120 PORTUGUESE HISTORY OF MALACCA. 



We find,, according to this historian, ( 1 ) that it was in 

 July, ( 2 ) 1427, when Vasco ( 3 ) de Gtama started to discover 

 the passage round the Cape. The voyage had been projected 

 eighty-five years before, in 1412, by Prince Henry of Portu- 

 gal. ... 



The first visit paid to Malacca by the then enterprising Por- 

 tuguese appears to have been in 1508, ( 4 ) when Diego Lopez 

 Sequeira, ( 5 ) who had sailed from Lisbon with Lemos, 

 was entrusted with the discovery of Madagascar and Ma- 

 lacca. Arriving at the port of St. Sebastian in the island of 

 Madagascar, he ran along the coast, using a Portuguese as his 

 interpreter, who had been left there and had acquired the 

 language. In the course of this part of his voyage he had 

 some intercourse with a king or prince of the natives named 

 Diaman, by whom he was civilly treated ; but being unable to 

 procure intelligence of any spices or silver, the great object of 

 his voyage, and finding much trouble and no profit, he pro- 

 ceeded to India in the prosecution of the further orders he 

 had received from the king. He was well received by 

 Almeyda, (°) the viceroy, who gave him an additional ship, 

 commanded by Garcia de Souza, to assist in the discovery of 

 Malacca. In the prosecution of his voyage he was well treated 

 by the kings of Pedir and Pacam, ( ? ) who sent him presents, 

 and at both places he erected crosses indicating discovery and 

 possession. He at length cast anchor in the port of Malacca, 

 where he terrified the people by the thunder of his cannon, so 



( x ) Manuel de Faria y .Souza. 



( 2 ) According to Castanheda, on the 8th July ; according to 

 Ant. G-alvano, the 20th June. 



( 3 ) Also Vasques. 



(*) In 1509 Sequeira reached Malacca; the expedition sent by 

 King Emanuel set out in 1508. 



( 5 De Sequeyra. There are still representatives of this name in 

 the Straits. 



( 6 ) Albuquerque's predecessor. 



( 7 ) Pasei, not far from the ancient city of Samaclra, between 

 T' Perlak (Diamond Point) and Tclok Samawei ; usually written 

 " Pacem" by the Portuguese. 



