CHAPTER XXX.
How Nuno Tristam went to Tira, and of the Moors that he took captive there.
For a better understanding of the matter that now happened, we will here tell how Nuno Tristam, of whom we have already spoken, first saw the land of the Negroes. And it was so, that being sent in a caravel, by order of the Infant, to those parts, he went straight to those islands where they[[BE]] had been already. Now these were then left desolate, for the inhabitants, perceiving the damage they were receiving, had forsaken their land and betaken themselves for a time to other islands, of which they presumed that their enemies had no knowledge. "Seeing that this is so," said Nuno Tristam, "and that we can find no booty in these islands, my wish is to proceed as far as I can, till I come to the land of the Negroes—for you know well," said he, "the desire which the Infant our Lord hath in this matter, and we cannot employ our time better than in doing what we know will most please him."
All said this was well, and that it should be his business to direct them; for they were ready for any emergency, as men who possessed no other good thing except the favour of that lord who sent them there. And they proceeded so far that they passed that land and saw a country very different from that former one—for that was sandy and untilled, and quite treeless, like a country where there was no water—while this other land they saw to be covered with palms and other green and beautiful trees, and it was even so with all the plains thereof.[[91]] Nuno Tristam here caused his ship's boat to be launched, with the intention of landing where he saw certain men who appeared to be very willing to speak with them.
And with this Nuno Tristam had been very content, if the roughness of the sea had permitted his boat to reach the land; but the waves were huge and perilous withal, so that he was forced to return to his ship and to make sail, to escape the distemperature of the wind, which was very contrary. But Nuno Tristam said, that although he was driven away from the point where stood those who would fain speak with him, he well understood that they were of the company of the Negroes.
And so Nuno Tristam, forced back by contrary weather, arrived with his caravel nigh to those islands where Lançarote in earlier time had made his booty; but he went on to the mainland, where he landed to see if he also could make a capture.
And he went there several nights before he was able to secure anything; till he captured one Moor, already old, who by signs told him of the whereabouts of a settlement, about two leagues from there. But the distance might just as well have been greater, for Nuno Tristam, with the delay he had made before accomplishing any capture, would equally have adventured it. But the Moor was not able to tell him how many were the dwellers in that settlement towards which he was guiding them; or, to speak more accurately, they could neither have asked nor yet have understood him;[[BF]] and this, it appears to me, should have put our men in some fear, because they knew not what the enemy's numbers might be; but, where there is enough of good will, determinations are never closely examined.
And in the night following that in which the Moor was discovered, they attacked the settlement, but they did not capture there more than twenty-one persons; and we do not find any record whether there were any boys or women among these twenty-one, nor how many men Nuno Tristam took with him, nor if he had to do any fighting there before making his capture. Nor could we find out about these matters, because Nuno Tristam was already dead at the time when King Don Affonso commanded this history to be written.[[92]]
And so we leave this matter thus without saying any more.
[BE] His friends.
[BF] His reply.