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End of the Middle-Ages View of Mombasa by the Portuguese.

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Note these words:

Nao/ naos: vessel

Leagues: 6km

Almadias: A small African canoe made of the bark of trees.

 

Taken from: The first Booke of the Historie of the Discoverie and Conquest of the East Indias by the Portingals, in the time of King Don John, the second of that name. By Hernan Lopes de Castaneda. Translated into English by Nicholas Lichefield 1582.

 

 

 

(When describing the first trip of Vasco da Gama to India: 1497–1499).

The fleet being thus baffled and tossed to and fro, it was determined to bear away for the island of Mombaza, in which the pilots said there were two towns, peopled both by Moors and Christians. But they gave out this as before to deceive our people, and to lead them to destruction; for that island was solely inhabited by Moors, as is the whole of that coast. Understanding that Mombaza was seventy miles distant, they bore away for that place, and towards evening, they came in sight of a great island towards the north, in which the Moorish pilots pretended there were two towns, one of Christians and the other of Moors; making this false assertion to make our people believe that there were many Christians on this coast. …………………

Following the coast to the north-eastwards, the fleet came to anchor outside of the bar of the harbor of Mombaza, about sunset of Saturday the 7th of April. Mombaza is on an island very near the shore of the continent, and has plenty of provisions, such as millet, rice, and cattle, both large and small, all well grown and fat, especially the sheep, which are uniformly without tails; and it abounds in poultry. It is likewise very pleasant, having many orchards, abounding in pomegranates, Indian figs, oranges both sweet and sour, lemons, and citrons, with plenty of pot-herbs, and it has an abundant supply of excellent water. On this island there is a city having the same name, Mombaza, standing in lat. 4°S. which is handsomely built on a rocky hill washed by the sea. The entrance of the haven has a mark or beacon, and on the very bar there is a little low fort, almost level with the water. …………………

Most of the houses of this place are built of stone and lime, having the ceilings finely constructed of plaster, and the streets are very handsome. This city is subject to a king of its own, the inhabitants being Moors, some of whom are white and others brown. The trade of this city is extensive, and its inhabitants are well dressed, especially the women, who are clothed in silk, and decorated with gold and precious stones. The harbor is good and much frequented by shipping, and it receives from the African continent in its neighborhood, great quantities of honey, wax, and ivory. ……………… They found the king in no very great state, yet he received them well, and commanded the Moors who had brought them on shore to show them the city. In going through the streets, our men saw many prisoners in irons; but not knowing the language, they could not ask who or what these were …………… Our men were likewise carried to the house in which the merchants of India dwelt, who were said to be Christians. …………… After our two men had seen the city, they were conducted back to the king, who ordered them to be shown ginger, pepper, cloves, and wheat, giving them samples of them all to be carried to the general, with assurance that he had great store of all these commodities, and would give him his loading if he desired it. They were likewise told, that he had great plenty of gold, silver, amber, wax, ivory, and other riches, which he would sell at lower prices than they could be bought in any other place. …………

……… Towards vespers, the general came up with and captured one of these pinnaces (small ship), but the other escaped to the land. In the captured pinnace there were seventeen Moors, among whom was an old man who seemed master over the rest, and had his young wife along with him. In this boat there was great store of silver and gold, and some victuals. ………

 

(Voyage of Alonso and Francisco de Albuquerque to India in 1503)

(On the return) Ruy Lorenzo appeared before the town of Mombasa, the king of which place sent out a number of armed almadias or paraws to take his ship: But Lorenzo armed his long boat with a crew of thirty men, which took four of the almadias and killed a great many of the Moors. The king sent an army of 4000 men to the shore under the command of his son, who was killed with some others at the first volley; on which one of the Moors ran out from the ranks with a flag of the Portuguese arms, craving a parley. Peace was soon concluded, by which the king agreed to pay 100 meticals of gold yearly as a tribute to the king of Portugal. ……

