The Sinking of the Sao Joao.

 

This version of the story was found on the Portuguese Maritime Monument at Port Edward. It is full of grammatical errors. A less detailed but easier to read version was found in the book Survivors of Africa’s Oceans by Ian Uys.

 

Manuel de Sousa (whom may God forgive) set out on this unfortunate voyage from Cochin on 3rd February 1552. He started so late through going to load at Colao, where there was but little pepper. He took in about four thousand five hundred there, and went to Cochin to finish loading with the quantity of seven thousand five hundred pounds, which was very difficult because of the war in Malabar, so that with this cargo he set out for Portugal, though he was able to carry twelve thousand. But though the ship carried little pepper, it was nevertheless well laden with other merchandise, which obliged them to use much caution, on account of the great risks to which heavily laden ships are exposed.

 

On the 13th of April Manuel de Sousa caught sight of the coast of the Cape in 32 degrees, and they came in so far because they had left India so many days before, and they were long in reaching the Cape because of the bad sails which they had, which was one, and indeed the principle cause of their loss. The pilot, Andre Vas, was steering his course for Cape Agulhas, but the Captain, Manuel de Sousa, asked him to make for the nearest land. The pilot, in accordance with his wish, did so, fpr which reason they saw the Land of Natal. Being in sight of it, and the wind being favourable, they ran along the coast, taking constant soundings, until they sighted Cape Agulhas. The winds were such, that if it blew from the east one day, the next it came from the west, and it being now the 12th of May, they were south-west of the Cape of Good Hope, at a distance of twenty-five leagues, * there the wind blew west and west-north-west with great fury. And it being almost night the captain called the master and the pilot, and asked them what was best to be done in such weather, the wind being dead ahead, and all were of the opinion that it would be well to run before it.

 

Their reasons for this were that the ship was very large and long, and was heavily laden with boxes and other merchandise, and they had no other sails than those on the yards, the others having been carried away by a storm on the equator, and those in use were torn and untrustworthy and so that if they hove to and the gale increased, and it became necessary to run before it, the wind might carry away their only remaining sails, which would be prejudicial to their voyage and safety, as there were no others in the ship, and those they carried were in such a state that they spent as much time in mending them as in navigating. And one of the reasons that they had not yet doubled the Cape was the time they took in unbending the sails to sew them, therefore it would be a good plan to run before the wind with the mainsail and with the wind in the foresail only it would be certain to have been blown from the yard, being so old and the weight of the ship so great, but both being set, one might support the other. And thus sailing before the wind until the Cape was a hundred and thirty leagues distant, the wind shifted to the north-east and east-north-east, and blew so furiously that they were obliged again to sail to the south and the south-west, and the swell from the east and the west made such a heavy sea that at each pitch of the galleon it seemed as if she would go to the bottom. Thus they proceeded for three days, at the end of which the wind fell, but the sea was still so heavy and the vessel laboured so much that they lost three pintles from the rudder, the chief part on which the safety or the loss of a ship depends. This was not known to anyone but the ship’s carpenter, who examined the rudder and found pintles wanting, and told the master of it in secret, who was Cristovao Fernandes da Cunha o Curto. He like a good man and a good officer told the carpenter to keep this to himself, and to tell even the captain, for fear of terrifying those on board, and he did as directed.

 

In these straits, the wind from the west-south-west sprang up again, and there was a violent storm, and it seemed that God would be pleased that they should then be lost, as afterwards befell them. And wearing round again. With the same sail as before, the rudder became loose and the ship refused to obey it, and luffing, the wind carried away the mainsail from the yard. Seeing themselves without this sail, and having none to replace it, they began to take in the foresail with all diligence, preferring the sea to strike the ship abeam rather than be left with no sail at all. Before they had finished taking in the foresail, the ship veered around and three heavy seas struck her abeam, and the rolling of the vessel broke the shrouds and backstays on the larboard side, and nothing was left but the three forestays.

 

Seeing their rigging broken and no shrouds left on that side, they seized hawsers to replace the backstays, but while they were occupied with this the sea was so rough that they thought it useless, and that it would be better to cut away the mast and ease the labouring of the vessel. The wind and sea were so violent that it was impossible to do anything, no man being able to keep his feet.

