The meeting of the Portuguese fleet this day reached an agreement after lengthy discussions. First, the fleet needed to replenish food supplies and prepare for the return voyage.
Second, apart from the weapons used by the crew, all "spare military supplies" could be traded with the natives. The two ships totaled 40 standard scimitars, 10 matchlock guns, 10 sets of breastplates, 1 two-pound cannon, and 2 barrels of sealed gunpowder. All goods were sold at ten times the price! One gold per scimitar, 10 gold per matchlock gun, 20 gold per breastplate, 200 gold per two-pound cannon, and 2 gold per barrel of gunpowder. Altogether, this amounted to at least 544 gold ducats, an astonishing 2 kilograms of gold!
Of course, the natives might not have that much gold. If they offered pearls, spices, or dyes, the fleet would accept them as well. However, it requires additional transactions to convert them into currency, which is more troublesome than direct gold.
