e Negroes, laden with hens for the general, who
returned thanks for the same by means of Alonzo his interpreter. During
five days that our ships remained off this coast, no kind of harm was
done or offered by the inhabitants, who seemed quiet and gentle, and to
have many _noble men_, for which reason, he called this place _Terra da
boa gente_, or the land of Good People[18]. The town in which Martin
Alonzo was had its houses constructed of straw, yet well furnished within.
The women were more numerous than the men, as in a company of forty women,
there were only twenty men. These people were armed with long bows and
arrows, and had darts headed with iron, having many copper bracelets, on
their arms and legs, with copper ornaments in their hair. They have also
iron daggers, with pewter handles and ivory sheaths; so that it is
manifest they have plenty of copper and tin. They have likewise abundance
of salt, which they make from sea water, which they carry in gourds to
certain caves where the salt is made. They were so fond of linen, that
they gave a great quantity of copper in exchange for an old shirt, and
were so quiet and civil, that they brought water to our boats from a
river about two cross-bow shots from the landing, which our people named
Rio do Cobre, or Copper River.

"Osorius places the arrival of the Portuguese on this part of the coast a
day earlier than Castaneda, and gives the following additional
information. On the 10th January 1498, they discovered some small islands,
about 230 miles from their last watering-place, having a very beautiful
appearance, and consisting of verdant meadows, intermixed with groves of
lofty trees, where they could see the inhabitants walking on the shore in
great numbers. Here De Gama landed, and sent one of his men, who was well
versant in the Negro languages to visit the king, and who was received
with much civility, receiving presents of the produce of the country on
his dismissal. Before leaving Lisbon, De Gama received ten malefactors on
board who had been condemned to die, but were pardoned on condition of
going on this voyage, for the purpose of being left wherever De Gama
pleased, that they might examine the country, and be enabled to give him
an account of the inhabitants on his return. On setting sail from this
place, De Gama left two of these exiles on shore, to inform themselves of
the character and manners of the natives[19].

From this place our fleet departed on