From Mombasa, Lorenzo sailed for Melinda, the king of which place was much oppressed by him of Mombasa, on account of his connection with the Portuguese. On his way he took two ships and three small vessels called zambuccos, (type of dhow, a traditional wooden sailing vessel) in which were twelve magistrates of Brava, who submitted their city to the king of Portugal, and engaged to give 500 meticals of yearly tribute. On his arrival at Melinda, he found that a battle had been fought between the kings of Melinda and Mombasa, in which neither could claim the victory. Antonio de Saldanna likewise arrived at Melinda about this time, and by his mediation peace was restored between these princes. ……

 

(Voyage of Don Francisco de Almeyda from Lisbon to India 1505)

…… and sailed with thirteen sail for Mombaza, which is seated like Quiloa in an island about fourteen leagues in circumference. This city is beautiful and strong, having a large bay before it capable of containing many ships. Before entering the bay, two vessels were sent to sound the bar, which is commanded by a battery of eight cannons, which fired upon these vessels; but a ball from the Portuguese happening to fall among the powder belonging to the enemy, blew it up and did great injury to the natives, so that they were obliged to abandon the work. Two smaller works being likewise abandoned, the fleet entered the bay without farther resistance. Being informed that the king of Mombaza had hired 1500 Kafir archers to assist in defending the place, Almeyda sent him a message demanding submission; but the answer was, that the Moors of Mombaza were not to be frightened by the noise of cannon like those of Quiloa, and he might do his worst.

 

Enraged at this contemptuous answer, and because several of his men had been wounded while attempting to burn some ships in the port belonging to Cambaya, Almeyda landed his men on the 15th of August and attacked the city. He succeeded in the assault, driving the enemy out at the other side of the town, and their king along with them, whose palace he took possession of, on which he planted a cross. Immediately after gaining possession of the town, he received notice that his ships had succeeded in their attack on those belonging to the Moors of Cambaya, all of which were burnt. In this action the Portuguese lost only five men; while of the Moors 1513 were slain and 1200 made prisoners, of which only 200 were retained and all the rest set free. Having plundered the city of everything worth carrying off or which his ships could contain, Almeyda burnt Mombaza to the ground.

 

Taken from: A description of the coasts of East Africa and Malabar, in the beginning of the sixteenth century. Duarte Barbosa 1514. Transl Stanley.

 

ISLAND OF MOMBAZA.

 

Passing Quiloa, and going along the coast of the said Arabia Felix towards India, close to the mainland there is another island, in which there is a city of the Moors, called Mombaza, very large and beautiful, and built of high and handsome houses of stone and whitewash, and with very good streets, in the manner of those of Quiloa.  And it also had a king over it. The people are of dusky white, and brown complexions, and likewise the women, who are much adorned with silk and gold stuffs. It is a town of great trade in goods, and has a good port, where there are always many ships, both of those that sail for Sofala and those that come from Cambay and Melinde, and others which sail to the islands of Zanzibar, Manfia, and Penda, which will be spoken of further on. This Monbaza is a country well supplied with plenty of provisions, very fine sheep, which have round tails, and many cows, chickens, and very large goats, much rice and millet, and plenty of oranges, sweet and bitter, and lemons, cedrats, pomegranates, Indian figs, and all sorts of vegetables, and very good water. The inhabitants at times are at war with the people of the continent, and at other times at peace, and trade with them, and obtain much honey and wax, and ivory. This King, for his pride and unwillingness to obey the King of Portugal, lost his city, and the Portuguese took it from him by force, and the King fled, and they killed and made captives many of his people, and the country was ravaged, and much plunder was carried off from it of gold and silver, copper, ivory, rich stuffs of gold and silk, and much other valuable merchandise.

 

Taken from: Álvaro Velho: Roteiro da primeira viagem de Vasco da Gama. (1497-1499).

Álvaro Velho was on board but left on the return at Sierra Leone.

 

[ Mombaça].

