In this same year 1526, a small vessel was sent from Ternate to discover the islands of Celebes, which were said to abound in gold.  The discoverer easily found the islands but no gold.  Being on his return to the Moluccas, he was carried away by a storm to the eastward till he lost his reckoning, and unexpectedly fell in with a large and beautiful island, inhabited by a simple race of men who treated the Portuguese with much civility.  They were strong made and of a comely appearance, with their complexion inclining to fair, having long lank hair and long beards, and their clothing was of fine mats.  Their food consisted chiefly of roots, cocoa nuts, and figs.  Their language was not understood, but by signs they gave the Portuguese to understand that there was gold in the mountains, but of which they made no use.  They had no knowledge of iron or any other metal.  Leaving this island, which they named after the pilot Diego Lopez Sequeira, they returned to Ternate, after an absence of eight months.

Don Enrique de Menezes, died at Cananor about the end of January 1526, in the thirtieth year of his age.  He was a man of large stature, with a pleasing countenance, just in all his actions, continent, free from covetousness, a true patron of merit, and of the most unblemished honour.  During his government he refused uniformly to accept any of the numerous presents offered him by the eastern princes; and conducted himself with such perfect integrity in every transaction, that at his death his whole treasure amounted only to thirteen rials and a half; and he had even expended the whole of his patrimonial estate during the short continuance of his government of Portuguese India, chiefly in rewarding the merits of his officers.

SECTION VII.

Continuation of the Portuguese Transactions in India, from 1526 to 1538.

At his death in January 1526, Don Enrique de Menezes left a paper sealed up, by which the succession to him in the government was to be regulated, in case the person nominated for that purpose by the king should happen to be absent.  That paper was lost, yet it was known that he had named Francisco de Sa, then commanding in Goa, as his provisional successor.  The second royal nomination was now opened, in which Pedro de Mascarenas was appointed successor to Don Enrique; but Mascarenas commanded at Malacca, which was at a great distance, and the season of the year did not admit of that navigation.  On opening the third patent, Lope Vaz de Sampayo was the person there named, who was accordingly invested in the government, having, engaged on oath to resign to Mascarenas on the arrival of that officer from Malacca.