_ 300 _ lost and on the advice of the pilots, they were forced to enter the mouth of the Strait. It was the beginning of March, and they travelled non-stop along the coast of Abyssinia as far as the port of Massawa where, although they found the place deserted, they managed to find someone to give them news of the five Portuguese, who had been waiting for a ship, three days' journey from there. They also reported that galleys were being repaired in many ports, but they had no idea where. From time to time, some of these visited that port in search of clothing. This caused panic among the men who, fearing some disaster, wanted to leave there immediately. However, Gonçalo Vaz, who had already sent a message to the Portuguese that he would wait a week for them, decided not to budge from there until the week had passed. In the meantime, he set up very good lookouts. When the Portuguese turned up within the allotted time, he collected a large quantity of Cambay clothing in the boats, mainly of linen and striped cotton, which was worth a great deal in the Strait, belonging to the Moors who had fled from Massawa. Then, he made his way to the entrance, taking every precaution because the Portuguese
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