#DhivehiArchives
FUVAH MULAH IN 1529
The French ships, the Pensee and the Sacre, under the brothers Parmentier, sailed from Dieppe on March 28, 1529, on the second, if not the first, voyage to the East. They rounded the Cape in safety...

(A thread)

...and towards the latter end of September were in the neighborhood of the Maldives. Their narrative runs:-

On Sunday (September 19, 1529) we made sail South-South-East and South with scant wind, believing these Islands to be the archipelago near Calecut...

and Commori, which extends North and South.

Monday, September 20. In the morning, were sighted six or seven Islands on the West, the South West and South. On taking our altitude at noon, it was found to be half a degree to the South of the Line.

We endeavoured to fetch one of these Islands; but the wind was contrary, and obliged us to stand off. Yet did we cease not until the Friday following (September 24) to tack, so as to come up with some of them ; but when we approached, we found no anchorage.

Then came contrary winds and rain.

At length we found one green Island, well planted with palms, about a league in length. Jean Masson in our little boat went ashore ; as did also the boat of the Sacre.

The people of the Island gave them a good reception...

...and presented some of their palm-fruits and long-figs (plantains); while the said Misson gave them some knives and mirrors, and other wares. They also gave him, as a present for the Captain, a little chain artificially made of a single piece, which was bent double ;

and also sent to the Captain, between two large leaves of trees, about two or three pounds of sugar-candy, called by them Zagre (Maldivan: hakuru), and made of the same palms and also a quarter or half hundred balls of thick black sugar...

...which is made from the same sugar-candy, and the husk or envelope of the substance whereof the said sugar is composed.

On the 25th died one of our mariners, by name Jean François.

The same day our Captain landed on the Island with the two boats, well armed and...

...equipped, and was honourably received by the Chief or Archpriest of the Island, who came towards him kneeling as though he would kiss his hands, and presented a fine large lemon, quite round, like a big orange. The Captain hastened to raise and embrace him...

...and made him a present of two pairs of knives, which he esteemed highly. The Islanders climbed a number of coco palm-trees, and gave our people to drink of the water. Two or three others presented a few of the Island lemons to our Captain.

In this Island was a Temple or Mosque, a very ancient structure, composed of massive stone. The Captain desired to see the inside as well as the outside, whereupon the Chief Priest bade them open it and entered within.

The work pleased him greatly, and chiefly a woodwork screen of ancient mouldings, the best he had ever seen, with a balustrade so neatly turned that our Ship's carpenter was surprised to see the fitness of the work.

The Temple had galleries all round, and at the end a secret enclosure shut off by a wooden screen, like a Sanctum Sanctorum.The Captain bade them open it, to see what was within, and whether there were any idols there but he perceived nothing but a lamp formed of the coconut.

The roof or vault of this Temple was round in form, with a wainscoted ceiling covered with ancient painting.

Hard by the temple, was a piscina or lavatory, flat-bottomed, and paved with a black stone like marble, finely cut with ancient mouldings...

...and having all the appearance of massive workmanship.

In another place, a little apart, was a kind of square well or fountain, six or eight feet deep, having within it a number of poles, each with a gourd at the end, wherewith the natives drew their water.

This well also was flat-bottomed, and paved with the same stone as the lavatory.

In this Island were many other similar fountains or wells, and also many small chapels and oratories in the same style as the great Temple.

The dwelling houses are quite small and miserably built ; the people are small and thin ; and the only women our men saw were old and emaciated, bald and poor-looking creatures. There was but little in the houses; whereby we judged that they had removed all their...

...valuables, as also their young women and children, further into the interior of the Island, fearing perhaps lest they should be seized by force.

This was probably done at the advice of the Chief Priest, who was a man of much discretion and knowledge...

...as was seen by what ensued : for while we were there, a little strife had arisen between the Captain and the Portuguese sailors of the Sacre, the said Portuguese asserting to the mariners that this Island was one of the Máldive Islands.

This, however, could not be so, for we were then at 1/2 degrees South while the Máldive Islands extends from the 7th to the 17th degree North of the Equator ; whereupon our Captain told him that he was wrong but the other, persisting in his opinion said he was right...

...and proposed that they should inquire the fact of the Chief Priest, who replied that the name of the Island was Moluqu and that the Máldive Islands were fully 200 leagues North of the Island. Nevertheless, I have since seen in a Portugal chart that these Islands...

...South of the line are called Máldivá.

Moreover, this Chief Priest showed the Captain in what quarters lay the countries of Adam, Persia Ormus, Calicut, Moluque, and Sumatra ; and proved himself to be both learned and well travelled.

He was very devout, modest, and amiable, of middle height, white bearded, apparently about 45 to 50 years of age : his name was Brearou Leacaru. (Quite probably the Maldivian Ababakuru Takurufánu)

Meanwhile, our people took supplies of water...

...and the Captain paid the natives handsomely for their coconuts and long-green figs, which were loaded in the boats. He then took his leave and withdrew his men to the boats in order to return to the ship which was plying off and on, in default of any...

anchorage at the Island.

The people there call God Allah.

The same evening after supper we sailed S. E. 1/4 S., close-hauled to the wind.

On the 26th (September) our altitude, on being taken at noon, was found to be 2/3 of a de. South, &c.

Source: H.C.P. Bell, The Máldive Islands. Monograph on the History, Archælogy and Epigraphy.

Typed here by: Muhammad Naajih

Richard Harcourt (Official Photographer of the Royal Air Force Gan in Addu Atoll 1975-1976)
Photo colorized by Ahmed Saffah @safffffuu

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