to be very wild.
On the 26th of November, the flotilla entered the harbour of El
Retrete, which is now the port of Escribanos. The ships battered by
the winds, were now in a most miserable plight; it was absolutely
necessary to repair the damage they had sustained, and for this
purpose to prolong the stay at El Retrete. Upon quitting this
harbour Columbus was met by a storm even more dreadful than those
which had preceded it: "During nine days," he says, "I remained
without hope of being saved. Never did any man see a more violent or
terrible sea; it was covered with foam, the wind permitted no ships
to advance, nor to steer towards any cape; I was kept in that sea,
of which the waves seemed to be of blood, and the surges boiled as
though heated by fire. Never have I seen so appalling an aspect of
the heavens: on fire during one whole day and night like a furnace,
they sent forth thunder and flame incessantly, and I feared each
moment that the masts and sails would be carried away. The growling
of the thunder was so horrible that it appeared sufficient to crush
our vessels; and during the whole time the rain fell with such
violence that one could scarcely call it rain, but rather a second
Deluge. My sailors, overcome by so much trouble and suffering,
prayed for death as putting a term to their miseries; my ships
opened in all directions, and boats, anchors, ropes, and sails were
once again lost."
During this long and painful navigation, the admiral had sailed one
thousand and fifty miles. His crews were by this time quite
exhausted; he was therefore obliged to turn back and to regain the
river of Veragua, but not being able to find safe shelter there for
his ships, he went a short distance off to the mouth of Bethlehem
river, now called the Yebra, in which he cast anchor on the feast of
the Epiphany in the year 1503. On the morrow the tempest was again
renewed, and on the 24th of January, a sudden increase of water in
the river caused the cables which held the ships to snap, and the
vessels were only saved with great trouble.
In spite of all this, the admiral, who never forgot the principal
object of his mission in these new countries, had succeeded in
establishing regular intercourse with the natives. The cacique of
Bethlehem showed a friendly disposition, and pointed out a country
fifteen miles inland, where he said the gold-mines were very rich.
On the 6th of February, Columbus despatched a force of seventy men
to the spot indicated, under the command of his brother Bartolomeo.
After travelling through a very undulating country, watered by
rivers so winding that one of them had to be crossed thirty-nine
times, the Spaniards arrived at the auriferous tracts. They were
immense, and extended quite out of sight. Gold was so abundant that
one man alone could collect enough of it in ten days to fill a
measure. In four hours, Bartolomeo and his men had picked up gold to
an enormous amount. They returned to the admiral, who, when he heard
their narrative, resolved to settle upon this coast, and to have
some wooden barracks constructed.
[Illustration: Gold-mines in Cuba. -From an old print-.]
The mines of this region were indeed of incomparable richness; they
appeared to be inexhaustible, and quite made Columbus forget Cuba
and San Domingo. His letter to King Ferdinand evinces his enthusiasm
on the subject; one may feel some astonishment at reading the
following sentiment from the pen of this great man, one indeed which
is neither that of a philosopher nor of a Christian. "Gold! gold!
excellent thing! It is from gold that spring riches! it is by means
of gold that everything in the world is done, and its power suffices
often to place souls in Paradise."
The Spaniards set to work with ardour to store up this gold in their
ships. Hitherto the relations with the natives had been peaceable,
although these people were of fierce disposition. But after a time
the cacique, irritated by the usurpation of the foreigners, resolved
to murder them and burn their dwellings. One day the natives
suddenly attacked the Spaniards in considerable force, and a very
severe battle ensued, ending in the repulse of the Indians. The
cacique had been taken prisoner with all his family, but he
succeeded with his children in escaping from custody, and took
refuge in the mountains in company with a great number of his
followers. In the month of April, a considerable troop of the
natives again attacked the Spaniards, who exterminated a large
proportion of them.
Meanwhile, the health of Columbus became more and more enfeebled;
the wind failed him for quitting the harbour, and he was in despair.
One day, exhausted by fatigue, he fell asleep, and heard a pitying
voice which addressed him as follows:--words which shall be given
verbatim, for they bear the imprint of that kind of ecstatic
religious fervour which gives a finishing touch to the picture of
the great navigator.
"'O foolish man! why such unwillingness to believe in and to serve
thy God, the God of the Universe? What did He more for Moses His
servant, and for David? Since thy birth, has He not had for thee the
most tender solicitude; and when he saw thee of an age in which His
designs for thee could be matured, has He not made thy name resound
gloriously through the world? Has He not bestowed upon thee the
Indies, the richest part of the earth? Has He not set thee free to
make an offering of them to Him according to thine own will? Who but
He has lent thee the means of executing His designs? Bounds were
placed at the entrance of the ocean; they were formed of chains
which could not be broken through. To thee were given the keys. Thy
power was recognized in distant lands, and thy glory was proclaimed
by all Christians. Did God even show Himself more favourable to the
people of Israel, when He rescued them from Egypt? Did He favour
David more, when from a shepherd boy He made him king of Judah? Turn
to Him, confessing thy fault, for His compassion is infinite. Thine
old age will prove no obstacle in the great actions which await
thee: He holds in His hands a heritage the most brilliant. Was not
Abraham a hundred years old, and had not Sarah already passed the
flower of her youth when Isaac was born? Thou seekest an uncertain
help. Answer me: who has exposed thee so often to so many dangers?
Is it God, or the world? God never withholds the blessings promised
to His servants. It is not His manner after receiving a service to
pretend that His intentions have not been carried out, and to give a
new interpretation to His desires; it is not He who seeks to give to
arbitrary acts a favourable colour. His words are to be taken
literally; all that He promises He gives with usury. Thus does He
ever. I have told thee all that the Creator has done for thee; at
this very moment He is showing thee the prize and the reward of the
perils and sufferings to which thou hast been exposed in the service
of thy fellow-men.' And I listened to this voice, overcome though I
were with suffering; but I could not muster strength to reply to
these assured promises; I contented myself by deploring my fault
with tears. The voice concluded with these words:--'Take confidence,
hope on; the record of thy labours will, with justice, be engraved
on marble.'"