On Saturday [April 7] we cast anchor off Mombaça, but did not enter the port. No sooner had we been perceived than a zavra manned by Moors came out to us: in front of the city there lay numerous vessels all dressed in flags. And we, anxious not to be outdone, also dressed our ships, and we actually surpassed their show, for we wanted in nothing but men, even the few whom we had being very ill.

On Palm Sunday [April 8] the King of Mombasa sent the captain-major a sheep and large quantities of oranges, lemons and sugar-cane, together with a ring, as a pledge of safety, letting him know that in case of his entering the port he would be supplied with all he stood in need of. This present was conveyed to us by two men, almost white, who said they were Christians, which appeared to be the fact. The captain-major sent the king a string of coral-beads as a return present, and let him know that he purposed entering the port on the following day. On the same day the captain-major's vessel was visited by four Moors of distinction.

Two men were sent by the captain-major to the king, still further to confirm these peaceful assurances. When these landed they were followed by a crowd as far as the gates of the palace. Before reaching the king they passed through four doors, each guarded by a doorkeeper with a drawn cutlass. The king received them hospitably, and ordered that they should be shown over the city. They stopped on their way at the house of two Christian merchants, who showed them a paper (carta), an object of their adoration, on which was a sketch oi the Holy Ghost. When they had seen all, the king sent them back with samples of cloves, pepper and corn, with which articles he would allow us to load our ships.

Mombaça is a large city seated upon an eminence washed by the sea. Its port is entered daily by numerous vessels. At its entrance stands a pillar, and by the sea a low-lying fortress. Those who had gone on shore told us that in the town they had seen many men in irons; and it seemed to us that these must be Christians, as the Christians in that country are at war with the Moors.

The Christian merchants in the town are only temporary residents, and are held in much subjection, they not being allowed to do anything except by the order of the Moorish King. ………

 

Taken from: A general history and collection of voyages and travels, arranged in systematic order [micro-form]: forming a complete history of the origin and progress of navigation, discovery and commerce, by sea and land, from the earliest ages to the present time by Kerr, Robert, 1755-1813 Vol 6.

 

Taken from: Portuguese Asia, by Manuel de Faria y Sousa (1646).

(in 1505)

Mombasa which is seated like Quiloa in an inland about fourteen leagues in circumference. This city is beautiful and strong, having a large bay before it capable of containing many ships. Before entering the bay, two vessels were sent to sound the bar, which is commanded by a battery of eight cannons, which fired upon these vessels; but a ball from the Portuguese happening to fall among the powder belonging to the enemy, blew it up and did great injury to the natives, so that they were obliged to abandon the work. Two smaller works being likewise abandoned, the fleet entered the bay without farther resistance. Being informed that the king of Mombaza had hired 1500 Kafir archers to assist in defending the place, Almeyda sent him a message demanding submission; but the answer was, that the Moors of Mombaza were not to be frightened by the noise of cannon like those of Quiloa, and he might do his worst. Enraged at this contemptuous answer, and because several of his men had been wounded, while attempting to burn some ships in the port belonging to Cambaya, Almeyda landed his men on the 15th of August and attacked the city. He succeeded in the assault, driving the enemy out at the other side of the town, and their king along with them, whose palace he took possession of, on which he planted a cross. Immediately after gaining possession of the town, he received notice that his ships had succeeded in their attack on those belonging to the Moors of Cambaya, all of which were burnt. In this action the Portuguese lost only five men; while of the Moors 1513 were slain and 1200 made prisoners, of which only 200 were retained and all the rest set free. Having plundered the city of every thing worth carrying off or which his ships could contain, Almeyda burnt Mombaza to the ground.

