The next contact between the Kingdom of Portugal and the Marien great tribe seemed even more "friendly" and "smooth." After receiving the sharp scimitars, the natives sent over a small amount of dried fish, some cassava flour, and once again, two small pieces of placer gold!
"Lord above! In this great tribe of natives, there must be even more gold, more shining, beautiful, valuable gold!..."
Although the placer gold that appeared the second time still added up to less than a hundred grams, every sailor realized—or fantasized—that there was more gold in the natives' village!
One had to know, a Cruzado "Crusader" Gold Coin minted by the Kingdom of Portugal weighed only 3.55 grams. And the hundred-plus grams of gold exchanged these two times was worth at least forty Gold Coins! If divided by head, everyone could get one, enough to eat and drink wildly for a month in Lisbon Harbor's sailors' quarter, with all the whale meat and ale they could stomach!...
Shining gold was like a glittering "magnet," holding the "iron filings" of the sailors fast, making no one willing to leave. And after two time-consuming, laborious contacts, the setting sun had already drooped over the Western Sea; night was about to fall.
The native tribe on shore seemed to have lowered its guard as well. Most of the Militia they had mobilized had already dispersed and gone back to their usual bustle in the village. Wisps of cooking smoke rose from all over the settlement, bringing mouthwatering food smells. And among those smells, there seemed to be the presence of certain Spices too, especially tempting the greedy worms in their bellies.
"Chief Capito! The Great Chieftain of the natives on shore has sent an envoy! He says the Great Chieftain likes our weapons very much! The Great