Columbus, as soon as he recovered, was anxious to leave this coast.
He had desired to found a colony here, but his crews were not
sufficiently numerous to justify the risk of leaving a part of them
on land. The four caravels were full of worm-holes, and one of them
had to be left behind at Bethlehem. On Easter day the admiral put to
sea, but scarcely had he gone ninety miles before a leak was
discovered in one of the ships; it was necessary to steer for the
coast with all speed, and happily Porto-Bello was reached in safety,
where the ship was abandoned, her injuries being irreparable. The
flotilla consisted now of but two caravels, without boats, almost
without provisions, and with 7000 miles of ocean to traverse. It
sailed along the coast, passed the port of El Retrete, discovered
the group of islands called the Mulatas, and at length entered the
Gulf of Darien. This was the farthest point east reached by Columbus.
On the 1st of May the admiral steered for Hispaniola; by the 10th he
was in sight of the Cayman Islands, but he found it impossible to
make head against the winds which drove him to the north-west nearly
as far as Cuba. There, while in shallow water, he encountered a
storm, during which anchors and sails were carried away, and the two
ships came into collision during the night. The hurricane then drove
them southwards, and the admiral at length reached Jamaica with his
shattered vessels, casting anchor on the 23rd of June in the harbour
of San-Gloria, now called the bay of Don Christopher. Columbus
wished to have gone to Hispaniola, where he would have found the
stores needful for revictualling the ships, resources which were
absolutely wanting in Jamaica; but his two caravels, full of
worm-holes, "like to bee-hives," could not without danger attempt
the ninety miles' voyage; the question now arose, how to send a
message to Ovando, the governor of Hispaniola.
[Illustration: The Admiral is obliged to run the caravels aground.]
The caravels let in water in every direction, and the admiral was
obliged to run them aground; he then tried to organize a life in
common upon shore. The Indians at first gave him assistance, and
furnished the crews with the provisions of which they were in need,
but the miserable and much tried sailors showed resentment against
the admiral; they were ready for revolt, while the unfortunate
Columbus, exhausted by illness, was confined to a bed of pain. It
was in these trying circumstances that two brave officers, Mendez
and Fieschi, proposed to the admiral to attempt to cross from
Jamaica to Hispaniola in Indian canoes. This was in reality a voyage
of six hundred miles, for it was necessary to row along the coast as
far as the port where the colony was established. But these
courageous officers were ready to face every peril, when it was a
question of saving their companions. Columbus, appreciating the
boldness of a proposal, which under other circumstances he would
himself have been the first to make, gave the required permission to
Mendez and Fieschi, who set out, while he, without ships, almost
without provisions, remained with his crew upon this uncultivated
island.
[Illustration: Indian Boats. -From an old print-.]
Soon the misery of the shipwrecked people--for so we may fairly call
them--became so great that a revolt ensued. The admiral's companions,
blinded by their sufferings, imagined that their chief dared not
return to the harbour in Hispaniola, to which Ovando had already
denied him entrance. They thought this proscription applied to them
equally with the admiral, and said among themselves that the
governor, in excluding the flotilla from the harbours of the colony,
must have acted under orders from the king. These absurd reasonings
irritated minds already badly disposed, and at length on the 2nd of
January, 1504, two brothers named Porras, one the captain of one of
the caravels and the other the military treasurer, placed themselves
at the head of the malcontents. Their wish was to return to Europe,
and they rushed towards the admiral's tent, crying, "Castille!
Castille!" Columbus was ill and in bed. His brother and his son
threw themselves between him and the mutineers to defend him. At the
sight of the aged admiral, the rebels stopped, and their violence
abated; but they would not listen to the admiral's remonstrances and
counsels; they did not understand that nothing could save them but
general concord, and each, in unselfish forgetfulness, working for
the public good. No! their decision was taken to quit the island, no
matter by what means. Porras and his followers ran down to the shore,
took possession of the canoes of the natives, and steered for the
eastern extremity of the island. Arrived there, with no respect left
for anything, and drunk with fury, they pillaged the Indians'
dwellings--thus rendering the admiral responsible for their deeds of
violence--and they dragged some unfortunate natives on board of the
canoes which they had stolen. Porras and his companions continued
their navigation; but when several leagues from shore, they were
struck by a gust of wind which placed them in peril: with the object
of lightening the canoes, they threw their prisoners overboard.
After this barbarous execution, the canoes endeavoured, following
the example of Mendez and Fieschi, to gain the island of Hispaniola,
but in vain, they were continually thrown back upon the coasts of
Jamaica.
Meanwhile the admiral, left alone with his friends and the sick,
succeeded in establishing order in his little world. But the
distress increased, and famine threatened. The natives wearied of
providing food for these foreigners, whose sojourn upon their island
was so prolonged; besides, they had seen the Spaniards fighting
amongst themselves, a sight which had much destroyed their prestige,
and convinced the Indians that these Europeans were nothing more
than ordinary mortals; thus, they no longer respected nor feared
them. The authority of Columbus over the native population was
diminishing day by day, and an accidental circumstance was needed,
of which the admiral cleverly took advantage, to bring back a renown
which was necessary for the safety of his companions.
A lunar eclipse, foreseen and calculated by Columbus, was due on a
certain day. On the morning of this day, the admiral sent to request
an interview with the caciques of the island. They accepted the
invitation, and when they were assembled in the tent of Columbus,
the latter announced to them that God, desirous of punishing them
for their inhospitable conduct, and their bad feeling towards the
Spaniards, would that evening refuse them the light of the moon. All
came to pass as the admiral had foretold; the shadow of the earth
began to conceal the moon, whose disc had the appearance of being
eaten away by some formidable monster. The savages in terror cast
themselves at the feet of Columbus, praying him to intercede with
Heaven on their behalf, and promising to place all they had at his
disposal. Columbus, after some well feigned hesitation, pretended to
yield to the prayers of the natives. Under pretext of supplicating
the Deity, he remained in his tent during the whole time of the
eclipse, only reappearing at the moment when the phenomenon was
nearly over. Then he told the caciques that God had heard his prayer,
and extending his arm he commanded the moon to reappear. Soon the
disc was seen to issue from the cone of the shadow, and the queen of
night shone forth in all her splendour. From that day forward, the
grateful and submissive Indians accepted the admiral's authority as
one manifestly delegated to him by the celestial powers.
