These Indians warned the captain-major against going on shore, and told him not to trust to their “fanfares”, as they neither came from their hearts nor from their good will.
On the following Sunday, the 22nd of April, the king’s zavra brought on board one of his confidential servants, and as two days had passed without any visitors, the captain-major had this man seized, and sent word to the king that he required the pilots whom he had promised. The king, when he received this message, sent a Christian pilot,[132] and the captain-major allowed the gentleman, whom he had retained in his vessel, to go away.
We were much pleased with the Christian pilot whom the king had sent us. We learnt from him that the island of which we heard at Moçambique as being inhabited by Christians was in reality an island subject to this same King of Moçambique; that half of it belonged to the Moors and the other half to the Christians; that many pearls were to be found there, and that it was called Quyluee.[133] This is the island the Moorish pilots wanted to take us to, and we also wished to go there, for we believed that what they said was true.
The town of Malindi lies in a bay and extends along the shore. It may be likened to Alcouchette.[134] Its houses are lofty and well white-washed, and have many windows; on the landside are palm-groves, and all around it maize and vegetables are being cultivated.
We remained in front of this town during nine days,[135] and all this time we had fêtes, sham-fights, and musical performances (“fanfares”).
[Across the Gulf—the Arabian Sea.]
We left Malindi on Tuesday, the 24th of the month [of April] for a city called Qualecut [Calecut], with the pilot whom the king had given us. The coast there runs north and south, and the land encloses a huge bay with a strait. In this bay,[136] we were told, were to be found many large cities of Christians and Moors, including one called Quambay [Cambay], as also six-hundred known islands, and within it the Red Sea and the “house” [Kaabah] of Mecca.
On the following Sunday [April 29] we once more saw the North Star, which we had not seen for a long time.
On Friday, the 18th of May,[137] after having seen no land for twenty-three days,[138] we sighted lofty mountains, and having all this time sailed before the wind we could not have made less than 600 leagues. The land, when first sighted,[139] was at a distance of eight leagues, and our lead reached bottom at forty-five fathoms. That same night we took a course to the S.S.W., so as to get away from the coast. On the following day [May 19] we again approached the land, but owing to the heavy rain and a thunderstorm,[140] which prevailed whilst we were sailing along the coast, our pilot was unable to identify the exact locality. On Sunday [May 20] we found ourselves close to some mountains,[141] and when we were near enough for the pilot to recognise them he told us that they were above Calecut, and that this was the country we desired to go to.