ABSTRACT
Having taken his leave of the Alcaide and rulers of Soar, on the following morning the great Afonso Dalboquerque set sail, and proceeded direct to Orfação, 1 and that night kept well out to sea to avoid a large bay which the land makes there. On the next day, sailing thus along the coast, they sighted a small zambuco, which put off from one of the country houses lying along the beach; when he perceived it, Afonso Dalboquerque sent the boats after it to take it, but the zambuco sailed so fast that they could not come up with it and speedily lost sight of it. It was afterwards discovered that it went and informed Orfação of the approach of our fleet, and thereupon proceeded on its way to Ormuz direct. As they sailed then along the coast, they perceived a very large place, and the Moorish pilots from Melinde were not quite certain regarding the knowledge of the country; but a pilot whom Afonso Dalboquerque had taken on board at Çocotorá told him that the town in sight was Orfação, and in Omar’s book it was so called. As soon as our fleet had arrived opposite the place, the small ships anchored close in to shore, but the large ones a little further out; and each one of them laid out two anchors, as the anchorage was not good. As they entered the harbour, the inhabitants made a great show with many men on foot and horse, and many camels, and 94there was a great excitement among them. Afonso Dalboquerque ordered the captains to make everything ready by night; for he was determined, in case the inhabitants did not come to put themselves in his hands, and make themselves tributary to the King of Portugal, to attack them on the following morning. All this time the people of the country, both on horse and foot, continued moving up and down the beach, with a great parade, skirmishing with one another, beating kettledrums (atabaques), and giving their usual shouts, at one time making as if they would launch an almadia into the sea, at another drawing it back to shore, while the camels did nothing but go out of the town gate laden with stuffs towards the interior; and so the whole day passed until nightfall, without anyone coming from the shore to the ships.