While these events were passing at Jamaica, Mendez and Fieschi had
long ago arrived at their destination. These brave officers had
reached Hispaniola after a voyage of four days, little short of
miraculous, accomplished as it was in a frail canoe. They
immediately made the governor acquainted with the desperate
condition of Columbus and his companions. Ovando, in a spirit of
malice and injustice, detained these officers, and after a delay of
eight months, under pretext of ascertaining the real condition of
affairs, he despatched to Jamaica one of his own followers, a man
named Diego Escobar, who was an especial enemy to Columbus. Escobar,
on his arrival at Jamaica, would not communicate with Columbus; he
did not even land, but contented himself with putting on shore, for
the use of the distressed crews, "a side of pork and a barrel of
wine;" then he again set sail without having allowed a single person
to come on board. This infamous behaviour is but too real, although
humanity almost refuses to believe in it.
The admiral was indignant over this cruel mockery; but he showed no
violence, used no recrimination. The arrival of Escobar somewhat
reassured the shipwrecked men, for at least it proved that their
situation was known. Deliverance was therefore only a matter of time,
and the -morale- of the Spaniards gradually improved.
The admiral was desirous of bringing about a reconciliation with
Porras and the rebels, who, since their separation, had incessantly
ravaged the island, and been guilty of odious cruelties towards the
unfortunate natives. Columbus proposed to restore them to favour,
but these foolish people only answered his generous overtures by
advancing to attack him in his retreat. Those Spaniards who had
remained faithful to the cause of order, were obliged to take up
arms, and they valiantly defended the admiral, losing but one man in
this sad affair. They took both the brothers Porras prisoners, and
remained masters of the field of battle: then the rebels threw
themselves on their knees before Columbus, who, in compassion for
their sufferings, granted them pardon.
At length, just one year after the departure of Mendez and Fieschi,
a ship appeared, equipped by them at the expense of Columbus, which
was destined to restore the shipwrecked company to their homes. On
the 24th of June, 1504, every one went on board, and quitting
Jamaica, the theatre of accumulated miseries, both moral and
physical, they set sail for Hispaniola. Arrived in harbour, after a
prosperous voyage, Columbus, to his no small surprise, found himself
at first received with much respect, the governor Ovando, as a
shrewd man not willing to go against public opinion, doing him
honour. But this happy temper did not last. Soon the quarrels
recommenced, and then Columbus, unable as well as unwilling to hear
more, humiliated, and even maltreated, freighted two ships, of which
he shared the command with his brother Bartolomeo, and on the 12th
of September, 1504, he for the last time set out for Europe.
His fourth voyage had increased geographical knowledge by the
discovery of the Cayman Islands, Martinique, Guanaja, the Limonare
Islands, with the coasts of Honduras, Mosquito, Nicaragua, Veragua,
Costa-Rica, Porto-Bello, and Panama, the Mulatas Islands, and the
Gulf of Darien.
During this, his last voyage across the ocean, Columbus was destined
to be again tried by storms. His own vessel was disabled, and he and
his crew were obliged to go on board his brother's ship. On the 19th
of October, another fearful hurricane broke the mast of this vessel,
which had then to make more than two thousand miles with incomplete
sails. At last, on the 7th of November, the admiral entered the
harbour of San-Lucar. Here a sad piece of news was awaiting him.
Isabella, his generous protectress, was dead. Who was there now to
take an interest in the old Genoese?
The admiral was coldly received by the ungrateful and jealous king
Ferdinand, who did not even disdain to use subterfuges and delays,
hoping thus to evade the solemn treaties given under his sign
manual; he ended by proposing to Columbus the acceptance of a small
Castilian town, Camon de los Condes, in exchange for his titles and
dignities. This ingratitude and faithlessness overwhelmed the aged
man; his health, already so much impaired, did not improve, and
grief carried him to the grave. On the 20th of May, at Valladolid,
at the age of seventy, he rendered up his soul to God with these
words: "O Lord, into Thy hands I resign my soul and body."
The remains of Columbus were at first laid in the monastery of St.
Francis; in 1513, they were removed to the Carthusian monastery of
Seville. But it seemed as if, even after death, repose were to be
denied to the great navigator, for in 1536 his body was transported
to the cathedral of San Domingo. Local tradition affirms that when,
after the Treaty of Basle in 1795, the Spanish government, before
giving up to France the eastern portion of the island of San Domingo,
ordered the removal of the ashes of the great sailor to Havana, a
canon substituted some other remains for those of Christopher
Columbus, and that the latter were deposited in the choir of the
cathedral, to the left of the altar. Thanks to this manoeuvre of the
canon, whether dictated by a sentiment of local patriotism or by
respect to the last wishes of Columbus who had indicated San Domingo
as his chosen place of sepulture, it is not the dust of the
illustrious navigator which Spain possesses at Havana, but probably
that of his brother Diego. The discovery so lately made in the
cathedral of San Domingo, on the 10th of September, 1877, of a
leaden chest containing human bones, and bearing an inscription
stating that it encloses the remains of the -Discoverer of America-,
seems to confirm in every particular the tradition which has been
just mentioned.
But after all, it matters little whether the body of Columbus be at
San Domingo or at Havana; his name and his glory are everywhere.
CHAPTER VIII.
THE CONQUEST OF INDIA AND OF THE SPICE COUNTRIES.
I.
Covilham and Païva--Vasco da Gama--The Cape of Good Hope is
doubled--Escalès at Sam-Braz--Mozambique, Mombaz, and Melinda--
Arrival at Calicut--Treason of the Zamorin--Battles--Return to
Europe--The scurvy--Death of Paul da Gama--Arrival at Lisbon.
