of them shoulde happe to dye the other yet might remayne and serue theyr purpose and for that consideration our Generall required a couple After this time the Gouernour once more came to visit the General bringing with him both the Pilottes he had made promise of to each of which was giuen thirtie Crownes and a coate euery Crowne worth in money fiue shillings with this condition and from that day forward that when the one of them would goe to shore the other should remaine in ship for that our men would alwaies haue one of them on shipboord whilest they remained in Harbour ¶ How the Gouernour of Monsambicke vnderstanding that our Fleete was neither of the Turkes nor yet Moores would haue taken and killed them and how the Captaine generall vnderstood thereof and what further than followed Cap. 7. THese méetings and speaches thus had for assuraunce of friendship betwéene them the concourse of them being ended and the Gouernour departed yet then immediately after appeared that those Moores hauing had such company and long talke with our men had gathered and come to knowledge that they were Christians wherevpon all former good will and friendship of the Moores was now couerted into wrath and furie for they practised meanes to kill our men and so to take the ships The Gouernour had thereof consulted and made prouision for execution of their mischeuous enterprise which had bene likely to haue taken place and sorted to a sorrowfull hap and euent had not the Almightie of his diuine goodnesse moued the heart of one of the Moores which was receiued for Pilot to discouer the same to the Captaine generall who fearing least those Infidells should sodainlye indaunger him and his for that they were manie in number and with him were but a small companye did therefore determine to remaine no longer in that harbour And so vpon the Saterday being the tenth daye of March seuen dayes after his arriuall there he departed thence and went with his ships into the Sea and came to an Ankor harde by an Ilande in the same which was one league from that of Monsambicke and this was done to purpose that vppon Sunday they would heare Masse on lande confeâ—â— themselues and receiue the Sacrament which since 〈◊〉 comming from Lixborne they had not done After our shippes wer thus at an Anker the Captain general then perceiuing the same to be in place of assurance so as the Moores should not burne them whereof before he was greatly afrayde which now by their remooue was preuented and put out of doubt he then determined to retourne to Monsambicke in his boate to demaund the other Pilot that remayned on lande at their comming thence and so leauing his brother with the Fléete in order and readinesse to come and succour him if he should sée him in daunger he departed towardes Monsambicke carrieng with him Nicholas Coello in his boate and the other Pilot Moore Going in this sort they saw how there came bearing right with his boate sixe boates with many armed Moores hauing long bowes arrowes and also shieldes and speares who when they sawe our men beganne then to call vnto them willing them to come to the harbour of their Towne The Pilot Moore tolde the Generall what they meant by their signes and tokens they made and gaue him counsell to retourne thether for that otherwise the Gouernour woulde not delyuer the other Pilot which remained on the shore at which his speach the General was very angry supposing he gaue that counsell to the ende at their comming néere the shore hée might escape and runne away and therefore commaunded him to prison and caused foorthwith to shoote at theyr boats with their Ordinaunce which shot when Paulo de la Gama heard and beléeuing it had bene some further matter of daungers to the General then the cause thereof was indéed he immediately came forwarde with the ship called Berrio vnder saile which when the Nigroes perceiued they fied made away with great hast and so fast that the Captaine generall could not ouertake them therfore he returned with his brother to the other ships where they lay at Ankor The next day the Generall with all his men went on land heard Masse and receiued the Sacrament very deuoutlye being the night before confessed which being done they all went aboord their ships and made sayle the same day The Generall perceiuing no hope to remaine for recouerie of the other Pilot which was on shore in Monsambicke gaue them commaundement to release him that was in the ship committed to prison as before you haue heard whome they carried with theÌ„ on their voyage This Pilot minded to be reuenged vpon y â— Generall in stomacke of his imprisonment determined to cary theÌ„ to y â— Iland Quiloa which was peopled all with Moores and as it séemed meant to informe the King of that place that our shippes were of the Christians of purpose thereby to occasion him to kill and destroy them all and therefore subtillie to shaddowe his wicked intent he willed and perswaded the Captaine generall not to trouble himselfe with the want of the other Pilot for that he would carrie him to a great Iland which was from thence one hundreth leagues and inhabited as it were the one halfe by the Moores and the other by Christians which alwaies were at wars the one with the other from whence also he might furnish himselfe with Pilots to carry him to Calycut But as the Captaine generall had good liking of those speaches so yet gaue he no great credite to the man neuerthelesse he did promise him great giftes if he did carrie him to that Countrey and so went forward on his voyage with a small winde The Tuesdaye after being within sight of lande from whence he departed hée was incalmed which did indure Tuesdaye and Wensdaye the next night after with an Easterly wind being but smal he made way and went into the Sea and vpon Thursday in the morning founde himselfe and all the Fléete foure leagues backe behinde Monsambicke so going vntill the Euening the same day came then to an Anker hard to that Iland where the Sunday next following he heard Masse The winde thus being contrary to his purpose of Nauigation he therefore remained in that place eight daies to wait for such gale thereof as would serue to put him forward on his iourney In which time repaired to our ships a white Moore which was a Minister of the Moores of Monsâ—mbicke who comming on boord the ship of the Generall declared that the Gouernour of the same Towne greatlye did repent him of the breach of peace friendship he had made with him that he would gladly renew the same againe confirme it so remaine a friend To whom the Generall returned aunswere by that messenger to this effect that he would make no peace with the Gouernour neither would he be his friend vntill such time as
