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THE CAPTIVITY OF HANS STADE.

Caput I.

What helps the watchers in the town,
The mighty ships that plough the main,
If God doth not protect the twain?

I, Hans Stade from Homberg in Hesse, resolving, if it should so please God, to visit India, travelled with that intention from Bremen to Holland, and found in Campon ships which purposed loading salt in Portugal. Thither I sailed with them, and on the 29th day of April, 1547, after sailing on the waters for four weeks, we arrived at a city called Sanct Tunal.[1] Thence I proceeded to Lissebona, which is five miles from Sanct Tuual. In Lissebona I went to an inn, the host of which, a German, was called the young Leuhr; with him I remained some time. This same innkeeper I informed that I had left my country, and asked him when I might succeed in sailing to India. He said that I had delayed too long; and that the king's ships which sailed to India, had departed. I then begged him as I had missed this voyage, to help me towards another, as he knew the language, and that I would in my turn be of service to him.

He took me to a ship as a gunner. The captain of the vessel was named Pintado, and he intended sailing to Brazil for the purpose of trade, and also he had orders to seize such ships as commerced with the white Moors of Barbary. Also whenever he found French ships trafficking with the

  1. ↑ The name of Setubal has fared badly at the hands of foreigners: here it is Sanct Tuual, and English seamen still persist in calling it Saint Ube's.
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