_ 38 _ his ship under sail, they fled even faster and took refuge ashore before the Berrio arrived. We then returned to the anchorage. The ships in this country are large and without decks. They do not have any pegs or nails and are tied together with coir rope. It is the same with the boats, whose sails are made of palm matting. Their sailors have Genoese compasses, quadrants and maps by which they navigate. The palm trees of this country yield a fruit as large as a melon, and the natives eat the kernel, which tastes like tiger nuts. There are also a lot of cucumbers and melons there, which they brought to trade with us. On the day that Nicolau Coelho entered the port, the chief of the island, came aboard his ship with many men. The former gave him a hearty welcome and presented him with a red hood. In return, the chief gave him some black beads, that he used for praying, to act as a surety. He then asked Nicolau Coelho to allow him to go ashore in his boat. This he granted him, and after he had landed, he took those that had accompanied him to his house and invited them to eat. Afterwards he gave orders for them to return, and he sent Nicolau Coelho a jar of crushed dates, made into a
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