Chap Vrr.] VASCO DE GAMA'S FIRST VOYAGE. 1 •'55
promised to be very friendly, but oii its being discovered by the sheikh or chief, ad. w.is. that the Portuguese were not, as he had originally supposed, Turks and Maho- metans, but Christians, his manner suddenly changed, and all his seeming friendship was at an end. Ultimately open hostilities were declared, and the Portuguese avenged themselves by bombarding and destroying the town of Mosambicpie.
The vessels again weighing anchor, continued their course northwards, and rrocoe<iiii(;8 arrived at the island ot Mombas, with a town oi same name. Here the and Me-
liiida
seeming friendship of the Moors proved as false as that of the inhal)itants of Mosambique ; and Vasco de Gama, believing, on the confession of two Moors, wlu^in he barbarously ])ut to the torture by dropping hot bacon upon their flesh, that a plot had been formed for his destructicni, hastened his departure, and did not again halt till he arrived off Melinda, which delighted the Portuguese, as it reminded them more of home than any African city they had yet seen. It was seated on the level part of a rocky shore, amid plantations of palms and orchards of orange and other fruit trees, covered a large space, and consisted of hoases built of stone, three stories high, and with terraced roofs.
At first the inhabitants, who were probably acquainted with the transac- tions at Mosambique and Mombas, kept aloof, but a good understanding wa.s eventually established; and the king, though a Mahometan, so far forgot his ]M-ejudices that he afforded the Portuguese every facility for obtaining pro- visions, and even made a formal visit in his barge.
It was now unnecessary for the Portuguese to continue their course along the African coast. Their object had been to obtain such information as might enable them to proceed with safety across the ocean towards India. Melinda furnislied them with all that they requu-ed. Four ships from India were then lying in its harbour, and little diffijulty was found in obtaining a pilot capable of acting as their guide. This pilot, named Melemo Kana, was a native of Gu- a Gujemt jerat, and had a thorough knowledge of his profe.ssion. The compass, charts, gaged. and quadrants were quite familiar to him ; and an astrolabe shown him seemed so inferior to other instruments which he had seen used for the same purpose, that he scarcely condescended to notice it. Before leaving Melinda, De Gama was visited by persons belonging to the Indian ships. He imagined them to be Christians, because on coming aboard they })rostrated themselves before an image of the Virgin, probably mistaking it for one of their own idols ; but it is ])lain, from the description given of them, that they were Hindoos. They were clothed in long gowns of white calico, wore their hair, which was long like that of women, plaited under their turbans, and ate no beef
The expedition sailed from Melinda on Tuesday, the 22d of April, l-ti)S, and Arrival on after a prosperous voyage of twenty- three day.s, saw India, on Friday, the 17th olst. of May. They were off the Malabar coast, which was at the distance of eight leagues, and rose high and bold from the sea. Their destination was Calicut,