all his trust commanding them to go to Coching with some dissimulation and there to trauaile all that they could to kill the Captaine general and all such of our men as they could méete withall And as the Naires are men inconstant and cannot kéepe counsel longer then they are bethinking themselues therof therfore immediatly their intent was knowne to the Captaine general who from thence forward had a better regard to himselfe and vnto the rest of his companye then he had before And the better to take those Naires which came as Spyes thether he appointed thervnto two companies of y ◠Naires of Coching commaunding the one to k pe dilligentlye a long the foord and the other a long the riuer who watched by quarters both by day and night Whilest this dilligence was vsed the Captaine Generall had knowledge that this spy was a Naire of Coching and of the house or stocke of the Leeros who had attendant vppon him certeine Nayres that were straungers which appeared to bée lyke those of Calicut Nowe hauing certeine knowledge héereof he so hande the matter and in such order that forthwith hée tooke them all prisoners and béeing brought before him he commaunded them to bée cruellye whipped in the presence of those Naires of Coching and afterwarde to bée hanged The inhabitauntes of Coching séeing this requested the Captaine Generall to giue them some other punishment since that they were Nayres and not to shewe them so great extremitie but notwithstanding hée wold not graunt vnto anye other punishment for that they had deserued the same Then all his Captaines sayde vnto him that first and before all he should call to remembraunce the greate troubles that the King of Coching hadde susteined for the onelye mainteining of them and also howe much it woulde grieue him to heare saye that such were hanged in his Countrie without his consent Also it woulde giue an occasion for such noble men as were with him to saye that he is a king but for a while since that his iurisdiction is nowe taken from him And forasmuch as hetherto he had vsed him alwayes with reuerence they wished that nowe at the ende he woulde haue him in a greater estimation then euer hée hadde before The Captaine Generall hauing considered theyr reasons did allowe of theyr good councell héerein and caused those Naires to be sent for that were gone to execution of the which there were two halfe dead but those that were liuing hée sent to the king of Coching aduertising him how that they hadde deserued death and also the cause why hée hadde not commaunded them to bée hanged The King hearing this tooke the same in greate honour and estimation that they were sent him and especiall for that there were present sundrye of the noble men of his Countrie and of other places yea and Moores also of the chiefest that dwelt in Coching which did not lette to saye vnto the king to afrunt him withall that our men were they that commaunded and did not obeye But from hence foorthe the Captaine Generall hadde such intelligence that the subtile dealinges of the king of Calycut tooke very small effect against him How the king of Calicut of pure heauinesse for the ill successe he had in the warres did put himselfe into a Torcull and within a small time after came foorth therof chap. 73. IVne béeing now ended and the winter beginning to increase the Captaine generall thought that it woulde be some cause that the king of Calicut would not tarrie there long And therfore he was fully minded to set vpon him at the remouing of his camp for that by experience he knew the small valour of his enimies by such victories as he had gotten in times past which did therefore animate him the more therevnto thinking that at such a time he might doe him much harme And being in a readinesse to vncheine his Mastes he was presently informed that the king of Calicut was reforming a new his Castles and preparing in a readinesse a greater Fléete then euer he had before that hée might giue him therewith once more the battaile This was but a fléeing newes that was commaunded to be giuen out by the king of Calycut who did surmise that at the raising of his Campe which hée was minded to doe and to goe his waye the Captaine Generall woulde sette vppon him And therefore hée determined that his departure should be so secretlye done that no man shoulde knowe thereof but onelye Nabeadarin For this cause therefore he gaue out that hée woulde giue the battaile in the passage of Palurte and also in the Foorde both together to the ende the Captaine Generall might occupie himselfe in defending them both and hée himselfe the better steale awaye as hée didde but hée gotte nothing thereby more then hée hadde gotten before After all this on Saterday in the Euening which was Saint Iohns euen on which day they gaue out that they would giue the battaile there appeared the whole army of the enimyes as they were accustomed to shew themselues The Captaine Generall hoping of theyr comming did tarrye there all that night but in the morning he saw no likelyhood thereof and meruailing what that shoulde meane was informed by two Bramenes that the king of Calycut was gone with his whole power vnto Repelyn and that at that present hée was there For this newes hée was very sorrie but yet for all that hée entered that present daye into Repelyn where hée fought with many of his enimyes slewe and hurt a greate number and so returned to the passage where he remained yet certeine dayes to ensure Coching the better which was yet afeard of the King of Calycuts returning fearing that he would not leaue this passage Howbeit the Captaine Generall was well assured that he would not come there by reason hée was fallen into such reproch and shame in the sight of all men because of his great losses So that immediatly after that he had past the riuers of Repelyn he apparted himselfe with his noble men which had accompanied him in these warres and said vnto them with wéeping eyes in this manner following FOR a man that is without shame as I am it is not much to shedde these teares as I doe the heauinesse of my losse béeing such as fetcheth the same from my hearte with the which I am so troubled that since it is so that I cannot doe it in publike forte I will goe into some place where I may do the same without any body that may sée mée I haue also another griefe which troubleth mée verye sore ouer and besides my dishonour which is for that I am not able to rewarde you for all the greate good will and seruice you haue done mee in these warres the which I take for so greate a duetye that if so be that I might sée my selfe discharged of the same I should bée better contented then with the getting of Coching But since it is not Gods
pleasure that I shoulde get the victorie ouer it which hath procured my dishonour so is it not his pleasure and will that I possesse the state of a king any longer but rather for the amending of my sinnes will ende my lyfe in this Torcull where I meane to continue vntill such time that God hath taken awaye this hatred which hée hath conceiued against mée And from this time forward you may dispose of your selues and do what you shall thinke best with my countrie and subiectes I doe not offer you my person forsomuch as béeing a man so vnfortunate as I am it shall not stand with your credite to require his companye and with this speach hée ended his talke But the Princes and Noble men woulde somewhat haue comforted him and withdrawne him from this his determination but it could not preuaile for that he had fully bent himselfe to the contrary and so with certeine of his Chaplaines he entered into this Torcull Now his mother hauing knowledge that he was there shée sent him word that for this his sodeine determination she remained as heauie and with as sorrowfull a heart as might bée Informing him moreouer that through this sodeine chaunce there hath risen in Calycut a great alteration for that from thence are gone and now are ready to go many sundrie merchants and also that the citie is become wonderfully vnprouided of victualls with the greate feare the inhabitants are in of the Christians which is the occasion ther are no victualls brought thether But no perswasion she sayd could withdrawe him from these wars with the Christians which from the beginning of the same was a great griefe vnto her willing him also that in no case he shoulde returne vnto Calycut vntill he might doe the same with his credit which was cleane lost alreadie And therefore shée counsailed him a while to forbeare vntill such time he did recouer it againe and that with victorie yea rather