in 22 deg., where they heard again of the Portuguese of whom they were in search, from Dissamuta the king of that part of the country.  On offering a silver chain at this place for some provisions, the natives gave it to an old woman to examine if it was genuine, and she informed the Portuguese that at the distance of three days journey there was an island inhabited a long while before by a white people dressed like the Portuguese and wearing crosses hanging from their necks, who lived by rapine and easily took whatever they wanted, as they were armed with spears and guns, with which information the Portuguese were much gratified.  Continuing their voyage past the bay of St Bonaventura and the mouth of the river Massimanga, they entered the bay of Santa Clara, where Diamassuto came to them and entered into a treaty of friendship, worshipping the cross on his knees.  They were here told that white people frequented a neighbouring port, and concluded that they were Hollanders.  Going onwards they found banks of sand not laid down in any chart, and entered a port in lat. 24 deg.  S. The king of this place was named Diacomena, and they here learnt that there were Portuguese on the opposite coast who had been cast away, and now herded cattle for their subsistence.  They said likewise that the Hollanders had been three times at their port, and had left them four musketeers with whose assistance they had made war upon their enemies.  On some trees there were several inscriptions, among which were the following. Christophorus Neoportus Anglus Cap. and on another Dominus Robertus Scherleius Comes, Legatus Regis Persarum.

[Footnote 10:  It is singular that the large circular bay of Mansitare in lat. 19 deg. 30’ S. is not named, although probably meant by the river Mane in the text.—­E.]

[Footnote 11:  Now called Ranoumanthe, discharging its waters into the bay of St Vincents.—­E.]

[Footnote 12:  Now Port St James.—­E.]

In the latitude of 25 deg.  S. they entered a port which they named St Augustine[13] in a kingdom called Vavalinta, of which a Buque named Diamacrinale was king, who no sooner saw the Portuguese than he asked if these were some of the men from the other coast.  This confirmed the stories they had formerly heard respecting the Portuguese, and they were here informed that the place at which they dwelt was only six days sail from that place.  In September they got sight of Cape Romain or St Mary the most southern point of Madagascar, where they spent 40 days in stormy weather, and on St Lukes day, 18th October, they entered the port of that name in the kingdom of Enseroe.  The natives said that there were white people who wore crosses, only at the distance of half a days journey, who had a large town, and Randumana the king came on board the caravel, and sent one of his subjects with a Portuguese to shew him where these white people dwelt, but the black ran away when only half way.