Chap. VII.] EXPEDITION UNDEIi DE GAMA. 169
This failm-e made such an impression on the zamorin that he proposed terms of a.d 1502, accommodation. Juan de Nueva, probably feeling that his powere were not ~
sufficient for transacting basiness of so much importance, set sail for Europe. His homeward voyage was prosperous, and he arrived safely with all his ships.
The accounts brought home by Cabral satisfied the King of Portugal that Expidition he must either fit out his expeditions on a scale of greater magnitude, or d"'cr!.nr" desist from the attempt to establish a trade in the East. The latter alter- native was not to be thought of; for even under tlie most adverse circum- stances the profit had counterbalanced the loss. It was therefore determined that the next expedition would be more adequate to the objects contemplated. These were not merely to overawe any of the native Indian princes who might be disposed to be hostile, but to chastise the insolence of the Moors by attacking then* trade in its principal seat. Accordingly, the expedition now fitted out consisted in all of twenty- shii)s. The c(jmmand, at first offered to Cabral, was ultimately given to Vasco de Gama, who was to proceed directly to India with ten ships ; while his brother, Stephen de Gama, and Vicente Sodre, were each to have the command of a squadron of five, and clear the sea of Moors, the one by scouring the Malabar coast, and the other by cruizing off" the entrance to the Ked Sea.
Viisco de Gama, honoured with the title of Admiral of the Eastern Seas, set «'» " "'
title
sail with Vicente Sodre on the 3d of March, 1502, before Juan de Nuevas i-etm-n; Stephen de Gama did not leave before the 1st of May. Having doubled the Cajie of Good Hope, and sailed up the east coast of Africa, for the purpose of establishing factories at Sofala and Mosambique, Vasco de Gama, after waiting till he was joined by his brother, continued his course acro.ss the Indian Ocean, and had arrived within sight of Mount Dilly, a little north of Cananore, when lie fell in with a large ship belonging to the Sultan of Egypt. It was richly laden, and had on board many Mahometans of rank and wealth, bound on a jiilgrimage to Mecca. He immediately attacked it, anil ca])tm'ed it after a vigorous resistance. To liis di.sgi-ace he made an atro- "« capt.-.res eious use of his victory Going on board, he called the principal pa.ssengers shiji before him, and onlered tliem to produce whatever property they had in money or in goods. They declared that most of both had been left in Calicut ; but on his throwing one of them bound hantl and foot into the sea, and threat- ening to treat all the others in the same way, they became temfied, and yielded to his demand. He had thus secured a rich prize by questionable means, and ought at all events to have been satisfied with it. In.stead of this he acted as if he had thrown aside every feeling of humanity, and resolved to ])lay the barbarian, not for the jirofit, but merely for the plea-sure it afforded. After dividing tiie plunder among his crews, and removing all the children to his own ship, in order to fulfil a vow which bound him to make monks of all the males he should thus ca])ture, he forced all the jiassengei's and crew of the Vol. I. 22