At the same time that the King of Portugal, John II., despatched
Diaz to seek in the south of Africa the route to the Indies, he
ordered two gentlemen of his court to find out if it would not be
possible to attain the same end by an easier, safer, and more rapid
means; by way of the isthmus of Suez, the Red Sea, and the Indian
Ocean.
For carrying out such a mission there was needed a clever,
enterprising man, well acquainted with the difficulties of a journey
in those regions, and possessing a knowledge of the Oriental
languages, or at the very least, of Arabic. This agent must be of a
versatile disposition, and able to dissemble; capable, in a word, of
concealing the real meaning of projects which aimed at nothing less
than withdrawing all the commerce of Asia from the hands of the
Mussulmans and Arabs, and through them from the Venetians, in order
to enrich Portugal with it.
There was living at this time an experienced navigator, Pedro de
Covilham, who had served with distinction under Alonzo V. in the war
with Castille, and who had made a long stay in Africa. It was upon
him that John II. cast his eye, and Alonzo de Païva was given him as
a colleague. They left Lisbon in the month of May, 1487, furnished
with detailed instructions, and with a chart drawn according to
Bishop Calsadilla's map of the World, by the help of which the tour
of Africa might be made.
The two travellers reached Alexandria and Cairo, where they were
much gratified at meeting with some Moorish traders from Fez and
Tlemcen, who conducted them to Tor--the ancient Ezion-geber--at the
foot of Sinai, where they were able to procure some valuable
information upon the trade of Calicut. Covilham resolved to take
advantage of this fortunate circumstance to visit a country which,
for more than a century, had been regarded by Portugal with covetous
longing, while Païva set out to penetrate into those regions then so
vaguely designated as Ethiopia, in quest of the famous Prester John,
who, according to old travellers, reigned over a marvellously rich
and fertile country in Africa. Païva doubtless perished in his
adventurous enterprise, being never again heard of.
As for Covilham, he travelled to Aden, whence he embarked for the
Malabar coast. He visited in succession Cananore, Calicut, and Goa,
and collected accurate information upon the commerce and productions
of the countries bordering on the Indian Ocean, without arousing the
fears of the Hindoos, who could not suspect that the kind and
friendly welcome they accorded to the traveller would bring about in
the future the enthralment and ruin of their country. Covilham, not
considering that he had yet done enough for his country, quitted
India, and went to the eastern coast of Africa, where he visited
Mozambique, Sofala--long famous for its gold-mines, of which the
reputation, by means of the Arabs, had even reached Europe--and
Zeila, the -Avalites portus- of the ancients, and the principal town
of the Adel coast, upon the Gulf of Oman, at the entrance of the
Arabian Sea. After a somewhat long stay in that country, he returned
by Aden, then the principal entrepôt of the commerce of the east,
went as far as Ormuz, at the entrance of the Persian Gulf, and then
again passing up the Red Sea, he arrived at Cairo.
John II. had sent to Cairo two learned Jews to await the arrival of
Covilham, and to one of these, the Rabbi Abraham Beja, the traveller
gave his notes, the itinerary of his journey, and a map of Africa
given to him by a Mussulman, charging Beja to carry them all to
Lisbon with the least possible delay. For himself, not content with
all that he had done hitherto, and wishing to execute the mission
which death had prevented Païva from accomplishing, he went into
Abyssinia, where the "negus" or king, known by the name of Prester
John, flattered by seeing his alliance sought by one of the most
powerful sovereigns of Europe, received him with the greatest
kindness, and gave him a high position at his court, but to make
sure of retaining his services, he constantly refused him permission
to leave the country. Although he had married there and had some
children, Covilham still longed for his native country, and when, in
1525, a Portuguese embassy, of which Alvarès was a member, came into
Abyssinia, he witnessed the departure of his countrymen with the
deepest regret, and the chaplain of the expedition has naïvely
re-echoed his complaints and his grief.
M. Ferdinand Denis says, "By furnishing precise information upon the
possibility of circumnavigating Africa, by indicating the route to
the Indies, by giving more positive and extended ideas upon the
commerce of these countries, and above all, by describing the
gold-mines of Sofala, and so exciting the cupidity of the Portuguese,
Covilham contributed greatly to accelerate the expedition of Gama."
[Illustration: Vasco da Gama. -From an old print-.]
If one may believe an old tradition, but one which is unsupported by
any authentic document, Gama was descended by an illegitimate line
from Alphonso III., King of Portugal. His father, Estevam Eanez da
Gama, grand alcalde of Sinès and of Silvès, in the kingdom of
Algarve, and commander of Seizal, occupied a high position at the
court of John II. He enjoyed great reputation as a sailor, so much
so, that just at the moment when his own unexpected death occurred,
King John was thinking of giving Gama the command of the fleet which
he was desirous of sending to the Indies. By his marriage with Dona
Isabella Sodré, daughter of Juan de Resende, proveditore of the
fortifications of Santarem, he had several children, and amongst
them Vasco, who first reached India by doubling the Cape of Good
Hope, and Paul, who accompanied him in that memorable expedition. It
is known that Vasco was born at Sinès, but the date of his birth is
uncertain; the year 1469 is that generally given, but besides the
fact that if this be the correct date, Gama would have been very
young--not more than eight and twenty--when the important command of
the expedition to the Indies was confided to him, there was
discovered twenty years ago, amongst the Spanish archives, a
safe-conduct to Tangier granted in 1478 to two persons, Vasco da
Gama and Lemos. It is scarcely probable that such a passport would
have been given to a child of nine years of age, so that this
discovery would appear to carry back the birth of the celebrated
voyager to an earlier date.
It seems that from an early period of his life, Vasco da Gama was
destined to follow the career of a sailor, in which his father had
distinguished himself. The first historian of the Indies, Lopez de
Castañeda, delights in recalling the fact that he had signalized
himself upon the African seas. At one time he was ordered to seize
all the French ships lying in the Portuguese ports, in revenge for
the capture by French pirates during a time of peace of a rich
Portuguese galleon returning from Mina. Such a mission would only
have been confided to an active, energetic and well-tried captain, a
clear proof that Gama's valour and cleverness were highly
appreciated by the king.