 

They had begun to cut away the mast with axes, when it snapped above the upper pulleys as if it had been cut off with one stroke, and was blown overboard on the starboard side with the topsail and shrouds, as if it had been a feather. Then they cut away the shrouds and rigging on the other side, and everything went overboard together. Finding themselves without mast or yard they made themselves a jury mast of a piece of timber and secured it to the stem of the lower mast, which remained, fitting to it a yard for a mainsail, fastening to this mainyard some pieces of old sail. They did the same to a foremast, and these sails were so worn and mended that the least wind would carry them off again.

 

This being done, they set sail with the wind south-south-east. And as the rudder had lost the three principle pintles, it could not govern the ship without great difficulty, and the tacks had to serve then as a rudder. As they were proceeding thus, the wind increased and the vessel luffed, and in spite of their endeavours refused to obey the rudder or tacks. Then the wind again carried away their mainsail and that which served them as a guide, and seeing themselves again without these sails, they took in the foresail, so that the vessel veered and began to labour, and the rudder being rotten a sea broke it in the middle and carried it away, leaving the pintles in the gudgeons. By this it is seen what care should be taken of the rudders and sails of ships, which were the cause of hardships in this voyage.

 

Whoever understands the sea, or will consider the matter, will see the state to which Manuel de Sousa with his wife and people were now reduced, being in a ship near the Cape of Good Hope, without rudder, mast, or sails, or anything with which to make them. By this time the ship was making so much water and laboured so much that they thought it prudent to cut away a foremast which was causing her to leak, rather than risk foundering; and while they were about it a heavy sea struck the ship and snapped the mast above the cap, carrying it overboard and leaving them nothing else to do but to cut the shrouds. And the fall of the mast drew the bowsprit out of it’s fastenings and threw it almost entirely onto the ship; but they still had some resource, because some timber still remained, but everything foretold further hardship, and for their sins, no diligence could help them. At this time they had no sight of land since they put away from the Cape, from which they would then be fifteen or twenty leagues distant.

 

When they found themselves without mast, rudder, or sails, and the ship being driven towards the land, Manuel de Sousa and his officers, seeing no other remedy, determined to make a rudder as best they could, and with some cloth which was among their merchandise to make a substitute for sails, with which they might reach Mozambique. The crew were now divided and set to work with great diligence, some to make a rudder, some to prepare masts, and some to make substitutes for sails, and in this way they spent ten days. When the rudder was finished and they were about to fix it, it was found to be too short and narrow to serve it’s purpose, nevertheless they set what sail they had to see if there was any chance of salvation, and fixed the rudder, but the ship could in no way be governed by it, as they had not the measurements of that which the sea had carried away They were now in sight of land, it being the 8th of June, and finding them so near the coast towards which the wind and the waves were driving them, and that they had no help but to run aground, they prayed to God that they might not sink, the ship being so leaky that it only kept above the water by a miracle.

 

Manuel de Sousa, finding himself helpless, and so near to land, called a council of his officers, who were all of the opinion that their only chance of saving their lives was to drift on until they found themselves in ten fathoms of water, and then to anchor and to get out a boat in which they might disembark. A boat was immediately got out with some men to search the shore for the best spot to disembark, with the understanding that when the ship was anchored, after those on board had disembarked, as much provisions and arms as could be taken from the galleon were to be got on shore in the two boats, but to save any further merchandise from the ship would only be to their greater loss because the Bantu were sure to rob them. With this decision they drifted out with the wind and sea, now to one side and then to the other with a useless rudder and more than fifteen spans of water below deck. The ship now being near land, they dropped the lead, but found the water very deep, and let her drift on. A long time afterwards the boat returned with intelligence that there was a part of the shore close by where they might disembark, if they could reach it, but all the rest was sharp rock and great boulders which offered no hope of safety.

 

It would truly inspire men with horror to think on their case. They were running aground with the galleon in the land of the Bantu, judging it, however perilous, to be their only hope of saving their lives, by which it may be seen what hardships Manuel de Sousa and his wife and children were encompassed. On the return of the boat they endeavoured to make for that part of the shore which offered them a chance of landing and on reaching it found seven fathoms of water and cast an anchor, and then arranged the ropes to get out the smaller boat with all diligence.

