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Updated: June 23, 2025
To Burton's delight it was his old friend Da Cunha, the Camoens enthusiast; and then ensued a long argument, conducted in Portuguese, concerning Burton's rendering of one of Camoens' sonnets, Burton in the end convincing his friend of its correctness. Having parted from Da Cunha, they ran against an Egyptian officer who had just visited Mecca and brought back a series of photographs.
We weighed anchor at night, and on the following day found ourselves gliding along the dark-brown waters of the Moju. Joao da Cunha, like most of his fellow countrymen, took matters very easily. He was going to be absent in the interior several years, and therefore, intended to diverge from his route to visit his native place, Cameta, and spend a few days with his friends.
After having wintered at Mozambique, Da Cunha landed three ambassadors at Melinda, who were to reach Abyssinia by travelling overland, then he anchored at Brava, which Coutinho, one of his lieutenants had been unable to subjugate. The Portuguese now laid siege to this town, which resisted bravely but which yielded in the end, thanks to the courage of the enemy and the perfection of their arms.
The inhabitants appealed to Nuno da Cunha, the governor-general, who hesitated to interfere for fear of bringing on a war with the Adil Shah. The principal danger was the lord of Belgaum, Asada Khan.
"I have known some," he said, "to spring right over a ship; though, certainly, to look at them, it is difficult to ascertain their means of rising out of the water." The island of Tristan da Cunha was sighted, looming in the evening light like some huge monster rising out of the ocean.
On emerging from the Uituquara on the 2nd, we all went ashore the men to fish in a small creek; Joao da Cunha and I to shoot birds. We landed about fifty yards from the place, and crept cautiously through the forest, but before we reached them they flew off with loud harsh screams.
Before starting he wrote to Da Cunha, asking that Figueiredo might be sent to accompany him, and promising to obtain for the Portuguese a definite cession of the lands from the Raya, since these had formerly been the latter's possession. Accordingly Figueiredo left for Vijayanagar, but learned that the Khan had already arrived there and had joined the king.
On this occasion, an unscrupulous lawyer was sent by the government party from the capital to overawe the opposition to its nominee; many of the half-castes, headed by my old friend John da Cunha, who was then settled at Ega, fought hard, but with perfect legality and good humour, against this powerful interest.
However, the next day he was much better, and told me they had eased the pain at once. Thursday, May l7. Every one is looking out expectantly for a ship, and many letters are waiting to be dispatched by it. About thirty were entrusted to us by people on the Surrey, who wished to have them sent off from her as a matter of interest. I have printed "Tristan da Cunha" on the envelopes.
It was remarkable that we had been troubled by mosquitoes only on one night, and then to a small degree, during the whole of our voyage. I landed at Obydos the next morning, and then bid adieu to my kind friend Joao da Cunha, who, after landing my baggage, got up his anchor and continued on his way.
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