Zacocʹia

King of Mozamʹbec. Camoens, in his Lusiad, says that he received Vasco da Gama and his men with great hospitality, believing them to be Mahometans, but the moment he discovered that they were Christians all his kindness turned to the most rancorous hate. He tried to allure them into ambush, but, failing in this, sent to Gama a pilot to conduct the fleet to Mombaʹze (2 syl.), where the whole party would have been killed or reduced to slavery. This treachery failed also, because Venus drove the fleet in a contrary direction by a storm. The faithless pilot lastly attempted to run the ships upon hidden rocks, but the Nereids came to the rescue, and the pilot threw himself into the sea to escape the anger of the Portuguese adventurer. (Camoens: Lusiad, bks. i. ii.)