to loose all then to returne without it With this message the Kings heauinesse increased greatlye and he sent immediatelye for his Brother to whome being come he gaue him charge of the gouernment of his kingdome But after that he came out of the foresaid Torcull it was restored vnto him againe ¶ How there came sundry Kings Princes of the Countrey to demaund peace of the Captaine generall also how there came vnto Coching many Moores of Calycut to inhabite there Chap. 74. ALL these Kings and Noble men which came to serue y e king of Calicut after that he had placed himselfe in the Torcul remained a few dayes in Repelyn tarrieng to sée whether he did repent himselfe of that which he had done or not and perceiuing y e contrary each of them repaired toward their Countreyes whereof the most part of them laye there along the water side And forsomuch as the Winter began to increase and they fearing least the Captaine generall would ouercome them all hauing now lost the hope they had to defend themselues now as before time Therefore they minded to procure as much as they could to be friends and in peace with the Captaine generall For the which intent as Mediatour for the same purpose they sent to the King of Coching whom for that his condition and nature was very good without calling to remembraunce the iniuries that were past which they had done vnto him did vndertake to do the same Sending them immediatly a safeconduct for their safe comming vnto Coching from whence he went in their company to visit the Captaine generall whom at their méeting he earnestly requested to receiue them as his friendes who aunswered that for his sake he would so doe Diuers other Princes also there were that coulde not come but yet notwithstanding they sent vnto him their Embassadours to conclude this peace likewise Also sundrye Moores of Calycut that were great Merchants to the ende they might quietly vse their trade forsooke Calycut came to dwell at Coching with the consent of the Captaine generall Others there were that went to Cananor and Coulan so that the great Trade that was before in Calycut began sodainly to fall And for that the Moores of Calycut began in this sorte to inhabite in Coching therefore the Captaine generall wold not leaue this passage as also for that there came manye sundry times Paraos from Calycut into the riuers to kéep the same by Nabeadarins commaundement Howbeit the Captaine generall met with them and fought with them and hurt many of his enimies Moreouer he oftentimes entered into the Lord of Repelyns Countrey to take Cattell for his prouision fought with many of his enimies vpon whom he made great slaughter One daye by chaunce our men met with certaine Tones of the enimies the which were in a certaine standing water and carried them away into the riuers and made with the enimies a valyant and stout skirmish in the which was slaine the greatest parte of them and not one of our men hurt After all this the Lorde of Repelyn became the Captaine generalls friende and came to visite him and brought him for a Present a great quantitie of Pepper which he had in his Countrey ¶ How Lope Suares de Menesis departed for the Indias for captaine generall of the Fleete that went in the yeare of our Lorde a 1504. and what more past or euer he came to Ansadina cap. 75. IN the yeare of our Lorde 1504. the king of Portingale hauing certeine knowledge that the king of Calycut continued as yet in the warres did therfore send to succour our men with a Fléete of twelue great shippes and appointed for Generall of the same a Gentleman called Lope Suares de Menesis who in the time of king Don Iohn the second had bene Captaine in the Mina The Captaines of the Fléet were these following Pedro de Mendosa Lionel Cotinuo Tristim de la Silua Lope Mendus de Vascon Cele Lope de Abreo Philipe de Castro Alonso Lopes de Castro Alonso Lopes de la Cocts Pero Alonso de Aguylar Vasco de la Siluero Vasco Caruallo Pedro Dynes de Sutunell All these were Gentlemen borne and some were made Gentlemen by seruice These also carryed with them many valiant souldiers who being imbarked and the Captaine Generall dispatched did depart from Lishborne the .xxii. of Aprill in the selfe same yeare and continuing theyr voiage on the second day of May they found themselues right in their course to Cape Verde Then y ◠Captaine generall hauing héere all y ◠Fléete together caused his Captaines Maisters and Pilots to assemble themselues vnto whome he spake in sence following Willing them to call to remembraunce howe lately they had departed from Portingale for which cause it was requisite that they were circumspect and diligent and not to fall into such disorders and extremities as hetherto they haue done for not looking euery man vnto his charge and not to
his Kingdome so that in these dayes there is in trueth none of that name or race that raigneth or gouerneth It is to be vnderstoode that Alonso de payua did verely beléeue that this Emperour of Aethiopia was this supposed Presbiter Ioan by reason he was informed and had intelligence that the same Emperour was a Christian and the People of his Kingdome were also Christians as héereafter I shall declare when occasion shall serue For which cause I am in opinion y ◠Alonso did depart towards his Court taking order and determining with Pedro de Couillian that at a time appointed they shuld méet in the great Cayro This conference and determination betwéene them so had and accorded vpon Pedro de Couillian went towards the Indies in a shippe of the Moores of Cananor and béeing come to the Indies he went to the towne of Calicut and to the Ilands of Goa where hée gathered perfect information intelligence of the spices which they haue in the Indies and of the commodities which come from other places and of the lyke sorte of Townes which were ther in the Indies of all which he set downe the names in the Card he carried with him albeit ill written And after he had séene those places he went to Sofala where he gathered knowledge of the great Iland of San Laurenso which the Moores doe call La ysla de la Luna And séeing the people of Sofala to be blacke as those of Guynee are he therevpon surmised that all that coast was subdued and that they might goe by Sea to the Indias and therefore returning thence he went to Ormuse and so to Cayro where hée vnderstoode that Alonso de Payua was dead And béeing desirous to returne to Portingale by chaunce hée mette with two Iewes of Spaine the one called Raby Abraham borne in Vesa the other Ioseph borne in Lamego These after the departure of Pedro Couillian and Alonso de Payua from Portingale tolde the King Don Ioan that they had béene in the Cayro vnderstoode there much newes of Ormuse and of theyr tract had with and into the Indies Wherevpon the King sent letters by Raby Abraham to Pedro Couillian and to Alonso de Payua declaring that his pleasure was they shoulde retourne in the companie of those Iewes if they had séene all those thinges whereof hée gaue them charge and commaundement at their departure if not that then they shoulde sende by those Iewes a declaration and true reporte what they had séene and had intelligence of And moreouer that they shoulde procure to atteine to the sight of Presbiter Ioan and also shewe and informe what they coulde concerning Ormuse to Raby Abraham for that hée had sworne by his lawe neuer to retourne to Portingale vnlesse hée first sawe the same Vppon receipte of which letters and message Pedro de Couillian his purpose of retourning to Portingale was then stayed And therefore he forthwith dispatched Ioseph with letters to the King his Lorde and Maister wherein