_ 56 _ captain then released the nobleman, whom he had detained in the ship. We were very pleased with the Christian pilot that the King had sent us. Here we learned how that island, which we were told in Mozambique was Christian, was in fact half Moorish and half Christian and was ruled by the same King of Mozambique. On this island, which is called Kilwa, there are many seed pearls. The Moorish pilots wanted to take us there and we shared that wish, because we believed it was just like they said. The town of Malindi is situated in a bay and extends all along the shore. It is very like Alcochete. The houses are tall and beautifully whitewashed, and they have many windows. Along its length, on the hinterland side close to the houses, there is an extensive palm grove, and all the surrounding land is cultivated with corn and other vegetables. We lay off this town for nine days, and in those nine days there were always festivities being organised ashore with a lot of horse play and a great deal of music. On Tuesday, 24 of that month, we left there with the pilot that the King had given us, for a city called Calicut, about which the King had information, and we sailed eastwards to find it. Here the coast runs from north to
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