 

The first thing they did when the boat was launched was to run out another anchor towards the land and the wind was now more favourable and the galleon lay at two cross-bow shots from the shore. Manuel de Sousa, seeing that the boat must inevitably go down, called the pilot and master and said to them that the first thing to be done was to put him ashore with his wife and children and twenty men, who were to be his guard, and then to remove the provisions, arms and powder from the ship, as well as some cambric, in case there might be means of bartering it for provisions. This he designed with the intention of making a kind of fort there, with a barricade of barrels, and building a caravel with the ship’s timbers, by which to send a message to Sofala. But it had been decreed above that this captain with his wife and children and all his company were to perish, and thus all their plans were frustrated by circumstances; for they had no sooner thought out this plan than the wind rose with great fury, , and the waves increased so that the galleon was driven onto the coast, so that it was impossible to be put into execution. By this time Manuel de Sousa with his wife and children and about thirty people had landed, the rest remained in the galleon. It is not necessary to dwell upon the dangers which attended the landing of the captain and his wife with the aforesaid thirty persons; but to tell the true and mournful story I will say that the third time the large boat went to shore it was lost, and several men drowned, one of whom was the son of Bento Rodrigues, and before that they had not dared to venture to the shore in the small boat, as the sea was very rough, and the large boat being lighter escaped the first two trips.

 

The master and the pilot, with those who remained on the ship, seeing that she was riding on the land cable, and guessing that the sea cable was cut, for they had been two days anchored to a foul bottom, and on the morning of the third day this had been found to be the case, and only the land cable remained, while the wind was rising, the pilot said to the other people that the vessel was already grounding: ”Comrades let those who like to come with me in the boat before the ship goes to pieces and sinks”. Then he embarked, helping the master to do the same, he being an old man whose spirit was failing with age. About forty persons got into the boat with great difficulty, the wind being high, and the surf was so great that the boat was dashed to pieces on the shore.

 

But our Lord was pleased that not a soul in it should perish, which was a miracle, for it was swamped before it was thrown on shore.The captain, who had disembarked the day before, went to and fro on the beach, encouraging his men and helping all that he could to get to the fire he had made, for the cold was intense. There still remained in the ship nearly five hundred persons, namely two hundred Portuguese, and the rest were slaves, among the former were Duarte Fernandes, the quartermaster and the boatswain. As the ship was already bumping on the rocks, they thought it advisable to veer away the cable, that she might get well on shore, but they would not cut it, in case the ebb should carry them back to sea. As the ship settled, in a little while she parted amidships, that is one piece before and the other abaft the mainmast, and in about an hour the two pieces split in four. Her breaking up caused the merchandise and boxes to come to the surface, and those in the ship tried to get ashore upon the cases and woodwork. More than forty Portuguese and 70 slaves were killed in this endeavour, but the rest got to land, some above the waves and some under, as it pleased God, many of them wounded by the nails and woodwork. In four hours there was not a piece of the galleon as large as a man’s arm remaining, and the sea cast all the debris ashore in a great tempest.

 

It was said that the merchandise in the ship, belonging to the king and others, was worth a million in gold, for a vessel so richly laden had not left India since it was discovered. The galleon having been dashed into such splinters, the captain Manuel de Sousa could not carry out his former plan, for no boat remained, not anything with which to equip or make a caravel, and thus he was forced to come to some other decision.

 

The captain and his company ,seeing that they had no means of procuring a craft, with the counsel of his officers and those of high rank among them, who were Pantaleao de Sa, Tristao de Sousa, Amador de Sousa, and Diogo Mendes Dourado de Setuval, decided that they should remain on shore where the galleon was lost, for a few days, until the sick were convalescent, for here was water to be had. Then they made a sort of fortification with chests and barrels, and remained there for twelve days, during which time they saw no negro of the country to speak to; only on the third day nine Bantu appeared on a hill and remained there two hours without speaking to any of our people , and then withdrew as if afraid. And two days afterward they thought it well to send a man and one of the Bantu to the galleon to see if they could find any negroes to speak and barter any provisions with them. They walked for two days, finding no living being, and only a few deserted straw huts, by which they understood that the negroes had fled in fear, and then returned to the camp. In several of the huts they found arrows (or assegais) which is said to be the savages’ war signal.

