25 on the island of Mozambique, who governed them and kept the Mouros in order. They speak the same language and have the same customs as those of Amgoya. Our Lord and King has a fortress here, keeping the said Mouros under his orders and authority, and now our ships take water; firewood and local provisions on board, and those that need to, repair their ships here both on the way out and on the return home, and they also send provisions inland from here to Sofala and to the Portuguese there, both the many things that come from Portugal and from India. There are many elephants on these islands, very large ones; the land is inhabited by gentiles who are wild men who go naked and smear red clay all over their bodies, they wrap their privates in strips of blue cotton cloth without any other covering, and their lips are pierced, with each lip being pierced three times and they put some bones with small stones in them or other adornments. Kilwa Further along the coast from this place called Mozambique, there is an island that lies just off the mainland and which is called Kilwa, on which there is a Mouros town, with very beautiful stone and mortar houses, with many windows, like we have. It is set out in orderly streets, with many terraces, the wooden doors are very well carved with fine carpentry; there are many streams and orchards and vegetable plots nearby, with very pure water. They are ruled by a Mouros king, they trade with those in Sofala, from where they used to bring lots of gold. They travelled from here to the whole of Arabia Felix, which is what we can also call it henceforth, because the whole of the sea coast is heavily populated with many Mouros towns and villages. Before Our Lord and King ordered us to discover India, the Mouros of Sofala; Cuama; Amgoya; Mozambique were all subjects of the King of Kilwa,
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