a voyage to abyssinia-第29章

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rtuguese　enjoy　all　the　trade　of　those　countries。　　I　informed　him　of　the　navigation　of　that　sea；　and　the　situation　of　its　ports；　told　him　which　it　would　be　necessary　to　make　ourselves　masters　of　first；　that　we　might　upon　any　unfortunate　encounter　retreat　to　them。　　I　cannot　deny　that　some　degree　of　resentment　might　appear　in　my　discourse；　for；　though　revenge　be　prohibited　to　Christians；　I　should　not　have　been　displeased　to　have　had　the　Bassa　of　Suaquem　and　his　brother　in　my　hands；　that　I　might　have　reproached　them　with　the　ill…treatment　we　had　met　with　from　them。　　This　was　the　reason　of　my　advising　to　make　the　first　attack　upon　Mazna；　to　drive　the　Turks　from　thence；　to　build　a　citadel；　and　garrison　it　with　Portuguese。

The　viceroy　listened　with　great　attention　to　all　I　had　to　say；　gave　me　a　long　audience；　and　asked　me　many　questions。　　He　was　well　pleased　with　the　design　of　sending　a　fleet　into　that　sea；　and；　to　give　a　greater　reputation　to　the　enterprise；　proposed　making　his　son　commander…in…chief；　but　could　by　no　means　be　brought　to　think　of　fixing　garrisons　and　building　fortresses　there；　all　he　intended　was　to　plunder　all　they　could；　and　lay　the　towns　in　ashes。

I　left　no　art　of　persuasion　untried　to　convince　him　that　such　a　resolution　would　injure　the　interests　of　Christianity；　that　to　enter　the　Red　Sea　only　to　ravage　the　coasts　would　so　enrage　the　Turks　that　they　would　certainly　massacre　all　the　Christian　captives；　and　for　ever　shut　the　passage　into　Abyssinia；　and　hinder　all　communication　with　that　empire。　　It　was　my　opinion　that　the　Portuguese　should　first　establish　themselves　at　Mazna；　and　that　a　hundred　of　them　would　be　sufficient　to　keep　the　fort　that　should　be　built。　　He　made　an　offer　of　only　fifty；　and　proposed　that　we　should　collect　those　few　Portuguese　who　were　scattered　over　Abyssinia。　　These　measures　I　could　not　approve。

At　length；　when　it　appeared　that　the　viceroy　had　neither　forces　nor　authority　sufficient　for　this　undertaking；　it　was　agreed　that　I　should　go　immediately　into　Europe；　and　represent　at　Rome　and　Madrid　the　miserable　condition　of　the　missions　of　Abyssinia。　　The　viceroy　promised　that　if　I　could　procure　any　assistance；　he　would　command　in　person　the　fleet　and　forces　raised　for　the　expedition；　assuring　that　he　thought　he　could　not　employ　his　life　better　than　in　a　war　so　holy；　and　of　so　great　an　importance；　to　the　propagation　of　the　Catholic　faith。

Encouraged　by　this　discourse　of　the　viceroy；　I　immediately　prepared　myself　for　a　voyage　to　Lisbon；　not　doubting　to　obtain　upon　the　least　solicitation　everything　that　was　necessary　to　re…establish　our　mission。

Never　had　any　man　a　voyage　so　troublesome　as　mine；　or　interrupted　with　such　variety　of　unhappy　accidents；　I　was　shipwrecked　on　the　coast　of　Natal；　I　was　taken　by　the　Hollanders；　and　it　is　not　easy　to　mention　the　danger　which　I　was　exposed　to　both　by　land　and　sea　before　I　arrived　at　Portugal。




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