About this time he married Dona Caterina de Ataïde, one of the
highest ladies about the court, and by her he had several children,
amongst others Estevam da Gama, who became governor of the Indies,
and Dom Christovam, who, says Gaucher, by his struggle with Ahmed
Guerad in Abyssinia, and by his romantic death, deserves to be
reckoned amongst the famous adventurers of the sixteenth century.
All doubt as to the precise date of Gama's first voyage is now at an
end, thanks to the document in the public library at Oporto, a paper
with which Castañeda must have been acquainted, and of which M.
Ferdinand Denis has published a translation in the -Ancient and
Modern Travellers- of M. E. Charton. The date may be fixed with
certainty for Saturday, the 8th of July, 1497.
This expedition had been long ago determined upon, and all its
details were minutely arranged. It was to be composed of four
vessels of medium size, "in order," says Pacheco, "that they may
enter everywhere and again issue forth rapidly." They were solidly
constructed, and provided with a triple supply of sails and hawsers;
all the barrels destined to contain water, oil, or wine had been
strengthened with iron hoops; large provisions of all kinds had been
made, such as flour, wine, vegetables, drugs, and artillery; the
personnel of the expedition consisted of the best sailors, the
cleverest pilots, and the most experienced captains.
Gama, who had received the title of -Capitam mõr-, hoisted his flag
upon the -Sam-Gabriel- of 120 tons. His brother Paul da Gama was on
board the -Sam-Raphael- of 100 tons. A caravel of 50 tons, the
-Berrio-, so named in memory of the pilot Berrio, who had sold her
to Emmanuel I., was commanded by an experienced sailor, Nicolo
Coelho, while Pedro Nuñes was the captain of a large barque, laden
with provisions and merchandise, destined for exchange with the
natives of the countries which should be visited. Pero de Alemquer,
who had been pilot to Bartholomew Diaz, was to regulate the course
of the vessels. The crews, including ten criminals who were put on
board to be employed on any dangerous service, amounted to one
hundred and sixty persons. What feeble means these, what almost
absurd resources, compared with the grandeur of the mission which
these men were to accomplish!
On the 8th of July, at sunrise, Gama advanced towards the vessels,
followed by his officers through an immense crowd of people. Around
him were a number of monks and religious persons, who chanted sacred
hymns, and besought Heaven's protection for the voyagers. This
departure from Rastello must have been a singularly moving scene;
all, whether actors or spectators, mingling their chants, their
cries, their adieux and their tears, while the sails, filled by a
favourable breeze, bore away Gama and the fortune of Portugal
towards the open sea. A large caravel and a smaller barque, which
were bound for Mina under the command of Bartholomew Diaz, sailed in
company with Gama's fleet. On the following Saturday, the ships were
in sight of the Canaries, and passed the night windward of Lancerota.
When they arrived parallel with the Rio de Ouro, a thick fog
separated Paul da Gama, Coelho, and Diaz from the rest of the fleet,
but they joined again near the Cape de Verd Islands, which were soon
reached. At Santiago fresh stores of meat, water, and wood were
taken on board, and the ships were again put into good sailing order.
[Illustration: La Mina. -From an old print-.]
They quitted the shore of Santa Maria on the 3rd of August. The
voyage was accomplished without any remarkable incidents, and on the
4th of November, anchors were dropped upon the African Coast in a
bay which received the name of -Santa-Ellena-. Eight days were spent
there in shipping wood, and in putting everything in order on board
the vessels. It was there that they saw for the first time the
Bushmen, a miserable and degraded race of people who fed upon the
flesh of sea-wolves and whales, as well as upon roots. The
Portuguese carried off some of these natives, and treated them with
kindness. The savages knew nothing of the value of the merchandize
which was offered to them, they saw the objects for the first time
and were ignorant of their use. Copper was the only thing which they
appeared to prize, wearing in their ears small chains of that metal.
They understood well the use of the zagayes--a kind of javelin, of
which the point is hardened in the fire--of which three or four of
the sailors and even Gama himself had unpleasant experience, while
endeavouring to rescue from their hands a certain Velloso, a man who
had imprudently ventured into the interior of the country. This
incident has furnished Camoens with one of the most charming
episodes of the "Lusiad."
On leaving Santa-Ellena, Pero de Alemquer, formerly pilot to Diaz,
declared his belief that they were then ninety miles from the Cape,
but in the uncertainty the fleet stood off to sea; on the 18th of
November the Cape of Good Hope was seen, and the next day it was
doubled by the fleet sailing before the wind. On the 25th the
vessels were moored in the Bay of Sam-Braz, where they remained
thirteen days, during which time the boat which carried the stores
was demolished, and her cargo divided amongst the three other
vessels. During their stay the Portuguese gave the Bushmen some
hawks' bells and other objects, which, to their surprise, were
accepted, for in the time of Diaz the negroes had shown themselves
timid and even hostile, and had thrown stones to prevent the crews
from procuring water. Now they brought oxen and sheep, and to show
their pleasure at the visit of the Portuguese, "they began," says
Nicolas Velho, "to play upon four or five flutes, some set high,
some low, a wonderful harmony for negroes, from whom one scarcely
looks for music. They danced also, as dance the blacks, and the
Capitam mõr commanded the trumpets to sound, and we in our boats
danced too, the Capitam mõr himself dancing, as soon as he had
returned amongst us."
What shall we say to this little fête and this mutual serenade
between the Portuguese and the negroes? Would any one have expected
to behold Gama, a grave man, as his portraits represent him,
initiating the negroes into the charms of the pavane. Unhappily
these favourable dispositions were transient, and it was found
necessary to have recourse to some hostile demonstrations by means
of repeated discharges of artillery.
In this Bay of Sam-Braz Gama erected a padrao, which was thrown down
as soon as he was gone. The fleet soon passed the Rio Infante, the
furthest point reached by Diaz. Here the ships experienced the
effects of a strong current, but of which the violence was
neutralized thanks to a favourable wind. On the 25th of December,
Christmas Day, the country of Natal was discovered.
