_ 424 _ I called the Captains to a council meeting and this suggestion appealed to them. I them ordered a small quantity of bready that I still had to be shred out among everyone because I wanted to experience the same privations as the lowest rank. God gave us such favourable winds and headway that we discovered new lands and captured places from the Moors, killing many of their people and burning many of their ships and much of their property. We brought provision to the naus and the fortress of Socotra, where our King had commanded us to disembark. Senhor Joao da Nova was about to do a number of things and make a decision concerning the time of his departure, when he saw me off Ormuz – an event so astonishing that it pleased the Good Lord to ignore our sins and make it possible for us to bring the tribute and obedience of the ruler our King. At all events, the “Frol de la Mar” did not want to take the provisions that it could easily transport. When I saw what was happening, I immediately took both his crew and mine to carry provisions of rice, dates oil, barrels of fish and other small items. I did this in person to avoid having to give unpalatable orders to Joao da Nova, and treat him
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