hée related and fully declared in euery respect what hée had séene in the Indias and of Sofala and lykewise hée sent the Carde in which all the Townes names were put downe that hée had séene Informing also the King Don Ioan that the Emperour of Aethiopia is hée who is supposed to bée y e Presbiter Ioan But I am of opinion that in Portingale remaineth this name of Emperour of Aethiopia for that in his kingdome hée is not called by the name of Prester Ioan as I will heereafter declare When Ioseph was departed Pedro de Couillian with Raby Abraham went towards Ormuse and thence to the straights of the red sea and hauing shewed to the same Raby those places and scituation therof Pedro Couillian then sent him to Portingale with letters to the king importing what hée shewed him and how that hée himselfe was determined to make his voyage to Presbiter Ioan and after this pursuing that his intent accordinglye he came to the presence of y e Emperour that then ther reigned and gouerned whose name was Alexander of whome hée was verye well receiued and when hée had presented vnto him the letters of the king Don Ioan he accepted the same verye ioyfully in that they came from a Christian Prince so farre distaunt from his Countrie Howbeit hée gaue to the same little credite and yet neuerthelesse hée gaue vnto Pedro de Couillian great honour and gifts and when hée was in readynesse to departe thence and expected lisence for the same which hée had requested and should haue béene graunted him the Emperour then deceased after whome succéeded in the Empire another named Nahu hée coulde not by him bée lycensed to depart thence neither yet of his sonne Dauid who was Emperour also and succéeded Nahu so that Pedro de Couillian remayned in that Countrie and neuer after returned into Portingale neyther yet the King Don Ioan euer hearde or vnderstoode more of him and therefore supposed him to bée dead Onely there remaineth the information of his trauailes which hée had sette downe and written in the letters which the Iewes carryed After this came to Lishborne a Frier out of the Countrie of Presbiter Ioan to whome the king shewed great curtesie and vpon whose reporte and great relation made of that countrie the king then determined to procéede in and follow the discouering of the Indias by Sea and therefore hée commaunded two little Shippes to bée made committing the charge of that preparation and appointing for ouerséer or surueiour of the Timber then cut for that purpose one Ioan de Braganca his seruaunt borne in the woodes in a village called Daluor and was brought to Lishborne to the house of the Myna in the yeare of our Lord a thousande foure hundred nintie fiue the fiue and twentie daye of October in the same yeare and afterward did succéede in that Kingdome the most high king of glorious memorye Don Manuel by whome also it appeared that he was there elected by diuine prouidence for discouery of those Countries and Prouinces whereby the Christian faith is so greatly increased and inlarged the róyall house of Portingale so mightely honoured and the subiectes of the same so plenteously enriched ¶ How King Don Manuel the first of that name prepared after the decease of King Don Ioan to discouer the Indias by one Vasco de la Gama and by other Captaines and howe they departed from Lyshborne Chap. 2. THE King Don Ioan béeing dead Don Manuel then succéeded him in whome appeared a higher stomacke and more valyauntnesse of minde for atteining of things impreagnable making triall and executing matters that passed common capacitie of man and aboue the retch of naturall knowledge then was in Alexander the greate Don Manuel now come to the crowne and earnestly minded bent to prosecute that which his predecessour Don Ioan had begun for discouering of the Indias and being therein greatly furthered by such matter order and intelligence as he found and were
thence towards the Riuer called Ryo del infante vpon the Friday being the eight day of Nouember which was the Feast daye of the conception of our Lady and in sailing forward on their voyage ther arose so great a storme with a forewinde vpon the daye of Saint Luke that our whole Fléete did runne with there small sayles and that also verye low In this course they lost the company of Nicholas Coello howbeit the next night after they all met and ioyned together againe Now hauing past and sailed through this great storm or rather torment of wind which then was ceased the Captaine Generall vppon the sixtéenth daye of December did discouer lande which were certaine small Rockes being distaunt from the Harbour of Saint Blaze thréescore leagues and fiue leagues also from the other part of the Rocke called De la cruze where Bartholome Dyas did erect his last marke from which place to the Riuer Del Infante are fiftéene leagues This Countrey is very pleasant and sightly in viewe and in the same is great store of Cattell and the further our Fléete sayled on that Coast the better and higher the Trées were all which things our men might well perceiue and discerne by reason they went so néere the shore with their ships And vpon the Saterday they past hard by and within sight of the Rocke De la cruze and for that they were then come so far forward as the Riuer Del infante they were loath to passe the same and thereof taking counsell all the next night they went somewhat wide from the Coast with a fore-winde vntill Euensong time and then the Winde came to the East which was right against them wherefore the Captaine generall made to Seawarde going in such sort as sometime he kept the Sea and sometime droue towards the lande vntill the Tuesday being the twentith of December at the setting of the Sunne the winde then comming to the West which was a forewinde and whether to attayne to haue knowledge of the Lande they consulted all that night which were best to doe The next daye at tenne of the Clocke in the fore noone they came to the Rocke aforesayde which is thrée score leagues a stearne the place wherevnto they minded to goe This Rocke is the cause of the great Currents that are there and the selfe same daye the Fléete through passed the same Course with a great forewinde which had also indured them thrée or foure dayes and wherewith they ranne through those Currents which greatlye they feared and were in doubt to haue done These daungerous Currents thus safelye and happelye passed without losse or damage they all were very glad and ioyfull that theyr good Fortune was to haue passed the same in manner as Bartholome Dyas before that time had accordinglye done Wherefore the Captaine generall béeing animated and encouraged with this his great good lucke and Fortune and after thankes giuen to God for the same did then saye that hée verelye beléeued that it was Gods good will and pleasure that the Indias should be founde ¶ How the Captaine generall came to the Lande called La terra de la buena gente and after went to the Riuer called Ryo de las buenas sennales how hee brought theyr shippes on grounde and of the great sicknesse our people had after they arriued there Chap. 4. THus following their voyage they perceiued that vpon Christmas daye they had discouered along the Coast thrée score and tâ—nne leagues to the Eastward which was the waye he carryed with him in his Register and wherein the Indias are And héere the Fléete went along vpon the Sea without taking land so farre that they began to want and haue lacke of water for to drinke and were inforced to dresse their meate with salt water so that no man of that Fléete had then allowaunce of water to drinke more then one pinte a day Howbeit vpon the Friday being the eleuenth