202 



HISTORY OF THE SEA. 



negroes who seemed to have made greater progress in civiliza- 

 tion than their neighbors. They had barks with sails made of 

 palm-leaves, — the only indication of any knowledge of navi- 

 gation the Portuguese had yet met with upon the African coast. 

 No one — not even Martin Alonzo — understood their language: as 

 far as could be gathered from their pantomime, they had come 

 from a distance where they had seen vessels as large as the San 

 Gabriel, whence da Gama conjectured that the Indies were not 

 far off*. He gave to the river the name of Rio dos bos Sinaes, 

 or River of Good Promise. The crew suffered greatly here 

 from the effects of scurvy, — many of them dying of the disease 

 and others succumbing under the consequences of amputation. 

 The ships were careened and repaired : thirty-two days were 

 spent in this labor. These incidents are thus graphically de- 

 scribed in the Lusiad : 



" Far from the land, wide o'er the ocean driven, 

 Our helms resigning to the care of Heaven, 

 By hope and fear's keen passions toss'd, we roam ; 

 When our glad eyes behold the surges foam 

 Against the beacons of a shelter' d bay, 

 Where sloops and barges cut the watery way. 

 The river's opening breast some upward plied, 

 And some came gliding down the sweepy tide. 

 Quick throbs of transport heaved in every heart, 

 To view this knowledge of the seaman's art ; 

 For here we hoped our ardent wish to gain, 

 To hear of India's strand, — nor hoped in vain: 

 Though Ethiopia's sable hue they bore, 

 No look of wild surprise the natives wore; 

 Wide o'er their heads the cotton turban swell'd, 

 And cloth of blue the decent loins conceal'd. 

 Their speech, though rude and dissonant of souncl, 

 Their speech a mixture of Arabian own'd. 

 Alonzo, skill'd in all the copious store 

 Of fair Arabia's speech and flowery lore, 

 In joyful converse heard the pleasing tale, 

 'That o'er these seas full oft the frequent sail, 

 And lordly vessels, tall as ours, appear'd, 

 Which to the regions of the morning steer'd : 

 Whose cheerful crews, resembling ours, display 

 The kindred Jace and color of the day.' 