In 1529 Nuno da Cuna (Governor-General of India) Being unable to continue his voyage to India, on account of the trade wind being adverse, he determined upon taking revenge upon the king of Mombaza, who infested those of Melinda and Zanzibar from hatred to the Portuguese. If successful, he proposed to have raised Munho Mahomet to the throne, who was son to him who had received De Gama on his first voyage with much kindness. Mahomet however objected to this honor, saying hat he was not deserving of the crown, being born of a Kafir slave: But if Nuno wished to reward the friendship of his father, he might confer the crown on his brother Cide Bubac, a younger son of his father by a legitimate wife, and who was therefore of the royal blood of the kings of Quiloa Nuno set of on this expedition with 800 men, accompanied by Mahomet and Bubac, each of whom had sixty followers. On the way he was joined by the sheikh of Otonda, a neighboring town, who offered to accompany him with a well-appointed vessel. This prince had silver chains on his legs, which he wore as a memorial of having been wrongfully imprisoned by the king of Mombaza, and had sworn never to take them off till revenged, having been so used merely because he had shown friendship to the Portuguese.

Having been apprized of the intended attack, the king of Mombaza had provided for his defense, by planting cannons on a fort or bulwark at the mouth of the river, and brought 600 expert archers into the city. Though opposed by a heavy cannonade from the bulwark, Nuno forced his way up the river and anchored in the evening close to the city, whence the archers shot continual flights of arrows into the ships, and were answered by the Portuguese cannon. Next morning early the troops were landed under Pedro Vaz, brother to Nuno, who carried all before him, and planted the Portuguese colors, after killing many of the Moors and driving rest from the city, without losing a single Portuguese soldier. To secure and re-people the city, Nuno sent for a nephew of the king of Melinda, who came with 500 men, many of whom were of some rank; and these were followed by the prince of Montangue with 200 more. Many likewise of the former inhabitants came in and submitted, so that the island began to reassume an appearance of prosperity. The expelled king, sensible of the desperate situation of affairs, sent one of his principal men to propose an accommodation, offering to pay a ransom to preserve his city from destruction, and to become tributary. An agreement was accordingly entered into to this effect, and the king began to make the stipulated payments; but finding sickness to prevail among the Portuguese of whom two hundred soon died, and many more were incapacitated from service, he began to fall off from the completion of the agreement, and as the prince of Melinda durst not undertake to defend the place without a considerable force of Portuguese, Nuno destroyed the city by fire and returned to Melinde carrying with him those he had formerly left sick at Zanzibar. Leaving Melinda, he left 80 of his men there sick, to be carried to India on their recovery by Tristan Homem: who afterwards defended Melinda with these men against the king of Mombaza, who endeavored to revenge himself there for the injury he had sustained from the Portuguese.

 

Taken from: Decadas da Asia 1 decade v. 2 De Barros

 

P238

(1505) This island (Mombasa) lies within the mainland, surrounded by another waterway in the manner of Quiloa, which is four leagues long in roundabout, and at its entrance, very close to the mouth of the river, the city is built on a plate of land in such a way that it covers most of its entire body; and since the site makes it beautiful to see from the outside with the large castles, terraces, and towers that appear, it is terrifying to anyone who has to attack it. In front of it, the sea forms a shell-like shape, which forms a very spacious bay for anchoring large ships, and inside there, in parts, the river is so wide that sailing ships can easily sail around it; in the middle of the island, on the mainland side, a rocky reef begins, which crosses the river, which allows them to walk from one side to the other at low tide, and beyond this arm of water, which embraces the amount of land that forms the island, other narrow passages enter inside the mainland, which can also be navigated.

 

Taken from : João de Barros, Ásia: Dos Feitos que os Portugueses fizeram no descobrimento e conquista dos Mares e Terras do Oriente. 4 Vols. Lisboa, 1945 (orig. 1615). 4:155.