day of Ianuary in the yeare of our Lord God 1498. drawing néere the lande they went out in their boates along the Coast to take view thereof and so passing by the same they saw many Nigroes with a great company of women all of them of great stature which went along the Sea side and when the Captain generall saw and perceiued that they showed themselues to bée a people flexible to ciuilitie and of a quiet disposition hée commaunded one of our men called Martin Alonso who coulde speake manye languages of the Nigroes and one other with him to leape out on Lande and to goe to them which immediatelye those two persons did and at theyr comming to the same blacke People they were of them verye well receyued and especiallye of the chiefe person or Gouernour of the same to whome our Generall viewing his and theyr manner of courtesie foorthwith sent a Iacket a payre of Hose and a Cappe beeing all redde and a Bracelet of Copper of which things he was very glad and rendered great thankes to the Generall for the same saieng that with a verye good will hée shoulde haue of gifte anye thing he would desire or had néede off that was to be had in his Countrey All which Martin Alonso vnderstanding theyr language tolde to the Generall who was verye ioyfull that by his interpretation those people and ours might of each other haue vnderstanding giuing also at that instant license to y e same Alonso one moe of our men to goe with those people for one night to their Towne at the request of the same gouernour who verie earnestly required the same The gouernour then apparelled himselfe with those Garments which the Generall gaue him and with great pleasure gaue commaundement to many of his chiefe men to goe before and receiue him when he came to their towne The people as they went viewed and beheld with greate pleasure and admiration those vestures which our General had giuen him clapping their hands for ioy thereof which manner of gladsome reioysing they vsed thrée or foure times before they came to their towne And after their entraunce therein they went round about the same to the end all the people and inhabitants thereof might sée and behold those giuen garments and straunge arraie Which béeing done the gouernour entered into his house where he commaunded Alonso and his companion to be well lodged and gaue to them for their supper a Hen euen such as ours bée and Pap made of Mylyo which is a kinde of graine of a yeolow coulour whereof also they make bread This night repaired many Nigroes to their lodging to sée them And the next daie after the gouernour sent them to their ships with certaine Nigroes of his loden with hens for the Captaine Generall who rendered thanks for the same and required by his interpretour those Nigroes to saie vnto their Gouernour that he now saw and perceiued him to be a noble man or king of that countrie forasmuch as the Generall and the rest
can be imprisoned for any cause nor be put to death by any meane of ordinarie iustice Howbeit when one of them doth kill another or else doth kill a Cowe which amongst them is taken for a greate sinne for that they worshippe them or sléepe or eate with a countrie woman or speake euill of the king Then will the king hauing true information of any of these offences giue out his warrant in writing vnder his owne hand directed to one Nayre commaunding him therby that he with two or thrée other doe forthwith kill the Nayre that hath so offended and sinned contrarie to the Law By vertue of which warrant they hew and cut him with their swoords wheresoeuer they doe finde him and when he is dead they hang vpon him the kings writing to the end that all men may know and vnderstand wherefore they killed him These Nayres cannot take their weapons nor enter into any combat before they be armed knights when they atteine to the age of seauen yeares they bée forthwith set to learne to play at all weapons to the ende they should bée very perfect their Maisters doe hale and wrest the ioyntes of their armes and afterward they teache them their fence such as bée apt for the same The weaponnes that are most vsed amongest them be Swoords and Targets The Maisters which teach them be graduats in the weapons which they teach and they bée called in their language Panycaes They be reuerenced amongest the Nayres euery scholler of theirs whatsoeuer although he be olde or if hée be a great noble man shall at all times when he séeth him doe to him reuerence and worship and this by lawe is ordeined and further all of them are bound to take at their hands a lesson two monthes in euery yeare during theyr liues By reason whereof they be very perfect and skilful in theyr weapons and for that cause they greatly estéeme of themselues When any of them will be an armed knight hée then goeth well accompanied with all his kinred and friends presenteth himselfe before the king to whome he first offereth thréescore Fannons of golde which is a certeine kinde of money amounting to the value of thrée crownes Whervpon the king doth immediatly aske him whether he will kéepe and obserue the order and custome of the Nayres Wherevnto he aunswereth and saith yea Then hée commaundeth to put about him a swoorde and laieng his right hand vpon his head saith certaine words as though he wold pray ouer him which he vttereth so 〈◊〉 as none can heare the same Afterward he imbraceth him saieng in his language these words folowing which in our tongue doth signifie or meane Haue a regard to keepe these Braâ—â—â—es and their Kine This being done the Nayre doth fall down and worship the King and from thence forth he remaineth made Knight These Nayres when they yéelde themselues to liue and serue any King or Noble man they binde themselues to dye with him and for him which bond they doe so well obserue and inuiolably kéepe that if their Master in any warre or otherwise be slaine they will fight vntill they are killed which hath done the same acte and if at that instant they cannot accomplish their wills for that they were not present at the déede doing then will they goe afterward and séeke them out and neuer leaue them till they be killed by some manner of deuise They be great southsayers they haue good dayes and bad dayes they worship the Sun the Moone the fire and the Kine and the first that they do méet in going forth of their house in the morning they doe easily beléeue whatsoeuer vanitie The Diuell is oftentimes in them but they say it is one of their Gods or Pagodes for so they call him but whosoeuer or whatsoeuer it be it inforceth them to vtter terrible words speaches which the King doth beléeue And the Nayre in whome the Diuell is so entred goeth with a naked sword before the King altogether quaking trembling giuing himself cuts wounds saieng I am such a God and I am come to tell thée such a thing in this manner he vseth himselfe crieng out lyke a mad man and if the King make any doubt of that he saith doth not presently giue credite to his speache then doth he rore send forth greater cryes giue himselfe greater cuts vntill such time the King doe beléeue him There be other linages of people of y e Malabars which are of diuers sects customes whereof to speake were ouer tedious too long to declare all which doe obaye those Kings the Moores onely except which by reason of the great customes they paye for their Merchandise are in great estimation among them ¶ How the Captaine generall sent one of his banished men to Calycut and how a Moore of Tunis came and spake with him by whose meanes he sent a messenger to the King of Calycut and how he returned answere to the Generall cap. 15. THe Captaine generall being come to an Ankor