Storia do Mogor 265.5.1

265.5.1

The Chinese governor, on being informed, sent soldiers to inquire into this novel affair. These men, seeing the feathered sailors, became alarmed and halted at a distance. On the fugitives perceiving the fear the soldiers had of them, one of them divested himself of his plumage, and from afar began saluting and telling them in Chinese that they were shipwrecked mariners. They were conveyed to the presence of the governor, and he, taking them to be pirates, ordered them to be seized, while men went to search the boat and see if things were as the sailors said. Finding in the end that they were shipwrecked men, he treated them honourably, gave them food to eat and clothes to wear, for they smelt of the feathers in which they were clothed. After some days he sent them off, accompanied by some soldiers, who carried them to terra firma, and produced them before the chief governor with a letter which reported the facts. After having been examined afresh, they were well treated. In this way they passed through the land of China with a guide provided by each governor of a fortress. They traversed many forests full of wild beasts. At the end of a long journey they reached the city of Macao. There at that time the wife of one of the band was about to marry again ; she broke the marriage off when her husband arrived, and took back her husband, although he was very emaciated and much battered by long travel.