58 
MOS AMBIQUE. 
weight ; in spite of which, the natives generally adorn their 
persons with ornaments of brass." 
From this extract, it appears that a direct trade from India to 
this coast was very early established, and that the former country 
was supplied with iron from Sofala, a circumstance somewhat 
strange, but by no means incredible, as plenty of iron is still to 
be met with in the interior ; and several of the northern tribes 
of the KaiFers are at the present day known to have considerable 
skill in working this metal. 
When the Portuguese in the * beginning of the sixteenth 
century examined the coast, they found the whole of it in the 
undisturbed possession of the Arabs ; but the fame of the gold 
mines, and the convenience of the ports, as resting places for the 
Indian trade, shortly induced them to drive out, or reduce to 
subjection, these original settlers. Their superiority in arms ena- 
bled them speedily to accomplish this object. In 1505-6, 
they gained by treachery, permission to establish the Fort of 
Sofala ; about the same time they conquered Quiloa, and there 
erected a fort ; and in 1508 (Vide Marmol, p. 129, ch. xxxvi.)t 
established the one I have described on the Island of Mosam- 
bique. They also proceeded to encroach gradually on the 
Mahomedan possessions in the river Zambezi, which led to the 
gold marts in the interior ; and in 1569 or thereabouts, they 
completely cleared that river of the Arabs, by putting to death, 
* The discovery was in 1497-8 ; but they did not attempt an establishment till several 
years afterwards. 
t It is by mistake in Purchas (vol. ii, page 1534.) stated to have been erected in 1558; 
but this cannot be correct, for L. Barthema (vide his journal) saw it building in 1507. 