The ships had sustained some damage, and fresh water was needed; it
was therefore urgent for them to find some harbour, which they
succeeded in doing on the 10th of January, 1498. The blacks whom the
Portuguese saw here upon landing were people of greater stature than
those whom they had hitherto met with. Their arms were a large bow
with long arrows, and a zagaye tipped with iron. They were Caffres,
a race very superior to the Bushmen. Such happy relations were
quickly established with them that Gama gave the country the name of
the Land of Good People (-Terra da bon Gente-).
[Illustration: Map of the East Coast of Africa, from the Cape of
Good Hope to the Cape del Gado.]
A little further on, while still sailing up the coast, two Mussulman
traders, one wearing a turban, the other a hood of green satin, came
to visit the Portuguese, with a young man who, "from what could be
understood from their signs, belonged to a very distant country, and
who said he had already seen ships as large as ours." Vasco da Gama,
took this as a proof that he was now approaching those Indian lands,
which had been so long and so eagerly sought. For this reason he
named the river which flowed into the sea at this place -Rio dos
Bonis Signaes- (River of good tokens). Unhappily the first symptoms
of scurvy appeared at this time amongst the crews, and soon there
were many sailors upon the sick list.
On the 10th of March the expedition cast anchor before the Island of
Mozambique, where, as Gama learnt through his Arab interpreters,
there were several merchants of Mahometan extraction, who carried on
trade with India. Gold and silver, cloth and spices, pearls and
rubies, formed the staple of their commerce. Gama at the same time
was assured that in pursuing the line of the coast, he would find
numerous cities; "Whereat we were so joyful," says Velho in his
naïve and valuable narrative, "that we wept for pleasure, praying
God to grant us health that we might see all that which we had so
much desired."
[Illustration: Mozambique Channel.]
The Viceroy Colyytam, who imagined he was dealing with Mussulmen,
came on board several times and was magnificently entertained; he
returned the civility by sending presents, and even furnished Gama
with two skilful pilots, but when some Moorish merchants who had
traded in Europe told him that these foreigners, far from being
Turks, were in reality the worst enemies of the Mahometans, the
viceroy, disgusted at his mistake, made preparations for seizing the
Portuguese by treachery, and killing them. Gama was obliged to point
his artillery at the town and threaten to reduce it to ashes before
he could obtain the water needed for the prosecution of his voyage.
Blood flowed, and Paul da Gama captured two barques, whose rich
cargo was divided amongst the sailors. The ships quitted this
inhospitable town, on the 29th of March, and the voyage continued, a
close surveillance being kept over the Arab pilots, whom Gama was
obliged to cause to be flogged.
On the 4th of April the coast was seen, and on the 8th Mombasa or
Mombaz was reached, a town, according to the pilots, inhabited by
Christians and Mussulmen. The fleet dropped anchor outside the
harbour, and did not enter it, notwithstanding the enthusiastic
reception given to them. Already the Portuguese were reckoning upon
meeting at mass the next day with the Christians of the Island, when
during the night, the flag-ship was approached by a -zacra-, having
on board a hundred armed men, who endeavoured to enter the ships in
a body, which was refused them. The king of Mombaz was informed of
all that had occurred at Mozambique, but pretending ignorance, he
sent presents to Gama, proposing to him to establish a factory in
his capital, and assuring him that so soon as he should have entered
the port, he might take on board a cargo of spices and aromatics.
The Capitam mõr, suspecting nothing, immediately sent two men to
announce his entry for the morrow; already they were weighing anchor
when the flag-ship refusing to tack, the anchor was let fall again.
In graceful and poetic fiction, Camoens affirms that it was the
Nereids led by Venus, the protectress of the Portuguese, who stayed
their ships when on the point of entering the port. At this moment
all the Moors on board the fleet quitted it simultaneously, whilst
the Mozambique pilots threw themselves into the sea.
Two Moors who were put to the question with a drop of hot oil,
confessed that the intention was to take all the Portuguese
prisoners as soon as they should be inside the harbour. During the
night the Moors endeavoured several times to climb on board and to
cut the cables in order to run the ships aground, but each time they
were discovered. Under these circumstances no prolonged stay was
possible at Mombaz, but it had been long enough for all those ill of
scurvy to recover their health.
At the distance of four-and-twenty miles from land, the fleet
captured a barque richly laden with gold, silver, and provisions.
The next day Gama arrived at Melinda, a rich and flourishing city,
whose gilded minarets, sparkling in the sunshine, and whose mosques
of dazzling whiteness, stood out against a sky of the most intense
blue. The reception of the Portuguese at Melinda was at first very
cold, the capture of the barque the evening before being already
known there, but as soon as explanations had been given, the people
became cordial. The king's son came to visit the admiral,
accompanied by a train of courtiers splendidly dressed, and a choir
of musicians, who played upon various instruments. The greatest
astonishment was shown at the artillery practice, for the invention
of gunpowder was not yet known on the east coast of Africa. A solemn
treaty was made, ratified by oaths upon the Gospel and the Koran,
and cemented by an interchange of presents. From this moment the
ill-will, the treachery, the difficulties of all kinds which had
hitherto beset the expedition, ceased as if by magic: this must be
attributed to the generosity of the King of Melinda, and to the aid
which he furnished to the Portuguese.
Faithful to the promise which he had made to Vasco da Gama, the king
sent him a Gujerat pilot named Malemo Cana, a man well instructed in
navigation, understanding the use of charts, of the compass and the
quadrant, and who rendered the most important service to the
expedition. After a stay of nine days the fleet weighed anchor for
Calicut. The coasting plan hitherto pursued was now to be abandoned,
and the time was come when, in reliance upon the blessing of God,
the Portuguese must venture out upon the wide ocean, without other
guide than an unknown pilot furnished by a king whose kind welcome
had not sufficed to lull to sleep the suspicions of the foreigners.
And yet, thanks to the ability and loyalty of this pilot, thanks
also to the clemency of the sea, and to the wind being constantly in
its favour, the fleet, after a twenty-three days' voyage, reached
the land on the 17th May, and the next day anchored at the distance
of six miles below Calicut. The enthusiasm on board was great. At
last they had arrived in those rich and wonderful countries.
