The Portuguese in the Sea of Oman

_ 54 _ turned downwards so that they could be seen better, as the Captain-in-Chief had ordered, and the Moors were surprised and full of fear. The Captain-in-Chief sent Gaspar Rodrigues the linguist ashore in the skiff to ask permission of the King to bring him a message. From where he was the King could see when the skiff arrived, and he sent a word to ask what he wanted and then he summoned Gaspar Rodrigues, who with great courtesy and deference gave the King the Captain-in-Chief’s message. With the King was Khwaja Attar, the chief Regent of the whole kingdom, who heard message and at once sent an honoured Moor, high ranking and well dressed, in a small boat seated on a carpet. He went to the Captain-in-Chief, and going aboard he found him sitting in a chair with a carpet at his feet and noblemen sitting around him on benches and the quarterdeck noblemen sitting around him on benches, and the quarter-deck decorated with Flemish tapestries, and rich collections of arms hanging there, and shields and many lances leaning against the sides of the ship on the deck the armourers were cleaning and assembling groups of steel weapons, and the gunners; linstocks alight and stinking. As he came on deck the Moor made a deep bow to the Captain-in-Chief, who looked a very impressive figure in

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTg0NzAy