THE SOX RAFAEL LOST. 



211 



gold, silver, coral, and scarlet." With this missive da Grama 

 set sail upon his return early in September. The zamorin sent 

 sixty armed barks to attack him, but a broadside or two and a 

 favorable wind enabled him to make good his escape. Upon a 

 neighboring island some of the crew discovered a large forest 

 of wild cinnamon. Not far from here, da Gama discovered the 

 Angedive, or Five Islands, and in the vicinity had a brush with 

 Indian pirates. An elderly person, differing in appearance 

 from the natives, came on board and represented himself as an 

 Italian Christian. He had come from the Indians of the island 

 of Goa, he said, to beg the admiral to go thither and trade. 

 This well-behaved old gentleman proved to be a sort of Moorish 

 buccaneer, and, upon being put to the torture, confessed that 

 he was a spy, and that he had been sent to reconnoitre the fleet 

 and count their numbers. Da Gama retained him as a trophy 

 to present to King Emmanuel. He finally left the Indian coast 

 on the 15th of October. 



When they were fairly out at sea, the pirate-prisoner made 

 a complete confession, and his evident sincerity quite won da 

 Gama's heart. He gave him clothes and a supply of money. 

 The Moor repented of his evil ways and of his pagan faith, and 

 forthwith embraced Christianity. He was baptized by the name 

 of Gaspardo da Gama. 



The voyage back to Melinda, across the gulf, was disastrous 

 in every sense. The weather was tempestuous and hot. The 

 scurvy carried off thirty men in the first week, and consterna- 

 tion seized the officers and crew. After four months' naviga- 

 tion, when hardly sixteen men able to work were left on each 

 vessel, they descried the African coast, thirteen leagues above 

 Melinda. Descending to the latter city, they were received 

 with joy by the king, who was anxiously awaiting their return. 

 They took on board an ambassador sent by him to King Em- 

 manuel. The San Rafael was lost upon this coast, and the 

 fleet thus reduced to two vessels. Da Gama discovered the 



