_ 132 _ the island of Massawa, from where Mateus had told him he could reach the court of the Prester. As the Moorish pilots travelling with the fleet did not dare go to Massawa without turning first to take sight of the island of Ceibao, where they changed course, with great hardship and labour they voyaged to sight the island of Dablak on the first day of Easter. Continuing from there towards Massawa on that same day, at the setting of the sun our men saw a black flag with the design of a cock's tail upon it, and many swore that they saw it move. On the tenth of April they arrived at the part on the island of Massawa which stood a distance of only twice that of an arrow's flight from the mainland, at fifteen degrees north. There was a large population of Moors there, and although it was the territory of the Prester they did not obey him being on the edge of the sea. All were black, both men and women, and were nude from the waist up. They are great merchants and very rich, mainly from the gold brought from the hinterland, where they do business. They also had marble, honey, wax and Christian slaves, whom they forced change to the Muslim faith, after which they became greater enemies of the Christians than the real Moors. However, they were highly esteemed as brave men.
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