a voyage to abyssinia-第21章

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en　he　left　Abyssinia；　choosing　rather　to　forsake　all　for　religion　than　to　leave　the　way　of　salvation；　which　God　had　so　mercifully　favoured　him　with　the　knowledge　of。

We　continued　our　voyage；　and　almost　without　stopping　sailed　by　Surate　and　Damam；　where　the　rector　of　the　college　came　to　see　us；　but　so　sea…sick　that　the　interview　was　without　any　satisfaction　on　either　side。　　Then　landing　at　Bazaim　we　were　received　by　our　fathers　with　their　accustomed　charity；　and　nothing　was　thought　of　but　how　to　put　the　unpleasing　remembrance　of　our　past　labours　out　of　our　minds。　Finding　here　an　order　of　the　Father　Provineta　to　forbid　those　who　returned　from　the　missions　to　go　any　farther；　it　was　thought　necessary　to　send　an　agent　to　Goa　with　an　account　of　the　revolutions　that　had　happened　in　Abyssinia　and　of　the　imprisonment　of　the　patriarch。　　For　this　commission　I　was　made　choice　of；　and；　I　know　not　by　what　hidden　degree　of　Providence；　almost　all　affairs；　whatever　the　success　of　them　was；　were　transacted　by　me。　　All　the　coasts　were　beset　by　Dutch　cruisers；　which　made　it　difficult　to　sail　without　running　the　hazard　of　being　taken。　　I　went　therefore　by　land　from　Bazaim　to　Tana；　where　we　had　another　college；　and　from　thence　to　our　house　of　Chaul。　　Here　I　hired　a　narrow　light　vessel；　and；　placing　eighteen　oars　on　a　side；　went　close　by　the　shore　from　Chaul　to　Goa；　almost　eighty　leagues。　　We　were　often　in　danger　of　being　taken；　and　particularly　when　we　touched　at　Dabal；　where　a　cruiser　blocked　up　one　of　the　channels　through　which　ships　usually　sail；　but　our　vessel　requiring　no　great　depth　of　water；　and　the　sea　running　high；　we　went　through　the　little　channel；　and　fortunately　escaped　the　cruiser。　　Though　we　were　yet　far　from　Goa；　we　expected　to　arrive　there　on　the　next　morning；　and　rowed　forward　with　all　the　diligence　we　could。　　The　sea　was　calm　and　delightful；　and　our　minds　were　at　ease；　for　we　imagined　ourselves　past　danger；　but　soon　found　we　had　flattered　ourselves　too　soon　with　security；　for　we　came　within　sight　of　several　barks　of　Malabar；　which　had　been　hid　behind　a　point　of　land　which　we　were　going　to　double。　　Here　we　had　been　inevitably　taken　had　not　a　man　called　to　us　from　the　shore　and　informed　us　that　among　those　fishing…boats　there；　some　crusiers　would　make　us　a　prize。　　We　rewarded　our　kind　informer　for　the　service　he　had　done　us；　and　lay　by　till　night　came　to　shelter　us　from　our　enemies。　　Then　putting　out　our　oars　we　landed　at　Goa　next　morning　about　ten；　and　were　received　at　our　college。　　It　being　there　a　festival　day；　each　had　something　extraordinary　allowed　him；　the　choicest　part　of　our　entertainments　was　two　pilchers；　which　were　admired　because　they　came　from　Portugal。

The　quiet　I　began　to　enjoy　did　not　make　me　lose　the　remembrance　of　my　brethren　whom　I　had　left　languishing　among　the　rocks　of　Abyssinia；　or　groaning　in　the　prisons　of　Suaquem；　whom　since　I　could　not　set　at　liberty　without　the　viceroy's　assistance；　I　went　to　implore　it；　and　did　not　fail　to　make　use　of　every　motive　which　could　have　any　influence。

