Return from India

Having reached India and spent some time gathering a fortune in goods from the markets along the western coast, it was from distant Pondicherry that diUmbria began his preparations to leave and return to Europe. For their last evening he planned a long visit to an open air restaurant where he ordered several rounds for his crew and a feast for himself of rum and daal, doogh and samosa, milk wine and mutton curry, finishing with a last serving of rosogolla.

On their first venture out from port, headed to Ceylon, they are able to narrowly avoid five hostile xebecs. They did not escape without taking several rounds of cannon fire however, which, while damaging, also served to show how strong the new ship was.

diUmbria reached Ceylon by going around the island to the east. Upon leaving the city they took a route that curved southward, then around to Calicut.

In Calicut diUmbria bought black tea (having still some in the hold from Ceylon before), pepper, cumin, senna, indigo, turmeric, calico, and some sapphires. Still, there was much more room in hold.
The Venetian’s crew then made it back to Abidjan, stopping only at Natal and Kabirir once past Mozambique. Gold and diamonds were picked up along the way. No pirates threatened them through this peaceful stretch.
Still, some of the sailors voiced some discontent off the coast past Kabirir, the long journey wearing on them.

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From Abidjan to Seville took twenty-four days at sea. First there was a fire, which was quickly put out by diUmbria’s shrewd attention. Then came sharks, great beasts that threw themselves at the vessels to get at the sailors on deck. Meanwhile, the crew themselves were nearly to the point of mutiny, and had to be were bribed with wine during shark attack; through all this, they avoided many a buccaneer.

Once in Seville, the market brought them 1,116,500 ducats for their efforts. Most of the goods they brought back sold well, but even with still they retained all the diamonds and emeralds, as well as their catch of fish.