accompanied by one of his own servants and a priest, saying, that he
would most willingly conclude a treaty of amity with him, and should
supply him with what pilots he needed. These messengers likewise
presented the general from the king, with three sheep, and a great many
oranges, and sugar canes, which he thankfully accepted; desiring the
messengers to acquaint their master, that he gladly agreed to the
profered amity, and was ready to confirm the same between them, and
promised to enter their harbour next day. He farther desired them to
inform the king, that he was the subject of a great and powerful
sovereign in the west, who had sent him to discover the way to Calicut,
with orders to enter into peace and amity with all kings and princes on
whose territories he might happen to touch by the way. That it was now
_two years_[40] since he left his own country, and that the king his
master was a prince of such puissance and worth as he was convinced the
king of Melinda would be glad to have for a friend. He then dismissed the
messengers, sending as a present to their king a hat of the fashion of
the time, two branches of coral, three brass basons, two scarfs, and some
small bells.

On the second day after Easter, the general removed his ships nearer the
city. The king knowing this, and believing that the king of Portugal must
be a high-spirited prince, and the general a worthy subject, who had
hazarded himself in so long and dangerous a voyage, became desirous of
seeing such men; wherefore, he sent a more honourable message to the
general, saying, that he proposed next day to visit him in person,
intending that their meeting should be on the water; and sent him a
present of six sheep, with a considerable quantity of cloves, ginger,
pepper, and nutmegs. Upon this message, the general removed his fleet
still nearer the city, and came to anchor close to the four ships of the
Indies, of which the old Moor had made mention as belonging to Christians.
When the owners of these ships learnt that we were Christians, they came
immediately to visit our general, who happened then to be in the ship of
Paulo de la Gama. These men were of a brown colour, but of good stature
and well proportioned, dressed in long white cotton gowns, having large
beards, and the hair of their heads long like women, and plaited up under
their turbans or head-dresses. The general received them with much
kindness and attention, asking, by means of an interp