without the Barre or Recife of Calycut he sent one of his banished men in the selfe same Almaydes or boats which they brought thether for two respects the one to sée what Countrey it was the other to make tryall how we should be receiued because we wer Christians beléeuing also y â— the people there wer christened when this banished man was landed ther came immediatly a great number of people to sée him as a stranger they asked of the Malabars which went with him what he was Who aunswered that they déemed him to be a Moore and that he came with those which are in the thrée shippes they doe sée without the Barre at Ankor Whereof they of Calycut greatly meruailed for that his apparrell was far different from that which the Moores y â— come from y â— straights doe vse to weare Thus flocked about him much people some that had the Algarauia tongue spake vnto him but he hauing no vnderstanding thereof could not nor did make any aunswere or speaches vnto them at which also they in like manner greatly meruailed for that being a Moore as they déemed he did not vnderstand the Algarauia language Neuerthelesse going with him in this manner and verelye yet beléeuing he was a Moore they caried him to the house of two Moores which were naturally borne in Tunys in Barbarie and were then come to dwell in Calicut To whom being brought one of them whose name was Bontaybo could speake the Spanish tongue did well knowe the Portingals as he said afterward hauing séene them in Tunys in the time of y e King Don Ioan in the ship called Lareyna which the same King sent thether manye times to séeke for such things as he and his subiects hadde néede of And as soone as the banished man was entered into their house the Moore spake vnto him and sayd I giue thee to the Diuell who brought thee hether
returne all that daye for that they were enimies to the Captaine generall by reason of the Moores who were his enimies also and had receiued newes what he had done in Monsambicke and of the taking of the Sambuco in Mylynde and that we were Christians and that our comming was to discouer Calicut Bontaybo also told the Moores that Spices were estéemed in Portingale very much and that as he iudged they wer not come to discouer Calycut but to settle there a trade and to carrie Spices into their Countrey in the which there is of all sorts of Merchaunts that come to Calycut by the way of the straights and great store of golde and siluer and hauing the Trade setled there woulde redowne vnto the King great profite thereby To the which words the Moores gaue great eare and made their reckoning vpon Bontaybos speach and allowed the same That we being Christians and once come to settle a Trade in Calycut their commoditie then would fall of the price they were at and so would abate the most part of their gaine About this they layed their heads together to worke all meanes they could possible with the king to take the Captaine generall prisoner and to commaunde his ships to be taken also and to kill all our men and this the rather for that in no wise they should retourne to Portingale to carry newes of Calicut And héerevpon they ioyned those that were in credit with the King and went vnto him and one in the name of them all said vnto the king That he shoulde not deceiue himselfe with our men for that the Captaine Generall was no Embassadour but a théefe that went to rob which they knew for most certaine by their Factors which had certified them that assoone as we were come to Monsambicke wher the Xeque went to visite the Captaine generall aboord his shippe and sent him presents and established with him friendship and also giuing him a Pilot to carrie him to Calicut whether he said that he would goe He after this shot his Ordinaunce at the towne with the which he killed of his Subiects and tooke certaine Sambucos laden with Merchaunts and handeled both him and his like vnto Enimies And being departed from thence to Mombassa likewise vnder y e color of friendship saieng that he was bound towarde Calicut the King therevpon tooke occasion to send to visite the Captaine generall aboord his ship requesting him to enter into his harbour who being determined so to doe whether that it was for that he saw within the same many ships or y t he thought he could not make his partie good did flye away so fast that he left one of his Ankors behinde him and from thence also the Pilot ran away which he caried from Monsambicle for the ill lyfe which he lead with him with whipping of him and putting of him vnto other punishment And being departed from Mombassa and come néere vnto Mylynde did take perforce a Sambuco laden with Moores of y e which there were some that dyed in the battaile others that are yet aliue remaining captiues And for that those that were captiues willed him to carry them to Mylynde saieng that there they woulde giue him a newe Pilot to carrye him to Calycut by that meanes onely he came thether And hauing there by the King of Mylynde bene receiued very well yet the Captaine generall would no more come a lande fearing the hurts which he had done and taking the Moore prisoner which the King had sent to visit him and would not delyuer him vntill such time that he had a Pilot sent him Wher by it might well be considered that if so be that he were an Embassadour and were come to maintaine peace he would neuer haue vsed those disorders but wold haue brought the King a present with him Of this his demeanour we giue thée to vnderstand as our dutie bindeth vs that now thou maist doe as thou shalt thinke good therein With this newes the king remained amazed and told the Moores that he would determine himselfe what shall be thought most conuenient they séeing this thought the same not to be the waye to cause the King to doe as they would haue him and did afterward tell the Catuall thereof who was in great credite with the King requesting him to perswade with the King not to receiue any such Embassage as that was and the cause thereof the rather was that he tooke this present for so small a valew With this the Catuall went immediately to the King who told him what the Moores had said to whom the Catuall gaue counsaile to doe as the Moores had requested him immediately the King began to change his countenaunce against the Captaine generall but not so much as the same might be perceiued But as soone as the Moores had knowledge by the Catuall concerning the present that the Captaine generall would haue sent to y e King and that he would not consent therevnto the Moores tooke occasion to go to y e Generalls lodging with a fained friendship offering themselues to instruct him what he should best doe and talking with him they sayd that in that Country it was accustomed that those the which came from other places about businesse with the King shoulde bring him a Present and therefore it were good that hée did sende him one The Captaine Generall béeing offended with that iniurye they hadde offered him and that the Catuall and the Kings Factour would not consent therevnto did vpon the same take occasion to shew them those péeces the which he was minded for to send who hauing séene the same they saide to the Generall that the Catuall and the Factor had great reason to be offended thereat for that the same was not a present for to be sent to a King neyther would they wish him to send it for that it would be iudged that by the sending thereof he did mocke the King All this they tolde him and as they said as friends in shewing him their minde Bontaybo told him also in the same manner meruailing what was the cause he brought no other things since there was plentie of all things in Portingale◠But the Captaine generall excused himselfe saieng that he was not certaine that he should come to Calycut ¶ How the Captaine generall returning spake with the King of Calycut how he gaue him license to returne vnto his ships Chap. 19. ALL this daye the Captaine generall was greatly offended for that the Catuall the Factor were not returned so that he was once determined to goe to the Court with out them yet he thought best to tarry till the next daye on which in the afternoone they came with whome he shewed himselfe to be offended for their long tarrieng But they did aunswere him touching that matter nothing at all but talked of other things and so went with him to the Court. And for that the King was somewhat chaunged as I haue said against the
