« With this were our people very merry, and on
the day set apart for the journey, there staying
forty in the stockade for its ordinary guard, the
remainder, who numbered 150, set out with their
arms on their journey of discovery, accompanied
by guides who pretended they had not more than
a league to go. In this way they marched, until,
entering a close jungle, they were in a moment
attacked by more than 3,000 armed cafres, who fell
upon them with great fury, killing and wounding
as many as they could; and although the Portu-
guese slew many, nevertheless, surrounded as they
were by dense jungle, they could not fight with
order, and but few escaped and fled back to the
fort, where they were soon besieged. There they
remained several months, suffering greatly from
hunger, until at length they determined to sally
forth and die, if need be, like soldiers with arms in
their hands. This they put into effect, and fell
suddenly on the natives with such fury that they
put them to flight, slaying many ; but when they
would fain have re-formed their ranks, the cafres
returned and fell upon them from all sides, and
seeing them in their power slew them so that not
one escaped. Thus fell they all, selling their lives
as dearly as might be.”


With much difficulty and greatly hindered by his
sick and wounded, Barreto now returned to Sena,
his expedition still further enfeebled by the men
he had left behind, when he found messengers from


BARRETO’S LAST EFFORT 33


the Monomotapa who made friendly overtures,
and several officers were told off to accompany
them back in charge of valuable presents. Barreto
then appointed his camp-master, Vasco Fernandes
Homem, to the command of the column, and set
out for Mozambique, where important business
awaited settlement.