 

(After the war with Mombasa had started)

…… To pay the money (to the Portuguese), he sent some princely men to the city, that they will survive the nobles’ houses, that they will still stand, for their noble owners to launch their resources to pay, and they will find that they have yet to save more than nine hundred principal houses,

lamenting with many tears the ruin of others. ……

 

Taken from : Documentos Sobre Os Portugueses Em Mocambique E Na Africa Central 1497-1840 Vol I

ACCOUNT OF THE VOYAGE OF D. FRANCISCO DE ALMEIDA, VICEROY OF INDIA, ALONG THE EAST COAST OF AFRICA (Manuscrito de Valentim Fernandes d1519)

[1506] (This is the eyewitness account of Hans Mayer)

 

On the 9th August they left Kilwa for Mombasa a distance of 60 leagues. Sam Raffael on the 14th of this month and the captain-major arrived the day before with 10 ships.

The Moors of Mombasa had built a bastion with a number of bombards at the entrance of the bar which is very narrow. And as the first ship entered with Gonçalo de Payva who had gone ahead taking soundings, they fired the artillery upon him and pierced his ship from one side to the other whereupon they fired the artillery back at them and scored so many hits on the bastion that the gunpowder caught fire and burned it whilst the Moors fled, and in this way did the fleet enter and cast anchor before the city.

On that day the eve of Our Lady they fired upon the city with all the artillery on every nao and from the city they fired theirs.

And when the captain-major entered the city he captured a Moor who chanced to be of the Royal household and from him they had much information.

The first night after the fleet’s arrival there came to the beach a Castilian whom Ontonio de Campo had left behind who was a bombardier turned Moor, and he bade the Christians be off, as Mombasa was not like Kilwa and he told them that they need not think that they would eat their hearts like chicken as they had in Kilwa, but If they were resolved to come ashore then let them come, for supper was ready for them. And the captain-major offered him safety and pardon, but he would have none of either.

This is a very big city that lies on an island a little more than a league and a half to two leagues round, The city is on the highest point, and all of it is built on rocks and the side facing the sea is not walled, being very high. And part of the island has a wall that is about the height of a fortress.

The houses are after the fashion of Kilwa and the greater part are of three stories and all covered with plaster.

The streets are narrow, no more than two men can walk abreast, and there are mounting-blocks in front of all of them that make them narrower.

 

The captain-major and the other captains together agreed to set fire to this city in the afternoon and to enter it the following morning. And when they were about to set fire to it, the Moors came to receive them with arrows and quantities of stones that fell like rain.

This city has more than 600 houses covered with palm-leaves. This palm is picked when the branches are green and the houses built of masonry have these others amongst them and also porches and stables and other houses where cattle are kept. The houses that did not have these palm houses next to them were few. And fire was set to it, the whole city burned like one huge fire that lasted nearly all night. Many houses fell in this fire and great wealth was burned, for it was from here that the trade with Sofala and Cambay was carried on by sea.

In this port were naos from Cambay already unloaded and laid aground and the Christians went to burn them, but left them unburned because the Moors defended them so well that some of the Christians were wounded.

On this night there was an eclipse of the moon.

On Friday the 15th of August the feast of Our Lady the captain-major lay with 8 naos on one side of Mombasa and his son Dom Lorenço on the other side with three, and very early in the morning every man armed himself and breakfasted, The captain-major had arranged that when he gave the signal with a bombarda grossa everyone was to land, and in this way all the longboats hovered near the shore and at high tide the bombard was fired and straightway every one leapt ashore in good order, crossbowmen and musketeers in front, and climbing a steep side of the hill, they came upon the city finding some houses emptied by the night’s fire, and entering further into the city where the houses were three stories high, they were received in lively fashion with stones thrown from the rooftops, the cross-bowmen shot, but not one musketeer. As the streets were narrow the stones they threw struck one side and then the other breaking the fall. There were also many balconies that crossed the streets where the men could safely shelter. And the captain-major with his guide who was the Moor he had captured went on the way to the king’s house. And the order had been given that only as a last resort was any man to enter a house, and a certain captain Vermudez upon reaching the king’s house forthwith went aloft and set up the standard crying Portugal Portugal. And along the way they killed many Moors.