same a boorde and so take them and kill all those that were within them which thing for that it did so manifestly appeare to the Captaine General he would not commaund the Shippes to bée brought anye néerer And also for that the same was so appareaunt vnto the others of his men that were with him They gaue him counsaile not to deale therein The Catuall séeing that he would not commaunde those Shippes to bée brought néere the shoare and for that there was no cause to staye him or offer him any wrong and séeing that hée could not kill him did then beginne to request him to bring his Sailes and the Rudder of the Shippes a lande With that the Captaine Generall beganne to laugh sayeng that he would neither doe the one nor yet the other since that the king did giue him frée license to goe without any condition And therefore hée willed him to doe what he would and how that of all the iniuryes which hée had offered him the king shoulde bée made priuie who he knewe woulde doe him iustice but yet for all this both hée and his remayned in some feare of suspect although they did not outwardly shew the same At length the Captaine Generall with the rest feigning themselues to be an hungred and that they were vnprouided of victualls did request him that some of his men might goe to prouide the same and hée woulde remaine alone but for all that the Catuall woulde not agrée therevnto Nowe our men béeing in feare to sée themselues in such a daunger Then came Gonsallo Peres supposing that the Captaine Generall had ben at his liberty and that they were tarrieng for him and the others who tolde him that hée hadde mette with Nicholas Coello and with the others which tarryed for him with theyr Boates a lande This newes being brought to the Captaine Generall hée was afeard least the Catuall should know thereof which if he had knowne indéed he would haue sent Pinnaces and many men in them for to haue taken them Therefore did he procure by all the meanes he could that Gonsallo Peres shoulde secretlye returne from thence vnto their shippes and put themselues in good order And also that he should goe with them and informe them in what case he doth remaine Nicholas Coello hauing receiued this dispatch did forthwith depart and that in hast and immediatly after he was departed the Catuall was aduertised thereof who sent after him sundrie Pinnaces well appointed but yet they could not ouertake him and therefore they returned againe vnto the Catuall Then the Catuall after that they were come did once more request the Captaine Generall to write vnto his brother to bring the shippes néere to the lande but he could not perswade the Captaine Generall so to doe saieng that if he should doe it yet his brother would not consent therevnto and although he would yet he knew that the companye would not To this the Catuall did replye that he shoulde not make him beléeue that forsomuch as he did well know that all things should be done as he would commaund Howbeit the Captaine Generall wold write no such letter for that he was afeard of the bringing of the ships so néere the shoare for the causes aboue mentioned ¶ How the Catuall was contented that the Captaine Generall should goe to his ships after that what chaunced cap. 21. AFter this sorte they spent that day in the which our men remained in great feare forsomuch as in the night they were put in a great yarde that was vnderfoote layed with Brick and compassed about with walls also had to kéepe them far more men then they had in the day Then the Captaine Generall perceiued by the countenance of his men y ◠they feared least they shuld be departed y e one from y e other y t next day after as he himselfe suspected the lyke although he gaue no outward shew thereof but rather had a confidence that as soone as the king of Calicut had knowledge after what sorte they were stayed would commaunde them to be released for that he did neuer vse with him double dealing it was thought that the Catuall did staye the Captaine Generall after this order because he should giue him some reward And for that he would giue as it were no outwarde shew that he was offended he would néeds come to supper to him that night at the which they hadde both Rice and Hens which he commaunded to be bought the day before The Catuall did much meruaile to sée how little they did passe for their close kéeping after that sort and of the great constancie of the Captaine Generall that he woulde not commaund those shippes to be brought néere to the shoare nor yet condescended to any of the other his request And for that hée thought that it was but a follye to kéepe him prisoner thereby the rather to constraine him to doe it it was Gods pleasure to put him in the head to sette him at lybertie for feare least that the king shoulde knowe thereof for that he gaue him frée lybertie to goe to his shippes The next day which was Saterday the second of Iune hée then tolde him that since he had certified the king that he would bring his Merchandise a land he should command the same to be brought For it was a custome that whatsoeuer Merchants did come to Calicut he should immediatly vpon the same command his Merchandise to be brought a land and his men also and they not to returne vnto their ships vntill such time that they had solde the same notwithstanding as soone as the Merchandise were come he would then let him go aboord his ships And although his wordes were with the Captaine Generall of small credite to send vnto his brother a certeine dispatch for them yet he did not lette to tell him that immediatly he would sende for them if so be that they wold giue him Almadias or pinnaces in the which the same might be brought for that his brother woulde not consent that his boates should come a lande vntill such time that hée were there himself with this the Catuall was content for that he thought to make himself possessour of the Merchandise hauing a speciall hope that they were of a great value as the Captaine Generall had tolde him Then he dispatched two of his men with a letter vnto his brother in the which he had made relation after what sorte hée did remaine And that he had no other iniury offered him but that he kept his lodging And for any thing else hée was very well willing him that hée should sende him part of the Merchaundise to content the Catuall withall that he might let him depart And after that hée had receiued the same if then hée would not let him go he would then beléeue that hée did kéepe him prisoner by the King of Calicuts commaundement who hée knew would not commaund the same except it
