Page:Hakluytus Posthumus or Purchas His Pilgrimes Volume 12.djvu/89

     a.d.

FERNAM MENDEZ PINTO

    1537.

Chap. II.

Observations of China, Tartaria, and other Easterne parts of the World, taken out of Fernam Mendez Pinto his Peregrination.

§. I.

Mendez his many miserable adventures, his strange expedition with Antonio De Faria; divers coasts visited, Pirats tamed, miseries suffered, glorie recovered.

FErnam Mendez Pinto, borne at old Montemor in the Kingdome of Portugall, was placed in service at ten or twelve yeeres of age in Lisbon, the thirteenth of December, An. 1521. on the day of breaking the Scutchions, or publike mourning for King Emanuel. A yeere and halfe after he fled upon occasion of a sudden accident, and got aboord a Carvile which was taken by a French Pirat, which would have made sale of them at Larache to the Moores. But a fortnight after taking another Portugall ship comming from Saint Thome worth 40000. Duckets, they returned for France, carrying some with them for Sea service, the rest they set on shoare by night on the shoare of Melides, naked ; which came to Santiago de Cacem, where they were relieved. Thence he went to Setuval, and served Francisco de Faria a Gentleman belonging to the Master of Santiago, and after that was Page to the Master himselfe. But his meanes being short hee left his service.

An. 1537. he went for India in a Fleet of five ships; the Admirall was Don Pedro de Sylva, sonne of Vasco^[1] da Gama (first Discoverer of the Indies, whose bones he carried with him in the ship at his returne, which

1. See of Gama tom. I. pag. 26.

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