dship of the King of Portugal, and declared his readiness to enter
into a friendly alliance. He then ordered the catual to provide proper
apartments for Gama in his own house; and having promised another
conference, he dismissed the admiral with all the appearance of
sincerity.

The character of this monarch is strongly marked in the history of
Portuguese Asia. Avarice was his ruling passion; he was haughty or mean,
bold or timorous, as his interest rose or fell in the balance of his
judgment; wavering and irresolute whenever the scales seemed doubtful
which to preponderate. He was pleased with the prospect of bringing the
commerce of Europe to his harbours, but he was also influenced by the
threats of the Moors.

Three days elapsed ere Gama was again permitted to see the zamorim. At
this second audience he presented the letter and presents of Emmanuel.
The letter was received with politeness, but the presents were viewed
with an eye of contempt. Gama noticed it, and said he only came to
discover the route to India, and therefore was not charged with valuable
gifts, before the friendship of the state, where they might choose to
traffic, was known. Yet, indeed, he brought the most valuable of all
gifts, the offer of the friendship of his sovereign, and the commerce of
his country. He then entreated the king not to reveal the contents of
Emmanuel's letter to the Moors; and the king, with great apparent
friendship, desired Gama to guard against the perfidy of that people. At
this time, it is highly probable, the zamorim was sincere.

Every hour since the arrival of the fleet the Moors had held secret
conferences. That one man of it might not return was their purpose; and
every method to accomplish this was meditated. To influence the king
against the Portuguese, to assassinate Gama, to raise a general
insurrection to destroy the foreign navy, and to bribe the catual, were
determined. And the catual (the master of the house where Gama was
lodged) accepted the bribe, and entered into their interest. Of all
these circumstances, however, Gama was apprised by his faithful
interpreter, Monzaida, whose affection to the foreign admiral the Moors
hitherto had not suspected. Thus informed, and having obtained the faith
of an alliance from the sovereign of the first port of India, Gama
resolved to elude the plots of the Moors; and accordingly, before the
dawn, he set out for Pandarene, in hope to get aboard his fleet by some
of th