They saw some 60 Moors leave the city all of them dressed in Turkish coats and caps walking leisurely to the palm grove. Some said the king was amongst them. And no Christian followed them.

And all the people of the city had taken shelter in this palm grove. At its entrance were not less than 500 bowmen all of them Negro slaves of the white men, their captivity being more a matter of obedience than subjection like those of Kilwa.

The captain-major ordered them to loot the city and every man to return to his nao and all that was taken was to come together in one lot and the men were to receive one twentieth of all that was brought.

And any man who found gold or silver or seed-pearl (a tiny pearl weighing less than a quarter of a grain) was to be given a twentieth. And everyone set to loot and search the houses breaking down the doors with axes and battering rams. And there were in the city quantities of cotton cloth from Cambay because all this coast dresses in these cloths and has no others. In this way the captain-major gathered a great sum for the Sofala trade. They found a great number of very rich cloths, of silk and gold, carpets and saddle-cloths, especially one carpet that cannot be bettered anywhere and which was sent to the king of Portugal with many other articles of great value.

At nightfall the captain-major ordered everyone to withdraw to the field between the city and the sea, giving the captain of each nao his station where they kept watch all night long, one musket shot from the palm grove where the Moors were and where they said the king was, On the morning of the 16th of August they began again to loot but they say that because the men were tired from the previous day and from handling arms and from lack of sleep there was left in the city as much wealth as they took; save for what each man took with him, they took supplies of rice honey butter corn without count camels and a great number of smaller cattle, and before the city was taken they had seen two elephants that were brought out to frighten them. Many people were taken captive, women, some white, and children and some merchants from Cambay.

 

On the afternoon of this day which was a Saturday the captain-major ordered everyone to withdraw to the naos in good order and safety in deference to the Moors who were close by. Hardly had the Christians gone out of one door, however, than the Moors began to enter the city by the other to look upon their misfortune, for the streets and houses had many dead lying in them and it was said that there were 1500 dead.

Dom Fernando de Sa was wounded by an arrow that had a poisoned tip. The arrows are made of wood and instead of an iron tip they have one of another piece of wood that has been burned and smeared with an ointment unknown, and are very poisonous, some say that it is the wood itself that is poisonous. Those tipped with iron carry herbs but are not so dangerous or so it seemed with the wounded.

 

According to the Moors this city was the fairest of the whole coast of Habesth (Habash=Ethiopia). Its island abounds in fruit. It has quantities of oranges and very sweet ones, pomegranates, lemons and is more abundant than Kilwa in all things and in sugar cane. Its artillery was all taken into the naos and in one street they found a cannon that five men could not lift, some said it was from a nao called Facy that they said was lost nearby, and they also found an anchor that had been captured from the admiral but they could not take it on board and the Moors used to show it to one another.

In this fight no more than five men were killed but there were many wounded which was due more to divine grace than to human skill.

After returning to the naos they weighed anchor and moved inshore so that the anchors were exposed on dry land at low water. And they stayed ten days, namely 3 for the capture of the city and seven after that because there was not depth enough to leave and the bar is a very hard one to cross. ………….

Now the King of Mombasa and the King of Malindi were at war, and many of their people had been killed on both sides, the cause of the war being the friendship of the King of Malindi with the King of Portugal. Eventually the King of Mombasa had been defeated by the King of Malindi, and for the present they were friends. So the King of Mombasa wrote the following letter to the King of Malindi:

 

May God's blessing be upon you, Sayyid Ali! This is to inform you that a great lord has passed through the town, burning it and laying it waste. He came to the town in such strength and was of such cruelty, that he spared neither man nor woman, old nor young, nay, not even the smallest child. Not even those who fled escaped from his fury. He not only killed and burnt men but even the birds of the heavens were shot down. The stench of the corpses is so great in the town that I dare not go there; nor can I ascertain nor estimate what wealth they have taken from the town. I give you these sad news for your own safety.

 

……… In this city there are a good 10.000 souls of whom some 3.700 are fighting men. …………