 

Three days later, while they were still in the same place, seven or eight Bantu appeared upon a hill, leading a cow. By signs the Christians induced them to come down, and the captain and four men went to speak with them, and after they had reassured them, the negroes declared by signs they wanted iron. Then the captain sent for half a dozen nails, which he showed to them, to their great delight, and then they drew nearer to our people and began to treat of the price of a cow, which was just settled when five Bantu appeared on another hill and shouted to them in their own language not to exchange the cow for nails. So the Bantu withdrew, taking the cow with them, without speaking a word, and the captain would not take it from them, though he was in great need of it for his wife and children.

 

Thus he remained in great anxiety and vigilance, rising three or four times every night to make his rounds, which was a great labour for him; and this went on for twelve days, until the sick were convalescent. Finding that they were now in a fit state to travel, he summoned all his people to council, to consider what was to be done, but before discussing the matter he addressed them as follows: “Friends and gentlemen, you see the state we are reduced to for our sins, and I truly consider my own as sufficient to have brought us all to these straits, but our Lord is merciful and has shown us so much favour as to save us from going down in the ship, which had so much water under the decks, and he may be pleased to bring us into a Christian land, and for those who have perished to count the hardships they have suffered to the salvation of their soul. Gentlemen, you are well aware that the twelve days we have spent in this place were necessary for the recovery of our sick, now, thank God, in a fit state to travel, and therefore I have called you together that we may decide what road we may take to save ourselves, for the intention we had of building some kind of craft is frustrated, as you have seen, by our being unable to save anything from the wreck with which to build it. And thus, gentlemen and comrades, as your lives are concerned as well as mine, it is not right to come to any decision without the advice of all. I have one favour to ask of you, and that is that you will not abandon or desert me, in case I cannot keep up with the rest, on account of my wife and children. And thus all united may the Lord in His mercy be pleased to help us”.

 

After this speech, all discussed what path should be taken, and finding there was no help for it, they decided to travel along the shore, in the best order possible, to the river discovered by Lourenco Marques, and they promised the captain never to desert him, and then proceeded to carry out their decision. There were one hundred and eighty leagues of coast between them and the said river, but they travelled more than three hundred, because of the many windings they were obliged to make to get over the rivers and marshes they found on their way, and then returning to the sea. In this journey they spent five months and a half.

 

From the shore where they were wrecked in 31 degrees they set out on the 7th July 1552 in the following order: Manuel de Sousa with his wife and children and eighty Portuguese, with slaves, and Andre Vas the pilot, in his company of a banner of the crucifix uplifted, and his wife D. Leonor carried by slaves in a litter. These went first. Then the master of the galleon with the seamen and female slaves, and lastly Pantaleao da Sa with the rest of the Portuguese and slaves, about two hundred in all. All the company together numbered five hundred, of who, one hundred and eighty were Portuguese. In this manner they journeyed for a month, enduring hardships, hunger and thirst, for during all that time they had nothing to eat but the rice which they had saved from the galleon and some fruit which was found in the thickets, the land yielding nothing else, nor did they meet anyone from whom they could buy provisions, for the sterility of the country they passed through was beyond description or belief.

 

During this month they journeyed about one hundred leagues, and because of the deviations they made to pass over the rivers the distance they made was not thirty leagues along the coast. They had already lost ten or twelve of their number, and an illegitimate son of Manuel de Sousa about ten or eleven years of age, who was much weakened by hunger, and a slave who bore him on his shoulders were left behind. When Manuel de Sousa enquired for hi, and was told he had been left about half a league behind, he was almost beside himself, because he had supposed him to be in the rear with his uncle Pantaleao de Sa, as had sometimes happened before, and thus he came to be lost. His father offered two men five hundred cruzados, to return in search of him, but no one would accept the offer, for now it was near night, and anyone lingering behind was devoured by lions and tigers. So he was obliged to proceed on his way, and abandon the son who was the desire of his eyes. By this we may see the sufferings endured by that gentleman before his death. Antonio de Sampayo, nephew of Lopo Vas de Sampayo, who had been governor of India, and five or six Portuguese and several slaves gad also perished of sheer hunger and the hardships of the journey.

