76 EXRI-V PORTUGUESE DISCOVERIi:S [.\ AFRICA. 



some islets, where they ran into great dangers, but paid dearly 

 for his treason. Da Gama had him flogged so severely that for 

 a long time afterwards the spot was known as "' The Islands of 

 the Flogged." 



The pilot then promised to take the fleet to Kilwa. the 

 capital of the kingdom, a rich and busy city said to be inhabited 

 by some Christians. In doing this he expected to be avenged 

 there, as messengers had been sent with the report of the events 

 at Mozambique, and his hope was that preparations were being 

 made at Kilwa for a hot reception of the Portuguese. Strong 

 currents prevailing, his scheme failed, and the fleet put up at 

 Mombassa, and later at Melinde. A most friendly intercourse 

 was at once established between da Gama and the ruler of the 

 latter place, who felt proud of being visited by the emissary of a 

 mighty monarch of distant lands. A pledge of peace and friend- 

 ship was entered into, which was mutually observed ever after- 

 wards. When da Gama arrived at ^felinde. four Indian vessels 

 were in port, manned partly by Christian Hindoos and partly by 

 Mahommedans. who showed great joy at the sight of the strange 

 navigators. They gave da Gama useful information, and one 

 of their crew, by name Cana, a native of Guzerat, and a skilful 

 pilot, undertook to conduct the fleet to India. 



It is contended by some writers that da Gama learnt from 

 those Hindoos a new manner of taking the altitude of the sun, 

 and how to use the compass. It is said that da Gama's astro- 

 labe, which he showed them, did not astonish those men in any 

 way, and that, on the contrary, thev showed him much more 

 perfect instrum'cnts, which, they asserted, were commonlv used 

 by the 'Arabs in the Red Sea. and by all the other people who 

 visited the Indian Ocean. But although the opinion has been 

 freely expressed that the knowledge of the compass came to 

 Europe from India, it is by no means a certainty that the Portu- 

 guese transmitted that knowledge to the European nations. The 

 real origin of the compa^^s is lost in the obscurity of time, and 

 can onlv be a matter of conjecture. It is interesting to note that 

 some writers give the Xeapolitan -Flavio Melpha the credit for 

 its invention, two hundred years before the first Portuguese 

 expeditions, whereas Guyat de Provins. a French poet of the 

 twelfth century, says that the instrument was known in his time.- 

 and found its birth in France. Others claim it for England, 

 others for China, while many believe that the instrument was 

 first made use of by the \'enetians, who went to India and China 

 through the Red Sea. 



Da Gama left Melinde on the 24th of April, and on the 

 24th of May, 1498, he reached Calicur, in India, having thus 

 accomplished the dream of the Infante Dom Henrique, and 

 attained the object for which Portugal had striven so long, and 

 for which King ]\Ianoel had exacted so many sacrifices from 

 his country. Da Gama returned to Portugal with 55 men out 

 of a crew of 170. 