I　described　in　the　most　pathetic　manner　I　could　the　miserable　state　to　which　the　Catholic　religion　was　reduced　in　a　country　where　it　had　lately　flourished　so　much　by　the　labours　of　the　Portuguese；　I　gave　him　in　the　strongest　terms　a　representation　of　all　that　we　had　suffered　since　the　death　of　Sultan　Segued；　how　we　had　been　driven　out　of　Abyssinia；　how　many　times　they　had　attempted　to　take　away　our　lives；　in　what　manner　we　had　been　betrayed　and　given　up　to　the　Turks；　the　menaces　we　had　been　terrified　with；　the　insults　we　had　endured；　I　laid　before　him　the　danger　the　patriarch　was　in　of　being　either　impaled　or　flayed　alive；　the　cruelty；　insolence　and　avarice　of　the　Bassa　of　Suaquem；　and　the　persecution　that　the　Catholics　suffered　in　Aethiopia。　　I　exhorted；　I　implored　him　by　everything　I　thought　might　move　him；　to　make　some　attempt　for　the　preservation　of　those　who　had　voluntarily　sacrificed　their　lives　for　the　sake　of　God。　　I　made　it　appear　with　how　much　ease　the　Turks　might　be　driven　out　of　the　Red　Sea；　and　the　Portuguese　enjoy　all　the　trade　of　those　countries。　　I　informed　him　of　the　navigation　of　that　sea；　and　the　situation　of　its　ports；　told　him　which　it　would　be　necessary　to　make　ourselves　masters　of　first；　that　we　might　upon　any　unfortunate　encounter　retreat　to　them。　　I　cannot　deny　that　some　degree　of　resentment　might　appear　in　my　discourse；　for；　though　revenge　be　prohibited　to　Christians；　I　should　not　have　been　displeased　to　have　had　the　Bassa　of　Suaquem　and　his　brother　in　my　hands；　that　I　might　have　reproached　them　with　the　ill…treatment　we　had　met　with　from　them。　　This　was　the　reason　of　my　advising　to　make　the　first　attack　upon　Mazna；　to　drive　the　Turks　from　thence；　to　build　a　citadel；　and　garrison　it　with　Portuguese。

The　viceroy　listened　with　great　attention　to　all　I　had　to　say；　gave　me　a　long　audience；　and　asked　me　many　questions。　　He　was　well　pleased　with　the　design　of　sending　a　fleet　into　that　sea；　and；　to　give　a　greater　reputation　to　the　enterprise；　proposed　making　his　son　commander…in…chief；　but　could　by　no　means　be　brought　to　think　of　fixing　garrisons　and　building　fortresses　there；　all　he　intended　was　to　plunder　all　they　could；　and　lay　the　towns　in　ashes。

I　left　no　art　of　persuasion　untried　to　convince　him　that　such　a　resolution　would　injure　the　interests　of　Christianity；　that　to　enter　the　Red　Sea　only　to　ravage　the　coasts　would　so　enrage　the　Turks　that　they　would　certainly　massacre　all　the　Christian　captives；　and　for　ever　shut　the　passage　into　Abyssinia；　and　hinder　all　communication　with　that　empire。　　It　was　my　opinion　that　the　Portuguese　should　first　establish　themselves　at　Mazna；　and　that　a　hundred　of　them　would　be　sufficient　to　keep　the　fort　that　should　be　built。　　He　made　an　offer　of　only　fifty；　and　proposed　that　we　should　collect　those　few　Portuguese　who　were　scattered　over　Abyssinia。　　These　measures　I　could　not　approve。

At　length；　when　it　appeared　that　the　viceroy　had　neither　forces　nor　authority　sufficient　for　this　undertaking；　it　was　agreed　that　I　should　go　immediately　into　Europe；　and　represent　at　Rome　and　Madrid　the　miserable　condition　of　the　missions　of　Abyssinia。　　The　viceroy　promised　that　if　I　could　procure　any　assistance；　he　would　command　in　person　the　fleet　and　forces　raised　for　the　expedition；　assuring　that　he　thought　he　could　not　employ　his　life　better　than　in　a　war　so　holy；　and　of　so　great　an　importance；　to　the　propagation　of　the　Catholic　faith。

Encouraged　by　this　discourse　of　the　viceroy；　I　immediately　prepared　myself　for　a　voyage　to　Lisbon；　not　doubting　to　obtain　upon　the　least　solicitation　everything　that　was　necessary　to　re…establish　our　mission。

Never　had　any　man　a　voyage　so　troublesome　as　mine；　or　interrupted　with　such　variety　of　unhappy　accidents；　I　was　shipwrecked　on　the　coast　of　Natal；　I　was　taken　by　the　Hollanders；　and　it　is　not　easy　to　mention　the　danger　which　I　was　exposed　to　both　by　land　and　sea　before　I　arrived　at　Portugal。




End