 

Meanwhile they had fought several times, but the Bantu wre always worsted, though in one skirmish they killed Diogo Mendes Dourado, who until his death fought like a gallant gentleman. The mingled hardships of vigilance hunger and travel were so great that more of the company failed every day, and not a day passed but one or two were left on the shore or in the thickets, unable to go a step farther, and were afterwards devoured by tigers and serpents, which are numerous in those parts. Truly to see these men left daily in the desert while still alive was a source of great sorrow and pain at all, for he who was left bade the rest of the company, perhaps his father, brothers, and friends, go on their way, commending them to the Lord God, and bitter was the grief caused by thus abandoning relatives and friends without the power to succour them, knowing that they must shortly be devoured by wild beasts. If this is heartrending to those who hear it, how much more so to those who had to see and endure it.

 

Thus with great misfortunes they proceeded on their way, now penetrating the interior to pass rivers, or in search of food, then returning to the sea, climbing high mountains, and now descending others to their great peril, and as if these hardships were not sufficient, they had to endure others from the Bantu. In this way they travelled for about two months and a half, and such were their sufferings from hunger and thirst that extraordinary things occurred nearly every day, of which I shall relate the most notable.

 

It often happened among them that a cup of water containing three-quarters of a pint was sold for ten cruzados, and a hundred cruzados were made of a kettle holding six quarts, and as this sometimes led to disorder the captain used to send for a kettle full of water, there being no larger vessel in the company, this giving one hundred cruzados to him who brought it, and then he divided it with his own hands, paying eight or ten cruzados a measure of three quarters of a pint for what he required for his wife and children, distributing the rest at the same price. For the money thus paid one day someone was found on the next willing to risk fetching the water for gain. Besides this they suffered great hunger, and paid heavily for any fish caught on the shore, or for any wild animal whatever.

 

Three months had now elapsed since they set out with the intention of reaching the river of Lourenco Marques, which is the watering place of Boa Paz, travelling every day according to the nature of the ground, and always enduring the hardships aforesaid. For many days they had sustained themselves with such fruit as they could find and roasted bones, and it often happened in the camp that the skin of a goat was sold for fifteen cruzados, and though dry, they soaked it in water and ate it. When they journeyed along the shore they lived of the shellfish and fish which the sea cast up. At the end of three months they met with a Kaffir, the head of two kraals, an old man who seemed of good condition, and so he proved by the succour he afforded them. He told them they would do well to go no further, but to remain in his company and he would maintain them as well as he could, for the want of provisions in the land was not due to the barrenness of the earth but to the fact that the bantu sowed but little, and lived on the wild cattle which they killed.

 

 This Kaffir king strongly urged Manuel de Sousa and his company to remain with him, saying that he was at war with another King in the country through which they must pass, and wanted their help and if they went forward they would certainly be robbed by that king who was more powerful than himself. Thus on account of the benefit and assistance he hoped for from their company, and because of his previous acquaintance with the Portuguese, through Lourenco Marques and Antonio Caldeira, who had been there, he did all he could be prevent their proceeding. These two men had given him the name of Garcia de Sa, Because he was old and resembled him greatly, and was a good man ( for there is no doubt there are good and bad in all nations). Therefore he sheltered and respected the Portuguese, and did his utmost to detain them, assuring them that they would be robbed by that king with whom he was at war. And while making up their minds they remained there for six days, but as it seems to have been decreed that Manuel de Sousa and all his company should perish on that journey, they would not follow the advice of that petty king that pointed out their mistake.

 

The king, seeing that the captain was determined to leave that place, asked him if before he went he would help him with some men of his company against a king whom they had left in their rear, and it seemed to Manuel de Sousa and the Portuguese that they could hardly refuse to do what he asked, on account of the good offices and shelter which they owed him, and for fear of offending him, as they were in his power and among his people. Pantaleao de Sa with the twenty men and five hundred Bantu and their chiefs went back six leagues on the road which they had come, and fought with the rebellious Kaffir and took away all his cattle, which are their spoils, and brought them to the camp where Manuel de Sousa was with the king, which expedition took them five or six days.

