essed. If the
king makes any doubt of what he says, he continues to roar still louder
and to slash himself more severely, till the king gives credit to his
assertions. There are other tribes or lineages of people among the
Malabars, of various sects and divers customs, of whom it were too
tedious to speak in this place, who are all under obedience to the
several kings and nobles. The Moors alone are exempted from this
obedience, on account of the large customs they pay for their merchandize,
owing to which they are held in high estimation at Calicut.

Having come to anchor on the outside of the bar or reef of Calicut, the
general sent one of the Portuguese convicts on shore, in one of the
almadias which had conducted the ships to this port; instructing him to
see what kind of a place it was, and to make trial of what kind of a
reception might be looked for, seeing we were Christians, and as the
general believed that the people were likewise Christians. When this man
landed, he was immediately surrounded by great numbers of the natives,
staring at him as a stranger. These people asked of the fishermen what
man this was whom they had brought on shore? to which they answered, that
they supposed him to be a Moor, and that he belonged to the three ships
which were riding without the bar. But the people of Calicut wondered
much to see a person who was clothed so very differently from the Moors
who came from the Red Sea. Some of these people who had knowledge of
Arabic spoke to this man, but he could not understand or answer them, at
which they were much astonished. Yet, believing him to be a Moor, they
conducted him to a house where two Moors dwelt who came originally from
Tunis and had established themselves in Calicut. On his appearance, one
of these Moors whose name was Bontaybo[56], who could speak Spanish,
immediately recognized him for a Portuguese, having often seen people of
our nation at Tunis in the reign of King John, in a ship named La Reyna
which often traded to that port. As soon as Bontaybo saw the Portuguese,
he exclaimed in Spanish, _Devil take you, what brought you here_? He
farther inquired which way he had travelled so as to arrive at Calicut?
To this the banished man answered, telling how many ships our general had
brought with him; at which Bontaybo was much amazed, wondering how they
could possibly come by sea from Portugal to India. He then asked what
they sought at so great a distance from home? And wa