THE FRANK. 



27 



ing samples of spiceiy — pepper, ginger, and cloves 

 — apparently all imports, as Calicut Banyans and 

 Christians of St Thomas were upon the spot. But 

 when the great Captain's ship weighed anchor 

 to enter the port, she struck upon a shoal pro- 

 bably at the southern end of the channel formed 

 by ' Leven Beef Head ' and the mainland : the 

 ' Moors ' tumbled into their canoes, the Mozam- 

 bique pilot took a header from the stern, and an 

 ugly plot stood forth in its nakedness. To make 

 certain, Da Gama of the ' awful eyes ' extracted 

 the truth from his Moslem captives by ' heating 

 lard and dropping it upon their flesh : ' unable, 

 however, to revenge himself, he set sail for 

 Melinde. 



And here we may explain how arose the con- 

 tempt and hatred which the coast has attached 

 to the word Paranj, or Eeringhee. The Orient 

 became acquainted with Europe at a time when 

 the Portuguese were slavers and robbers in the 

 Lord's name, when the Dutch were second-rate 

 traders, and when the English were rank ' salt- 

 water thieves.' Vasco da Gama did not hesitate 

 to massacre all his prisoners, or to decorate his 

 yard-arms with wretches suspended like the cap- 

 cured ' (Narrative of a Voyage of Discovery, &c., vol. ii., 

 chap. i.). 



