nished with all that it required, we took our way towards the Cape of Good Hope, and passed within the island of islands very near the land, one of which, called Mozambique, is inhabited by Moors. It has a good harbour, frequented by all the Moors who navigate in the direction of Cefala, [Sofala,] Zuama, and Angos, among which Moors is a Serife [Sherif,] who governs them, and administers justice to them; and these use the language and customs of the Moors of Angos. In these islands the king of Portugal has now a fortress, and has these Moors under his sway and government. In this island [Mozambique] the Portuguese ships take in water, wood, fish, and other provisions, and here those vessels that need it are repaired. In like manner, from this island the Portuguese factory at Cefala is provided, both with articles from Portugal and from India, it being situated in the highway. On the mainland opposite to this island there are many very large elephants, and other wild beasts. The country is inhabited by Pagans, who are very ugly men: they go naked, and besmeared with coloured earth, e le lor parti vergognose involte in una braca di drappo di bombagio azurro, without any other covering. Their lips are bored,...each lip with three holes, and in the holes they insert bones, jewels, and other trinkets." (RAMUSIO, vol. i. p. 289.) The oppression of the Portuguese soon converted these comparatively kmless Makuas, as the aborigines are called, into troublesome neighbours; for Purchas records an attack made by them on the colony as early as 1585, (vol. ii. p. 1553.) Their enmity was subsequently embittered by the inhumanity of the slave-dealers, and Salt gives an account of one of their incursions in 1806, when "they destroyed the plantations, burnt the slave-huts, and killed or carried off every person who fell into their hands. They penetrated even into the fort of Messuril, and threw down the image of St. John, which was in the chapel, plundering the one adjoining the Government House, and converted the priest's dress, in which he celebrated mass, into a habit of ceremony for their chief." (Voyage to Abyssinia, etc., p. 38.) The atrocities of the slave traffic were revived a few years ago under the operation of the so-called French Free Labour Emigration Trade, the Governor-General of Mozambique taking an active part in the undertaking by despatching soldiers into the interior to cooperate with the Arabs in their kidnapping expeditions. "At first they were successful; but, at last, the negroes, exasperated by the bloodshed which had again commenced among them, and attributing it to its correct cause, viz., to the presence of the Portuguese soldiers among them, rose and destroyed some of them, and the survivors escaped only with their lives, to bring to the city of Mozambique the intelligence that all the natives had risen with the intention of driving the Portuguese into the sea." (M'LEOD's Travels in Eastern Africa, vol. i. pp. 319-23.)

San Lorenzo,1 which is distant from the mainland eighty leagues; and I think that the king of Portugal will soon be lord of it, because they have already seized two places and put them to fire and flame. From what I have seen of India and Ethiopia, it appears to me that the king of Portugal, if it please God, and he is as victorious as he has been hitherto, I think that he will be the richest king in the world. And truly he deserves every good, for in India, and especially in Cucin, every fête day ten and even twelve Pagans and Moors are baptized in the Christian faith, which is daily extending by means of the said king; and for this reason it may be believed that God has given him victory, and will ever prosper him in future.

THE CHAPTER CONCERNING THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

When we had passed hundred miles distant

Let us now return to our journey. the Cape of Good Hope, about two from the cape, the wind became contrary, and this because on the left hand there is the island of San Lorenzo and

many other islands, amongst which there arose a very great storm of wind, which lasted for six days. However, by the

When we had

grace of God we escaped any accident. passed two hundred leagues we had again a very great storm for six more days, when the whole fleet was dispersed, which went some here and some there. When the storm had ceased, we went on our way, and never saw each other again until we arrived in Portugal. I went in the ship of Bartholomeo Marchioni, of Florence, dwelling in the city of Lisbon,

1 Madagascar, called San Lorenzo by the Portuguese, who are said to have first landed there on the anniversary of that festival. Some authors assert that the island was discovered by Lorenzo de Almeyda in 1506; others, that it was first visited by the fleet under Tristan de Cunna in 1507, on which occasion they had a skirmish with the Moorish inhabitants of one or more towns on the eastern side of the island.

which ship was called Santo Vicentio, and carried seven thousand cantara of spices of all sorts; and we passed near another island called Santa Helena, where we saw two fishes, each of which was as large as a large house, which, every time that they are upon the water, raise a sort of visor, I think three paces (passi) wide, which they let down when they wish to go under water. We e were so alarmed at the force of these fishes in swimming, that we fired off all the artillery. And then we found another island called Lascension,1 on which we found certain birds as large as ducks, which perched upon the ship, and they were so stupid and simple that they allowed themselves to be taken by the hand, and when they were taken they appeared very sharp and fierce. And before they were taken they looked at us like something miraculous. And this arose from their never having before seen Christians; for in this island there is nothing but fishes, and water, and these birds. Having passed this island, when we had sailed for some days we began to see the north star, and yet many say that when the north star is not seen it is not possible to navigate save by the Antarctic Pole. Let me tell you that the Portuguese always sail by the north star, although some days the said star is not seen, nevertheless the magnet performs its office and is adjusted to the Arctic Pole. Some days afterwards, we arrived in a beautiful country, that is, at the islands of the Astori,3 which belong to the king of Portugal. And first we saw the island of Picco, that of Corvo, the island of Flores, that of San Giorgio, La Gratiosa, the island of Faial, and then we arrived at the island of Tertiera, at which we remained two days. These islands are very fruitful. We then departed thence and went towards Portugal, and in seven days arrived at the noble city of Lisbon, which is one of the noble and good cities I have seen. I leave you

I Ascension.

2 The birds vulgarly known as Boobies.

3 The Azores.

to imagine, O my kind reader, the pleasure and joy I felt when I had arrived on terra firma. And as the king was not in Lisbon, I immediately set out and went to find him at a city called Almada,1 which is opposite to Lisbon. When I had arrived, I went to kiss his majesty's hand, who caressed me much, and kept me some days at his court, in order to know about the things of India. After some days, I showed to his majesty the patent of knighthood, which the Viceroy had granted me in India, praying him (if so it pleased him) that he would confirm it, and sign it with his own hand, and affix his seal to it. When he had seen the said patent, he said that it pleased him, and so he had a diploma drawn up for me on parchment, signed with his hand, with his seal, and registered; and so I took my leave of his majesty, and came to the city of Rome.

Printed at Rome by Master Stephano Guillireti de Loreno, and Master Hercule de Nani, of Bologna, at the request of Master Lodovico de Henricis da Corneto, of Vicenza. In the year M.D.X. the vith day of December.

3;⌘

1 In the edition of Ramusio of 1613 it is "Almeirim," where there

was a palace belonging to the kings of Portugal.

INDEX TO THE TRAVELS OF LUDOVICO DI

VARTHEMA, AND TO THE NOTES.

Aghâni, El-, author of, quoted, 22, 23, 'Amîr ibn 'Abd el-Wahhâb, Sultân,