 

After Pantaleao de Sa returned from the war, in which he went to help the king, and he and those who went with him had rested from the labour of their expedition, the captain called a council to decide whether they should set out again, and they were so weak that they agreed to proceed in the search of the river of Lourenco Marques, not knowing that they had reached it, for this river is that of the water of Boa Paz with three arms, all of which enter the sea by the same mouth, as they were on the first arm. And though they saw a red ornament which was a sign that Portuguese had been there before, their fortune blinded them, and they insisted on pushing forward. And as the river was large and could not be crossed except in canoes, the captain wished to see if it were possible to get possession of seven or eight which were secured by chains, in order to pass it, as the king refused to give them, because he tried in every way to prevent their crossing, from his desire to keep them with him.

 

To this end he sent certain men to see if it were possible to take the canoes, two of whom returned and said that it would be a very difficult matter, and those that maliciously remained behind laid hands on one of the canoes, embarking on it, and made off down the river, deserting their captain. Finding that it was impossible to cross the river except at the will of the king, the captain asked him to allow all of them to cross in his canoes, and he would pay his people well to take them over, and to satisfy him he gave him some of his arms to allow him to go free and to command them to be taken across the river.

 

Then the king went with them in person, and the Portuguese fearing some treason while they were crossing the river, Manuel de Sousa begged him to return to his kraal with his people and leave them to cross at their will with only the negroes of the canoes. As the negro king was free from malice, and willing to help them as much as he could, it was an easy matter to persuade him to return to his kraal, and he left them to cross the river at their will. Then Manuel de Sousa ordered thirty men to cross to the other bank in the canoes, with three muskets, and when they had landed, the captain and his wife and children cross over, and the rest of the company after them, and until that time they had not been robbed, and they put themselves in marching order again.

 

They travelled five days towards the second river and had crossed about twenty leagues when they came to the central river, and found some negroes who directed them to the sea. This was after sunset, and being on the bank of the river they saw two large canoes, and they pitched their camp in a sandy place, where they slept the night. This river was brackish, and there was no fresh water in the neighbourhood except in one place which they had left behind. In the night the thirst of the camp was so great that they were almost dead. Manuel de Sousa wished to send for water, but no one would fetch it for under one hundred cruzados for each kettleful, and he sent them for it; and every day it cost two hundred, but if they did not do this there was no help for them.

 

And the food being so scanty, as I have said before, the thirst was as described above, because our Lord wished that water should serve them as provisions. Being in the same camp, the next day towards night they saw three canoes with negroes coming to them, who told them through a negress of the camp who began to understand something of their language, that a ship had come there with men like themselves, but had now gone away. Then Manuel de Sousa ordered that they should be asked if they would convey them across the river: the negroes replied that it was already night ( for Bantu will do nothing at night) , but that they would carry them over the next day if they were paid. At daybreak the negroes came with four canoes, and at the price of a few nails began to carry people across. The captain first sent some men to guard the passage, and then embarked with his wife and children to await the rest of the company on the other bank, and with him went the three canoes loaded with people.

 

They say that at that time the captain in his brain was suffering from constant watching and the many hardships which fell more heavily on him than on the others. And being in this state, and thinking that the negroes intended some treason towards him, he placed his hand on his sword and drew it on the negroes who were rowing, crying, “Dogs ! Where are you taking me ?”

 

The negroes, seeing the naked sword, jumped in the water and were in danger of being lost. Then his wife and some of those who were with him told him not to hurt the negroes, or they would be lost. In truth, anyone who knew Manuel de Sousa, his discretion, and gentleness, and had seen him act thus, might well have said that he was not in his right mind, for he was both discreet and prudent; and thenceforth he was never able to govern his people as before. And when he landed on the other bank he complained greatly of his head, and they tied bandages around it. And there they all assembled once more.

 

Being on that bank and about to set out again, they saw a band of Bantu, and prepared for fight, thinking that they came to rob them. When they came close to our people they spoke to them, the Bantu asking who they were and what they came to seek. They answered that they were Christians and had been wrecked in a ship, and begged that they would guide them to a large river which was further on, and if they had any provisions they would bring them and they would buy them. And the negroes said, through a Kaffir woman from Sofala, that if they wanted provisions they should go with them to a kraal where their King was, and he would give them good entertainment.

 

At this time they were about one hundred and twenty persons, and Dona Leonor was now one of those who travelled a foot, and being a woman of noble rank, delicate and young, she traversed the rough and painful roads as if she were a man accustomed to labouring in the fields, after consoling those of her company, and helping to carry her children. This was after there were no more slaves to carry the litter in which she travelled before. It would truly seem that the grace of our Lord supported her, for without that, it would that, it would have been impossible for a weak woman, so little accustomed to hardships, to travel by such long and painful roads, suffering constant hunger and thirst, for they now had travelled more than three hundred leagues, owing to the long rounds they took.

