Further Selections from the Tragic History of the Sea, 1559-1565 by C.R. Boxer

Further Selections from the Tragic History of the Sea, 1559-1565 by C.R. Boxer

Author:C.R. Boxer [Boxer, C.R.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Nonfiction, History, Modern, 17th Century
ISBN: 9781317131229
Google: SFjRjwEACAAJ
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Published: 2017-05-15T04:00:00+00:00


IV The attack on the castaways

From the original narrative of Manuel Álvares, S.J., 1561–2

We lost all our baggage on shore, and, what was worse for us, all or most of our provisions, which had been laid out to dry. Our total material losses must have been worth more than 10,000 cruzados. And having got over the bar by nine o’clock in the morning, we continued on our voyage, very sad and miserable, most of us stark naked and many badly wounded, ten or twelve of whom subsequently died. No tears were shed for the dead, because each of us had enough to weep about over himself, or to tell how he had escaped, and we did not really feel safe yet. And after many days during which we suffered countless storms, tribulations and misadventures, we fetched up off the port of Banda in Sunda on 27 April, without our knowing where we were.1 And we were all exhausted by the work of rowing and other hardships, so we clamoured to Our Lord for mercy, which he never denied. And thus he permitted that on this day about twelve o’clock noon, a prau passed so close to us that the occupants could hear us talking Portuguese. In it was a Portuguese youth, and he at once realized that we must be the castaways he had heard of and was looking for. He went to the big ship where he told and showed us that we were off the port in front of Sunda, in sight of our great ships, of which Pero Barreto Rolim was captain-major.2 He added that João Gonçalves had already arrived there with his companions; and the captain-major, knowing we were due, had sent him back with provisions to look for us. Anyone can imagine how extremely delighted we were with such unexpected news that we could hardly believe it. And the captain gave him as a reward a piece of cloth-in-grain for a cabaia,1 and he returned with the news of our arrival.

When he had gone and given this news to all our Portuguese there, both those ashore and those añoat, they all embarked in the ships’ boats and in many praus that there were in the port, and with great happiness and rejoicing they came out to look for us, contending with each other as to who should arrive first. And late in the evening, when it was almost night, the flagship’s boat reached us, closely followed by all the others; and not a few disputes and arguments arose because each one wished to take more refugees than the other, with words worthy of great love and pity, and still more of charity. There was no lack of tears when they saw our miserable and pitiable condition, and they consoled us with kind and tender words, and still more with favours and good works, like parents to their children, clothing us all in rich Chinese silks of very diverse and beautiful colours; so that it seemed to us as if we were enchanted or in a dream.



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