The History of the Discovery and Conquest of Guinea. Gomes Eannes de Zurara

that Antam Gonçalvez received in that ransom, he got also a little gold dust and a shield of ox-hide, and a number of ostrich eggs, so that one day there were served up at the Infant's table three dishes of the same, as fresh and as good as though they had been the eggs of any other domestic fowls. And we may well presume that there was no other Christian prince in this part of Christendom, who had dishes like these upon his table.

      And according to the account of those Moors there were merchants in that part, who traded in that gold,⁷⁴ which it seemed was found among them; but the Moorish noble never returned to fulfil his promise, neither did he remember the benefits he had received.

      And by thus losing him, Antam Gonçalvez learnt to be cautious where before he was not. And returning to the Infant, his lord, he received his reward, and so did the German knight, who afterwards returned to his own land in great honour, and with no small largess from the Infant.

Y Adahu.

Z Mohammedans proper.

AA Of Portugal.

AB Our captives.

AC Ransomer of captives.

CHAPTER XVII.

       Table of Contents

      How Nuno Tristam went to the island of Gete, and of the Moors that he took.

So these matters went on increasing little by little, and people took courage to follow that route, some to serve, others to gain honour, others with the hope of profit: although each of these two things bringeth the other with it; that is, in serving they profited themselves and increased their honour as well. And in the year of Christ, 1443, the Infant caused another caravel to be armed; and bade embark in it that noble knight, Nuno Tristam, with some other people, and principally those of his own household. And pursuing their voyage, they arrived at Cape Branco. And trying to go further, they passed the said Cape about twenty-five leagues, and saw a little island, the name of which they afterwards found to be⁷⁵ Gete.^AD And from this island they now saw that twenty-five canoes, made of wood, had set out and in them a number of people, but all naked, not so much for the need of swimming in the water, as for their ancient custom.

And they journeyed in such wise that they had their bodies^AE in the canoes and their legs in the water, and used these to help them in their rowing as if they had been oars, and in each boat there were three or four of the natives. And because this was a matter where our men had had so little experience, when they saw them from a distance, they thought they were birds that were moving so; and though they were rather different in size, yet they thought it might well be that they were birds, in a part of the world where other marvels greater than this were said to exist. But as soon as they perceived that they were men, then were their hearts clothed with a new joy; and most of all because they saw them so placed that they were well able to take them. But they were not able to make a large booty because of the smallness of their boat: for when they had hauled fourteen captives into it, with the seven man of the caravel who made up the crew, the boat was so loaded that it could hold no more.

And it booted not to return, for such terror had come upon our adversaries, and they were so quick in taking flight, that before they arrived at the island, some had perished,^AF and the others escaped. But in achieving this capture they experienced two contrary feelings: first of all, the pleasure they had was very great to see themselves thus masters of their booty, of which they could make profit, and with so small a risk; but on the other side they had no little grief, in that their boat was so small that they were not able to take such a cargo as they desired. But yet they arrived at the island and captured fifteen other Moors.

      And very near this island they discovered another, in which there were an infinity of royal herons;^75a which appeared to go there to breed, as in fact they did, and with these our men found great refreshment. And so Nuno Tristam returned with his booty, so much more merrily than at the first, as it had the advantage of being greater than the former, and had been won further off; and also because he had no companion with whom he would have to make an equal division of the same. The reception and reward which the Infant gave him I omit to write down here, for I think it superfluous to repeat it every time.

AD Arguim.

AE Lit., Over.

AF By drowning.

CHAPTER XVIII.

       Table of Contents

      How Lançarote required license from the Infant to go with his ships to Guinea.

      Of a truth the condition of the people, as Livy saith, is such that men are always found to asperse great actions, especially at the beginning; and it appeareth to me that this is through not having knowledge of the results, for the man of faint heart, when he seeth the base and start of great events, always thinketh them more formidable than they really are; and because his spirit is not sufficient for the accomplishment of these deeds, he beareth along with him a very natural doubt whether they are capable of being performed. And this appeareth to be very well proved by the deeds of our prince. For at the beginning of the colonisation of the islands, people murmured as greatly as if he were spending some part of their property on it; and basing their doubts upon this, they gossipped about it until they declared his work was absolutely impossible, and judged that it could never be accomplished at all. But after the Infant began to people those islands, and to shew these persons how they could profit by the new discovered land; and after the fruits of those countries began to appear in Portugal in far greater abundance; then those who had been foremost in complaint grew quiet, and with soft voices praised what they had so loudly and publicly decried.

      And just the same they did in the commencement of this conquest; for in the first years, seeing the great equipment that the Infant made, with such great expense, these busybodies left off attending to their own affairs, and occupied themselves in discussing what they understood very little about; and the more slowly the results came in of the Infant's undertaking, the more loudly did they blame it. And the worst of it was that besides what the vulgar said among themselves, people of more importance talked about it in a mocking manner, declaring that no profit would result from all this toil and expense.

      But when they saw the first Moorish captives brought home, and the second cargo that followed these, they became already somewhat doubtful about the opinion they had at first expressed; and altogether renounced it when they saw the third consignment that Nuno Tristam brought home, captured in so short a time, and with so little trouble; and constrained by necessity, they confessed their mistake, considering themselves foolish for not having known it before. And so they were forced to turn their blame into public praise; for they said it was plain the Infant was another Alexander; and their covetousness now began to wax greater. And, as they saw the houses of others full to overflowing of male and female slaves, and their property increasing, they thought about the whole matter, and began to talk among themselves.

      And because that after coming back from Tangier, the Infant