 

To return to the narrative, when the captain and his company heard that the king was close by, they took the Bantu for their guide, and with great caution went with them towards the place they told them of, suffering God knows what hunger and thirst. It was a league to the kraal where the king was, and as they drew near to it, he sent a Kaffir to say they should not enter it, because they always conceal it (ie the chief’s residence) but that they should encamp under some trees which were pointed out to them, and he would there send them provisions. Manuel de Sousa did so, as a man in a strange land, not knowing as much about the Bantu as we do as present through this wreck and that of the ship S.Bento, or that a hundred men with muskets might traverse the whole of Kaffraria, for they fear them more than the devil himself.

 

Being encamped under the trees, he sent them provisions in exchange for nails. Here they remained five days, and it seemed to them that they might remain there until some vessel came from India, and so said the negroes. Then Manuel de Sousa asked the Kaffir king for a house in which he may take shelter with his wife and children. The Kaffir replied that he would give him one, but that all his people could not remain there together, for there was a want of provisions in the country; but that he could remain with his wife and children, with such of his people as he chose, and the rest should divide themselves among the kraals, and he would command him to be supplied with provisions and house until the arrival of some ship. This was the malice of the king, as appears by what afterwards occurred; by which it is clear that the Bantu have a great fear of muskets, as I have said; for the Portuguese not having more than five muskets there and about one hundred and twenty men he did not dare to fight them, and in order to rob them scattered them about in many places as men who were brought to the last extremity of hunger; and not knowing how much better it would be to remain together, they abandoned themselves to fate, and did the will of this king who was contriving their ruin, but would never listen to the advice of the other petty king who spoke the truth and did them all the good in his power. And by this men may see that they should never say or do anything trusting to their own judgement and power, but should place everything in the hands of God our Lord.

 

When the Kaffir king had arranged with Manuel de Sousa that the Portuguese should be divided among the villages and kraals in order to subsist, he told him also that there were chiefs under him who would conduct his people, namely each one those who were allotted to him to be maintained, and this could not be unless he commanded the Portuguese to lay down their weapons, because the Bantu were afraid of them while they saw their arms, and he would command them to be put in a house and would return them when the Portuguese ship arrived.

 

Manuel de Sousa, who was very ill and not in his perfect senses, did not answer as if he had his proper understanding, he merely said that he would speak to his people. But as the hour had come in which they were to be robbed, he spoke to them and said that he would not go any farther, and in one way or another they must find a ship or such other means of safety as the Lord might ordain, for this river where they now were was that of Lourenco Marques, as he had been told by his pilot Andre Vas. That anyone who wished to go farther might do as he though fit, but he himself would remain for the love of his wife and children who were enfeebled by their great hardships that they could not walk and he had no slaves to help them. That his determination was to die with his family when it pleased God, and he asked those who went on if they met any Portuguese vessel to bring or send him news of it, and those who wished to remain with him might do so and they should go with him wherever he went. And at that the negroes might trust them and not take them for thieves who wished to rob them, it was necessary to give up their arms, to put an end to the misery they had endured so long from hunger. At this time the judgement of Manuel de Sousa and of those who agreed with him was not that of sane persons, for if they had considered it well they would have seen that the negroes could not approach them as long as they had their arms. The captain then commanded them to lay down their arms in which, after God, their only safety lay, and they were given up against the will of some, especially that of Dona Leonor, but there was no one who spoke against it except herself, thus it was of little avail. Then she said, ”You lay down your arms, and now I give myself up for lost with all these people”. The negroes took the arms and took them to the house of the Kaffir king.

 

So soon as the Bantu saw the Portuguese without arms, having already plotted this treason, they began to separate and rob them, leading them through the thickets, each one those who fell to him. And by the time they reached the kraals they had stripped them all, leaving them with nothing on, and with many blows cast them out of their villages. Manuel de Sousa was not in this company , having remained with the king with his wife and his children and the pilot Andre Vas and about twenty others, because he had with him many jewels, precious stones, and money, and it is said that what that company had brought with them.