Fatigues, dangers, sickness, all were forgotten. The object of their
long labours was attained! Or rather, it seemed to be so, for there
was still needed the possession of the treasures and rich
productions of India.
Scarcely were the anchors dropped when four boats came off from the
shore, performing evolutions around the fleet, and apparently
inviting the sailors to disembark. But Gama, rendered cautious by
the occurrences at Mozambique and Mombaz, sent on shore one of the
criminals who were on board, to act as a scout; ordering him to walk
through the town and endeavour to ascertain the temper of its
inhabitants. Surrounded by an inquisitive crowd, assailed by
questions to which he could not reply, this man was conducted to the
house of a Moor named Mouçaïda, who spoke Spanish, and to whom he
gave a short account of the voyage of the fleet. Mouçaïda returned
with him on board, and his first words on setting foot on the ship
were "Good luck! good luck! quantities of rubies, quantities of
emeralds!" Whereupon, Mouçaïda was at once engaged as interpreter.
The King of Calicut was at this time at a distance of forty-five
miles from his capital, so the Capitam mõr despatched two men to
announce the arrival of an ambassador from the King of Portugal,
being the bearer of letters to him from his sovereign. The king at
once sent a pilot, with orders to take the Portuguese ships into the
safer roadstead of Pandarany, and promised to return himself on the
morrow to Calicut; this he did, and ordered his Intendant or Catoual
to invite Gama to land and open negotiations. In spite of the
supplications of his brother, Paul da Gama, who represented to him
the dangers which he might incur, and those to which his death would
expose the expedition, the Capitam mõr set out for the shore, upon
which an enormous crowd of people were awaiting him.
The idea that they were in the midst of a Christian population was
so rooted in the minds of all the members of the expedition, that
Gama, on passing by a pagoda on the way, entered it to perform his
devotions. One of his companions, however, Juan de Saa, noticing the
hideous pictures upon the walls, was less credulous, and whilst
throwing himself upon his knees, said aloud, "If that be a devil, I
intend nevertheless to adore only the true God!" A mental
reservation which caused amusement to the admiral.
Near the gates of the town the crowd was even more closely packed.
Gama and his companions, under the guidance of the Catoual, had some
difficulty in reaching the palace, where the king, who in the
narrative is called the "Zamorin," was awaiting them with extreme
impatience. Ushered into halls splendidly decorated with silken
stuffs and carpets, and in which burned the most exquisite perfumes,
the Portuguese found themselves in the presence of the Zamorin. He
was magnificently attired, and loaded with jewels, the pearls and
diamonds which he wore being of extraordinary size. The king ordered
refreshments to be served to the strangers, and permitted them to be
seated, a peculiar mark of favour in a country where the sovereign
is usually only addressed with the most lowly prostrations. The
Zamorin afterwards passed into another apartment, to hear with his
own ears, as was proudly demanded by Gama, the reasons for the
embassy and the desire felt by the King of Portugal to conclude a
treaty of commerce and alliance with the King of Calicut. The
Zamorin listened to Gama's discourse, and replied that he should be
happy to consider himself the friend and brother of King Emmanuel,
and that he would, by the aid of Gama, send ambassadors to Portugal.
[Illustration: Gama's interview with the Zamorin. -From an old
print-.]
There are certain proverbs of which the force is not affected by
change of latitude, and the truth of that one which says, "The days
succeed each other and have no similarity," was proved the next day
at Calicut. The enthusiasm which had been aroused in the mind of the
Zamorin by the ingenious discourse of Gama, and the hope it had
awakened of the establishment of a profitable trade with Portugal,
vanished at the sight of the presents which were to be given him.
"Twelve pieces of striped cloth, twelve cloaks with scarlet hoods,
six hats, and four branches of coral, accompanied by a box
containing six large basons, a chest of sugar, and four kegs, two
filled with oil, and two with honey," certainly did not constitute a
very magnificent offering. At sight of it, the prime minister
laughed, declaring that the poorest merchant from Mecca brought
richer presents, and that the king would never accept of such
ridiculous trifles. After this affront Gama again visited the
Zamorin, but it was only after long waiting in the midst of a
mocking crowd, that he was admitted to the presence of the king. The
latter reproached him in a contemptuous manner for having nothing to
offer him, while pretending to be the subject of a rich and powerful
king. Gama replied with boldness, and produced the letters of
Emmanuel, which were couched in flattering terms, and contained a
formal promise to send merchandise to Calicut. The Zamorin, pleased
at this prospect, then inquired with interest about the productions
and resources of Portugal, and gave permission to Gama to disembark
and sell his goods.
But this abrupt change in the humour of the Zamorin was not at all
agreeable to the Moorish and Arab traders, whose dealings made the
prosperity of Calicut. They could not look on quietly whilst
foreigners were endeavouring for their own advantage to turn aside
the commerce which had been hitherto entirely in their hands; they
resolved, therefore, to leave no stone unturned to drive away once
for all these formidable rivals from the shores of India. Their
first care was to gain the ear of the Catoual; then they painted in
the blackest colours these insatiable adventurers, these bold
robbers, whose only object was to spy out the strength and resources
of the town, that they might return in force to pillage it, and to
massacre those who should venture to oppose their designs.
Upon arriving at the roadstead of Pandarany, Gama found no boat to
take him off to the ships, and was forced to sleep on shore. The
Catoual never left him, continually seeking to prove to him the
necessity of bringing the ships nearer to the land; and when the
admiral positively refused to consent to this, he declared him to be
his prisoner. He had very little idea as yet of the firmness of
Gama's character. Some armed boats were sent to surprise the ships,
but the Portuguese, having received secret intelligence from the
admiral of all that had happened, were on their guard, and their
enemies dared not use open force. Gama, still a prisoner, threatened
the Catoual with the anger of the Zamorin, whom he imagined could
never thus have violated the duties of hospitality, but seeing that
his menaces produced no effect, he tried bribery, presenting the
minister with several pieces of stuff, who, thereupon at once
altered his demeanour. "If the Portuguese," said he, "had but kept
the promise they had made to the king, of disembarking their
merchandise, the admiral would long ago have returned on board his
ships." Gama at once sent an order to bring the goods to land,
opened a shop for their sale, of which the superintendence was given
to Diego Diaz, brother to the discoverer of the Cape of Good Hope,
and was then allowed to go back to his ships.
