Did Vasco da Gama really burn a pilgrim ship full of Muslims and even pregnant people?

Accounts agree in most aspects. Vasco da Gama – not in his first voyage mind you, but in his return in 1502 which would be Portuguese 4th armada – and his fleet intercepted a ship with several hundreds of people that included women and children that was sailing between Calicut and Red Sea. The ship promptly surrendered upon which Portuguese have repeatedly shaken it down for all the valuables it had. When they were given all they could, instead of releasing the ship Da Gama ordered the ship burned with all the people on it – surprising even his crew and other captains. The victims even offered to pay enormous ransoms once they were released, but Da Gama refused, citing he wanted to take revenge to Zamorin (ruler) of Calicut for the attack on Portuguese factors in Calicut two years earlier. Realizing their fate, the ship started fighting back – even inflicting casualties on the Portuguese – but was ultimately overcome and everybody was killed.

Barros and Correa diverge on the last action, and that is that according to Barros Da Gama “spared” lives of twenty children who were to be taken away and baptized and raised like Christians. This would most likely mean enslavement.