Page:A Comprehensive History of India Vol 1.djvu/193

 Chap. Vll.J DE GAMA AND THE ZAMOKIN. lo9

After De Gama entered and made his obeisance accordinjr to the custom of a d hus

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the country, by bowing his body three times and lifting up liis hands, the zamorin looked kindly at him, recognized him by a scarcely perceptible iiu-li- iheiuur- nation of the head, and ordered liini by signs to advance and sit down near him. The attendants being admitted, took their seats opposite, and were regaled with fruits. On calHng for water to drink, a golden cup witii a spout was brought, but they were told that it was considered bad manners to touch the vessel with their li{)s. The awkwardness of the Portuguese, wlio, in at- tempting to drink by the spout, either choked themselves with the water or spilled it upon their clothes, gave much amusement to the court. De Gama having been asked by the zamorin to open his business, gave him to understand tliat tiie custom of princes in Europe was to hear amba.ssadors in the i)resence of only a few of their chief counsellors. The suggestion was immediately adopted, and the audience took place in another apartment similar to the former, where only De Gama and another Portuguese, who acted as his interpreter, on the one side, and the zamorin, his cliief minister, the comptroller of his household, and his betel-server on the other, Avere present. When asked whence he came, and with what object, De Gama answered that he was an ambassador of the King of Portugal, the greatest prince in all the West, who, having heard that there were Christian princes in the Indies, of whom the King of Calicut was the chief, had sent an ambassador to conclude a treaty of trade and friendship with him. He added, that for sixty years the King of Portugal and his predecessors had been endeavouring to discover India by sea, and had at length succeeded for the first time. In anticipation of this success, the king, his master, had intrusted him with two letters, the delivery of which, as it was now late, he would, with the zamorin's permission, defer till to morrow. De Gama had reason to think he had made a favourable impression, as the zamorin repeated his welcome, made incjuiries as to the distance to Portugal, and the time occupied by the voyage, and declared his willingness not only to recognize the King of Portugal as his fiiend and brother, but to send an ambassador to his coiu-t.

De Gama, after passing the night with his attendants in a lodging specially De aama's

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provided for them, began next morning to prepare a present for the zamorin. present. He was not well supplied for that purpose ; but after selecting four pieces of scarlet, six hats, four branches of coral, six almasars, a parcel of brass, a chest of sugar, two barrels of oil and two of honey, sent for the royal factor and cot- wal to ask their opinion. On looking at the articles they burst into a laugh, and told him that the poorest merchant who came to the port made a better present. A kind of altercation arose, and at last the factor and cotwal depaiied, after taking his promise that he would not visit the king till they returned to go with him. He waited the whole day, but they never appeared. On the day following, when they arrived, and he complained of their behaviour, they made