38 
AFRICA AND ITS EXPLORATION. 
a hood of green satin, came to visit the Portuguese, with 
a young man who, “ from what could be understood from 
their signs, belonged to a very distant country, and who 
said he had already seen ships as large as ours.” Vasco 
da Gama took this as a proof that he was now approach¬ 
ing those Indian lands which had been so long and so 
eagerly sought. For this reason he named the river 
which flowed into the sea at this place Rio dos Bonis 
Signaes (River- of Good Tokens). Unhappily the first 
symptoms of scurvy appeared at this time amongst the 
crews, and soon there were many sailors upon the sick 
list. 
On the 10th of March the expedition cast anchor 
before the Island of Mozambique, where, as Gama learnt 
through his Arab interpreters, there were several mer¬ 
chants of Mahometan extraction, who carried on trade 
with India. Gold and silver, cloth and spices, pearls 
and rubies, formed the staple of their commerce. Gama 
at the same time was assured that in pursuing the line 
of the coast, he would find numerous cities ; “ Whereat 
we were so joyful,” says Velho in his naive and valuable 
narrative, “ that we wept for pleasure, praying God to 
grant us health that we might see all that which we 
had so much desired.” 
The Viceroy Colyytam, who imagined he was dealing 
with Mussulmen, came on board several times and was 
magnificently entertained; he returned the civility by 
sending presents, and even furnished Gama with two 
skilful pilots, but when some Moorish merchants who 
had traded in Europe told him that these foreigner's, far 
from being Turks, were in reality the worst enemies of 
the Mahometans, the viceroy, disgusted at his mistake, 
made preparations for seizing the Portuguese by trea¬ 
chery, and killing them. Gama was obliged to point 
his artillery at the town and threaten to reduce it to 
ashes before he could obtain the water needed for the 
prosecution of his voyage. Blood flowed, and Paul da 
Gama captured two barques, whose rich cargo was 
divided amongst the sailors. The ships quitted this in¬ 
hospitable town, on the 29th of March, and the voyage 
