e no longer, and would therefore carry away the captives
to convince the King of Portugal what insults and injustice his
ambassador and admiral had suffered from the Zamorim of Calicut. Having
thus dismissed the Indians, he fired his cannon and hoisted his sails. A
calm, however, detained him on the coast some days; and the zamorim,
seizing the opportunity, sent what vessels he could fit out (sixty in
all), full of armed men, to attack him. Though Gama's cannon were well
handled, confident of their numbers, they pressed on to board him, when
a sudden tempest arose, which Gama's ships rode out in safety, miserably
dispersed the Indian fleet, and completed their ruin.

After this victory the admiral made a halt at a little island near the
shore, where he erected a cross,[61] bearing the name and arms of his
Portuguese majesty. From this place, by the hand of Monzaida, he wrote a
letter to the zamorim, wherein he gave a full and circumstantial account
of all the plots of the catual and the Moors. Still, however, he
professed his desire of a commercial treaty, and promised to represent
the zamorim in the best light to Emmanuel. The prisoners, he said,
should be kindly used, were only kept as ambassadors to his sovereign,
and should be returned to India when they were enabled from experience
to give an account of Portugal. The letter he sent by one of the
captives, who by this means obtained his liberty.

The fame of Gama had now spread over the Indian seas, and the Moors were
everywhere intent on his destruction. As he was near the shore of
Anchediva, he beheld the appearance of a floating isle, covered with
trees, advance towards him. But his prudence was not to be thus
deceived. A bold pirate, named Timoja, by linking together eight vessels
full of men and covered with green boughs, thought to board him by
surprise. But Gama's cannon made seven of them fly; the eighth, loaded
with fruits and provision, he took. The beautiful island of Anchediva
now offered a convenient place to careen his ships and refresh his men.
While he stayed here, the first minister of Zabajo, king of Goa, one of
the most powerful princes of India, came on board, and, in the name of
his master, congratulated the admiral in the Italian tongue. Provisions,
arms, and money were offered to Gama, and he was entreated to accept the
friendship of Zabajo. The admiral was struck with admiration; the
address and abilities of the minister appeared so conspicuo