Page:The Three Voyages of Vasco da Gama and His Viceroyalty.djvu/280

182 more in his country, but that they might make a profit on their purchases. A price was then set upon each article of merchandise separately by itself, upon which a large profit was made, both in the value and also in the weight, which they named farazolas, which, being verified by the scales, gives twenty farazolas and eighteen pounds one bahar. They also settled the prices of pepper and all the drugs. When they wanted to set a price upon other goods, the factor said that he had not got leave to buy anything else but drugs. Then the Gozil asked what they wanted next, for he was also there, having come later bringing with him a few Moors of his party for them to see what was being done. The overseer of the treasury then asked if they wished to begin weighing at once; they said yes: he then ordered many sacks of pepper to be brought, which were weighed in their balance, which was large and with one arm only, and each weighed five farazolas. The factor received it as it was in the sacks, without deduction for the sacks, and without speaking about the price, since it was very little. All day they weighed pepper, and in the evening they reckoned what it was worth, and the factor told the overseer of the treasury to take payment in any sort of goods as he pleased: this he took in cut coral, and copper and quicksilver, which was sufficient for the goods which had been weighed; all which was weighed very favourably to his satisfaction by the overseer of the treasury, who hindered him in nothing; so the factor gave him more than the weight, until the balance touched the ground. Having ended, all the goods were carried away and embarked in Indian skiffs, which put it into the boats, both of which took the cargo, and the skiffs returned ashore. Whilst the overseer of the treasury was about to go away, the factor gave him