inform us
of the way, or accompany us in it. These reports charmed us, because
they flattered our desires; but our superiors finding nothing in all this
talk that could be depended on, were in suspense what directions to give
us, till my companion and I upon this reflection, that since all the ways
were equally new to us, we had nothing to do but to resign ourselves to
the Providence of God, asked and obtained the permission of our superiors
to attempt the road through Melinda. So of we who went by land, two took
the way of Zeila, and my companion and I that of Melinda.

Those who were appointed for Zeila embarked in a vessel that was going to
Caxume, where they were well received by the king, and accommodated with
a ship to carry them to Zeila; they were there treated by the check with
the same civility which they had met with at Caxume. But the king being
informed of their arrival, ordered them to be conveyed to his court at
Auxa, to which place they were scarce come before they were thrown by the
king's command into a dark and dismal dungeon, where there is hardly any
sort of cruelty that was not exercised upon them. The Emperor of
Abyssinia endeavoured by large offers to obtain their liberty, but his
kind offices had no other effect than to heighten the rage of the king of
Zeila. This prince, besides his ill will to Sultan Segued, which was
kept up by some malcontents among the Abyssin nobility, who, provoked at
the conversion of their master, were plotting a revolt, entertained an
inveterate hatred against the Portuguese for the death of his
grandfather, who had been killed many years before, which he swore the
blood of the Jesuits should repay. So after they had languished for some
time in prison their heads were struck off. A fate which had been
likewise our own, had not God reserved us for longer labours!

Having provided everything necessary for our journey, such as Arabian
habits, and red caps, calicoes, and other trifles to make presents of to
the inhabitants, and taking leave of our friends, as men going to a
speedy death, for we were not insensible of the dangers we were likely to
encounter, amongst horrid deserts, impassable mountains, and barbarous
nations, we left Goa on the 26th day of January in the year 1624, in a
Portuguese galliot that was ordered to set us ashore at Pate, where we
landed without any disaster in eleven days, together with a young
Abyssin, whom we made use of as our interprete