The Mussulmen placed obstacles in the way of the sale of the
merchandise by depreciating its value; Gama sent his agent Diaz to
the Zamorin to complain of the perfidy of the Moors and of the bad
treatment to which he had been subjected, requesting at the same
time permission to move his place of sale to Calicut, where he hoped
that the goods would be more easily disposed of. This request was
favourably received, and friendly relations were maintained, in
spite of the Moorish intrigues, until the 10th of August, 1498. On
that day Diaz went to announce Gama's impending departure to the
king, reminding him of his promise to send an embassy to Portugal,
and asking him to allow Gama a specimen of each of the productions
of the country. These were to be paid for on the first sale of goods
which should take place after the departure of the fleet, it being
intended that the employés of the factory should remain at Calicut
during Gama's absence. The Zamorin, instigated by the Arab traders,
not only refused to execute his promise, but demanded the payment of
600 -seraphins- as customs' duty, ordering at the same time the
seizure of the merchandise, and making prisoners of the men employed
in the factory.
Such an outrage, such contempt for the rights of nations, called for
prompt vengeance, but Gama understood the art of dissimulation;
however, on receiving a visit on board from some rich merchants, he
detained them, and sent to the Zamorin to demand an exchange of
prisoners. The king's reply not being sent within the time specified
by the admiral, the latter set sail and anchored at the distance of
sixteen miles from Calicut. After another fruitless attack by the
Hindoos, the two agents returned on board, and a portion of the
hostages whom Gama had secured were given up. Diaz brought back with
him a curious letter from the Zamorin to the King of Portugal. It
was written upon a palm leaf, and shall be quoted in all its strange
laconicism, so different from the usual grandiloquence of the
oriental style:--
"Vasco da Gama, a noble of thy palace, is come into my country which
I have permitted. In my kingdom there is much cinnamon, cloves, and
pepper, with many precious stones, and what I desire from thy
country is gold, silver, coral, and scarlet. Adieu."
On the morrow, Mouçaïda the Moor of Tunis who had served as
interpreter to the Portuguese, and had been a great assistance to
them in their negotiations with the Zamorin, came to seek an asylum
on board the ships. The merchandise had not been brought back on the
appointed day, and the Capitam mõr now resolved to carry away with
him the men whom he had kept as hostages, but the fleet was becalmed
at several miles distance from Calicut, and was attacked by twenty
armed boats, which were with difficulty kept at a distance by the
artillery, until they were forced by a violent storm to take shelter
under the coast.
The admiral was sailing along the coast of the Deccan, and had
permitted some of the sailors to go on shore to gather fruit and
collect cinnamon bark, when he perceived eight boats, which appeared
to be coming towards him. Gama recalled the men, and sailed forward
to meet the Hindoos, who made the greatest haste to flee from him,
but not without leaving a boat laden with cocoa, and provisions, in
the hands of the Portuguese. On arriving at the Laccadive
Archipelago, Gama had the -Berrio- recalked, and his own ship drawn
up on shore for repairs. The sailors were busy over this work when
they were again attacked, but without more success than heretofore.
The next day witnessed the arrival of an individual forty years of
age, dressed in Hindoo style, who began to speak to the Portuguese
in excellent Italian, telling them that he was a native of Venice,
and had been torn from his country while still young, that he was a
Christian, but without the possibility of practising his religion.
He was in a high position at the court of the king of the country,
who had sent him to them, to place at their disposal all that the
country contained which could minister to their comfort. These
offers of service, so different from the welcome accorded to them
hitherto, excited the suspicions of the Portuguese, and they were
not long in discovering that this adventurer was in command of the
boats which had attacked them the day before. Upon this they had him
scourged until he confessed that he had come to discover whether it
were possible to attack the fleet with advantage, and he ended by
affirming that all the inhabitants of the sea-shore were in league
to destroy the Portuguese. He was retained on board, the work upon
the ships was hurried forward, and as soon as water and provisions
had been taken in, sail was made for a return to Europe.
In consequence of dead calms and contrary winds, the expedition was
three months, all but three days, in reaching the African coast.
During this long voyage the crews suffered terribly from scurvy, and
thirty sailors perished. In each ship, only seven or eight men were
in a condition to work the vessel, and very often the officers
themselves were forced to lend a hand. "Whence I can affirm," says
Velho, "that if the time in which we sailed across those seas had
been prolonged a fortnight, nobody from hence would have navigated
them after us.... And the captains having held a council upon the
matter, it was resolved that in case of similar winds catching us
again, to return towards India, there to take refuge." On the 2nd of
February, 1499, the Portuguese found themselves at last abreast of a
great town on the coast of Ajan, called Magadoxo, distant 300 miles
from Melinda.
Gama, dreading another reception like the one given to him at
Mozambique, would not stop here, but while passing within sight of
the town, ordered a general discharge of the guns. A few days
afterwards the rich and salubrious plains of Melinda came in sight,
and here they cast anchor. The king hastened to send off fresh
provisions and oranges for the invalids on board. The reception
given by him to the Portuguese was in every particular most
affectionate, and the friendship which had arisen during Gama's
first visit to Melinda was greatly strengthened. The Sheik of
Melinda sent for the King of Portugal a horn made of ivory and a
number of other presents, entreating Gama at the same time to
receive a young Moor on board his ship, that through him the king
might learn how earnestly he desired his friendship.
The five days' rest at Melinda was of the greatest benefit to the
Portuguese, at its expiration they again set sail. Soon after
passing Mombaz they were obliged to burn the -Sam-Raphael-, the
crews being too much reduced to be able to work three ships. They
discovered the Island of Zanzibar, anchored in the Bay of Sam-Braz,
and on the 20th February, a favourable wind enabled them to double
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