terror of the inhabitants, who were not used to see any Portuguese
ships upon their coasts, and were therefore under a great
consternation at finding them even in their ports. Some ran for
security to the mountains, others took up arms to oppose our
landing, but were soon reconciled to us, and brought us fowls, fish,
and sheep, in exchange for India calicoes, on which they set a great
value. We left this island early the next morning, and soon came in
sight of Cape Gardafui, so celebrated heretofore under the name of
the Cape of Spices, either because great quantities were then found
there, or from its neighbourhood to Arabia the Happy, even at this
day famous for its fragrant products. It is properly at this cape
(the most eastern part of Africa) that the Gulf of Arabia begins,
which at Babelmandel loses its name, and is called the Red Sea.
Here, though the weather was calm, we found the sea so rough, that
we were tossed as in a high wind for two nights; whether this
violent agitation of the water proceeded from the narrowness of the
strait, or from the fury of the late storm, I know not; whatever was
the cause, we suffered all the hardships of a tempest. We continued
our course towards the Red Sea, meeting with nothing in our passage
but a gelve, or kind of boat, made of thin boards, sewed together,
with no other sail than a mat. We gave her chase, in hopes of being
informed by the crew whether there were any Arabian vessels at the
mouth of the strait; but the Moors, who all entertain dismal
apprehensions of the Franks, plied their oars and sail with the
utmost diligence, and as soon as they reached land, quitted their
boat, and scoured to the mountains. We saw them make signals from
thence, and imagining they would come to a parley, sent out our boat
with two sailors and an Abyssin, putting the ships off from the
shore, to set them free from any suspicion of danger in coming down.
All this was to no purpose, they could not be drawn from the