days we discovered about noon the island Socotora, where we
proposed to touch. The sky was bright and the wind fair, nor had we the
least apprehension of the danger into which we were falling, but with the
utmost carelessness and jollity held on our course. At night, when our
sailors, especially the Moors, were in a profound sleep (for the
Mohammedans, believing everything forewritten in the decrees of God, and
not alterable by any human means, resign themselves entirely to
Providence), our vessel ran aground upon a sand bank at the entrance of
the harbour. We got her off with the utmost difficulty, and nothing but
a miracle could have preserved us. We ran along afterwards by the side
of the island, but were entertained with no other prospect than of a
mountainous country, and of rocks that jutted out over the sea, and
seemed ready to fall into it. In the afternoon, putting into the most
convenient ports of the island, we came to anchor; very much to the
amazement and terror of the inhabitants, who were not used to see any
Portuguese ships upon their coasts, and were therefore under a great
consternation at finding them even in their ports. Some ran for security
to the mountains, others took up arms to oppose our landing, but were
soon reconciled to us, and brought us fowls, fish, and sheep, in exchange
for India calicoes, on which they set a great value. We left this island
early the next morning, and soon came in sight of Cape Gardafui, so
celebrated heretofore under the name of the Cape of Spices, either
because great quantities were then found there, or from its neighbourhood
to Arabia the Happy, even at this day famous for its fragrant products.
It is properly at this cape (the most eastern part of Africa) that the
Gulf of Arabia begins, which at Babelmandel loses its name, and is called
the Red Sea. Here, though the weather was calm, we found the sea so
rough, that we were tossed as in a high wind for two nights; whether this
violent agitation of the water proceeded from the narrowness of the
strait, or from the fury of the late storm, I know not; whatever was the
cause, we suffered all the hardships of a tempest. We continued our
course towards the Red Sea, meeting with nothing in our passage but a
gelve, or kind of boat, made of thin boards, sewed together, with no
other sail than a mat. We gave her chase, in hopes of being informed by
the crew whether there were any Arabian vessels at the mouth of the