356 
THE EASTERN COAST. 
presents, — undertook to report their wishes to his 
sovereign, who was called the Xeque, — and as- 
sured them that there could be no difficulty in 
procuring pilots to convey them to India. At his 
return he shewed equal outward courtsey. The 
Portuguese were much surprised when three of his 
attendants, on seeing the image of the angel Ga- 
briel on the stern of the admiral's ship, fell down 
and worshipped it. On inquiry, they found that 
these were natives of Abyssinia, or of the domi- 
nions of Prester John, who, though now converted 
to the Moorish faith, felt an instinctive reverence 
at the view of the objects of their early adoration. 
The deep veneration which every true Portuguese 
felt for the name of Prester John, made the intel- 
ligence be received with extraordinary emotion, 
and they eagerly sought to converse with these 
persons. This was observed with visible jealousy 
by the Moors, who took immediate care to withdraw 
the Abyssinians, and to prevent their returning. 
Grounds of suspicion continued to increase, till 
at length they broke out into open hostility. 
Some boats, which the Portuguese had sent on 
shore, were attacked by twenty of the enemy's 
vessels, which they beat off, not without con- 
siderable loss. Upon this unequivocal proof of 
the hostile disposition of the natives, De Gama 
judged it most advisable to set sail. The force of 
currents, however, obliged him to anchor at some 
