And he, pursuing his voyage, arrived at Cape Branco; and like a man envious of obtaining fame, and desiring to win for himself advantages above the others,[[AY]] he began to talk of going to the isle of Arguim, which was now very near[[84a]] them; where he thought that with little trouble he could make some prisoners. The others began to contradict this; saying, that he ought not to do anything of this sort; for, in meddling with any such matter, he would work two evils: to wit, first in going beyond the command of the Infant; secondly, in tarrying there and wasting the time without any profit—but they should rather (they said) make their way straight to Guinea, the land of the Negroes. But he, like a man whom death invited to make his end there, said that the detention would be only short; and that in these matters the injunctions of lords were not always to be strictly attended to; and so at once he gave command to the mariners that they should make their way to the said isle. And it appeareth that arriving by night, they were perceived; so that when they landed in the morning they only found one girl, whom they took to their ship. And thence they went off to another island, that lieth near there; where they caught one woman, being discovered in just the same way when they arrived there.
Now Gonçallo de Sintra took with him an Azanegue boy as an interpreter, who already knew a great deal of our language, and whom the Infant had given into his charge, commanding him to keep a good watch over him. But it appeareth that there was lack of good advisement among those who had the charge of him; and principally on the part of the captain, whose care should have been all the greater. For the boy, seeking for a suitable time and place, escaped one night from among them; and joined those dwellers on the island, to whom he gave information of all that he knew about their enemies.
And although they knew who he was, yet they were not so ill-advised as to believe all that he said straightway; but to obtain certainty of the truth, one of them undertook to go with false dissimulation to the caravels; calling out from the shore that they should take him on board, for he sought to go with them to Portugal. And afterwards when he was among our men he made his signs to them; to shew that on account of the great longing and regret that he had for his relations and friends, who were now in this realm of Portugal, he did not know how to live except among them; and that by God, let his life be what it might, he would be very content to endure it, if only he could have sight of them and intercourse with them again. And the others, like men very little on their guard against his devices, were exceedingly pleased with him; though some there were who said they were not at all content with his coming on board, for it looked like treachery to them. And because of the speech of these they put some guard over the Moor, though it was but a small one. But on the second night the Moor took greater care to escape than they to guard him; and made his way out of the caravel so softly that he was never perceived by our people; and in truth they had pretty well forgotten all about him. But when his escape was known next day, everyone saw that they had been much deceived; and said at once to the Captain that all these signs were against their making any booty in that land. "For look," said they, "how we have been discovered in both islands whither we have gone; how the youth has escaped from us; how one Moor by himself has come to befool us. Of a surety we are not the men to accomplish any great action."
"Then," said Gonçallo de Sintra, "may I perish in these islands; for I will never depart hence till I have performed some exploit so signal that never shall one like me, nor yet a nobler, come here and accomplish a greater deed or perform it better than I."
The others however contended strongly with him, that he should not make any further delay (since the danger was so well understood), and said that he should pursue his voyage straight away. For in doing what the Infant bade him he would be doing his duty; and in any other way he would fall into error, especially seeing how manifest were the chances of his ruin.
But neither did these reasons prevail, nor many others that were spoken for his advisement; for in spite of them he steered the caravel towards the isle of Naar; and as the islands are all near one to another, and the Moors are able to move quickly about in their canoes, all in that island were at once advised of his approach. Gonçallo de Sintra, in his desire of honour as well as profit, bade them launch his boat, and embarked in it with twelve men, the best of his company; and a little before midnight he left the boat and began to walk along the island; and, as it appeareth, the tide had already passed the ebb, and was now beginning to flow somewhat. And there they came upon a creek, which they passed over easily enough, and likewise another near it. But because Gonçallo de Sintra and the rest of his company did not all know how to swim, they determined to wait a little, and see how far the tide would rise, so that if by chance it rose so much that they would have to return, yet they would be near at hand to cross. And during the stay that they made there, morning came on, and either because they slept or because they did not understand the extent of the water, when dawn came they perceived that they would not be able with such ease to retrace their steps; because the tide was now nearly at the full, and the creek had become large and deep. So it was necessary for them to remain there till the water should fall somewhat, and give them a better chance for their passage; and in this they spent two or three hours of the day without seeking to move from there.
And the Moors (though they saw them as soon as it was dawn), like men who were already prepared for it, did not attempt for a long time to attack them, hoping that they would come up further into the country, so that they might seize them more readily; but after they fully perceived their intention they fell upon them all together, as upon a vanquished party. And as in the fight they were very unequally matched (for the enemy were 200 in number and our men but twelve, without hope of succour), they were very easily overcome.
There was killed Gonçallo de Sintra, not in truth like a man who had forgotten his courage, but inflicting great injury upon his enemies, till his strength could aid him no more and he had to make his end. And of the others there perished seven—to wit, two youths of the Infant's Household, one whom they called Lopo Caldeira and another Lopo d'Alvellos, and an equerry who was named George, and one Alvaro Gonçalvez Pillito and three sailors. And in truth I wish to make no difference between them, for they all died fighting, without one of them turning back a foot; and although the youths of the Household and the equerry knew how to swim and so to escape, yet they would never abandon their captain, but bravely received burial around him. May God receive the soul that He created, and the nature that came forth from Him, for it is His very own!
The five survivors returned to their caravel, and shortly made sail for the Kingdom;[[AZ]] for after such a loss they had no inducement to do anything else, or to push on further,[[BA]] as had been commanded them before.[[84b]]
[AX] If he so act.