be deliuered by order And going in this necessitie and also with fowle weather the people began to fall sicke a disease in their gums as they did in the riuer De buenas Sennalâ—s when as they went to Calicut also their armes and legs did swell besides other swellings which did rise in their bodyes by reason of a pestilent stinking humour which did cast them into a laske and of this new infirmitie there dyed to the number of thirtie persons And after that they began once to die and had continued this kinde of weather vppon the Seas ther arose such a feare amongst those that did remain aliue that they fared in the same as it were men amazed and beléeued verely that they should neuer goe from thence for that as they thought this kinde of weather was alwayes durable there and that the same was the cause that it indured so long The Masters and Pilots of the Fléete were of the lyke opinion which made the rest beléeue it the sooner that by this meanes the crye of all those that were there as well of them that were sicke as of the other was great saieng that since the weather would not serue them to goe from thence yet they requested him not to be an occasion of their death but rather consent to retourne vnto Calycut or els to some other place in the Indias and béeing ther to receiue what God shuld appoint them rather then to dye in those seas of to terrible diseases for which ther was no likelihoode of any remedie in especiall hauing lacke of all other things as of victuals and water which as then they began to want by reason that by their long continuaunce in the said place was all spent The Captaine generall séeing the great feare that his men were in and for to animate them the more sayd vnto them all on this sorte requesting them to be content and not to beléeue that such weather as was there coursed by them on that sorte was alwayes lyke to continue for if so bée that it were so then there woulde be no Nauigation from the Goulph to the Strayghtes of Meca nor to Mylynde nor yet from anye other place by the which they shoulde passe And that it was not vnpossible but that they might somewhat digresse from their right course and therefore they met with these calmes and windes which they indured yet those he saide should haue an ende and with the same their troubles will lykewise ende But for all this the Marriners woulde not beléeue him for that in this trouble they had continued foure monethes and also that there were dead of theyr fellowes thirtie persons so that there were so fewe of them remayning that there was not to euery ship sixtéene persons left to gouerne the same and of them there were some that were verye sicke of the disease aboue sayde By this meanes they fell into such a desperation by reason that they thought they shoulde goe no further and as they doe affirme that Paulo de la Gama and Nicholas Coello béeing both of them Captaines made agréement each of them in theyr Shippes to the other that if so bée that there woulde come anye Winde by the which they might retourne into the Indias that then they woulde surelye doe so Béeing thus determined vppon a sodayne there came a fresh gale of Winde with the which the Fléete might goe forwarde and with the same in sixteene dayes they came within sight of lande béeing on a Wednesday the seconde of Februarye at the which the Marriners reioyced in such sort that by meanes of the same they had forgotten theyr troubles and daungers that they were past and gaue vnto God great thankes for all his gracious benefites And when that they hadde sight of the Lande they founde themselues so néere vnto it that the Captaine generall gaue commaundement to cast about into the Sea so much as might bée thought sufficient for to staye vntill the morning the which béeing come they went foorthwith for to reknowledge the Lande and for to sée where they were for that as now there was none that knewe the same although that one of the Moores sayde that they hadde then taken theyr Course directlye towardes Monsanbique which standeth betwéene certaine Ilandes standing ouer against them thrée hundred leagues of the shore whereas the people of the same Countrey are continually sicke of the same disease that our men were The morning being come he went to reknowledge the land and came before a goodly great Citie which was walled round about and within the same very faire and high houses and in the midst of the same there was a great Pallaice which stood very high and séemed to be of a goodly building all this they saw very well out of their ships This Citie is called Magadoxo which standeth at the ende of the said goulfe in the Coast of Aethiopia a hundred thirtéene leagues from Mylynde the scituation whereof I shall declare héereafter And for that the Captaine generall knew the same to bée a Citie of Moores when as hée went along the Coast hée commaunded to shoote of manye péeces of Ordinaunce and also for that he coulde not tell how farre hée was from Mylynde from thence forward he stayed in the night because he would not passe the same Foorthwith on Saturday being the fifth of Februarie lieng ouer against a village of the Moores which they call Pate being a hundred and thrée leagues from Magadoxo there came from thence eight Terradas which is a certaine kinde of Boates of that Countrey being all full of Souldiours and made theyr waye straight towarde our Fléete fromwhence we shot so many péeces of Ordinaunce that they thought themselues happy to haue escaped by running awaye Howbeit our men did not followe them for lacke of winde The next Mundaye following the Generall arriued at Mylynde and béeing there the King sent to visite the Captaine Generall with sundrye fresh victualls sending him word also how glad hée was of his comming The Generall aunswered him againe by Fernan Martines by whome hée sent him a Present and for because of those that were sicke whome hée was desirous to haue cured hée tarryed there fiue dayes in the which time there died of them many At this present by the kings license he caused to be set a land a marke in token of friendship And after that he had prouided himselfe of victuals he departed on a wednesday in the morning béeing the xvii of Februarie with an Embassadour whome the king did sende to the king of Portingale for a perpetuall confirmation of friendshippe betwéene them Of the death of the Captaine Generalls brother and of the burning of one of the ships called Saint Raphael also how he arriued in Portingale and of the honour the king gaue him at their meeting cap. 27. NOw for that the Captaine Generall had not men inough to gouerne the whole Fléete he thought good and
him almost he spent his time in no other thing but to knowe the vse custome of the king of Portingale of the order of his gouernment also perticularly as though y t he did remember no other matter all y â— time being desirous to see y e Captain general did procure with as much diligeÌ„ce as he could to haue him a land to bring him to his pallaice notwithstanding he made his excuse saieng y t the king his master had commanded him not to come a land in any port with this answere y e king was driuen to encounter with him vpon the water who would néeds go as far as y e water side on horsback with y â— furniture of a Ienet y t the king of Portingale had sent him And for y t in his country he had none y t could tel y e order therof he requested one of our men to do so much And when the king had all things in a redines ther wer tarrieng for him certein of y e principals at y e foot of a staire amongst them ther was brought a liue shéep which whilest y e king was coÌ„ming down they did open as he was aliue after y t they had taken out his guts bowels they laid y â— same vnder y e horse féet The king being now on horsbacke he went also with his horse vpon y e shéepe which is a kinde of ceremony y â— the witches ther do vse After y t he had thus troden vpon the shéepe he went toward y e water side with all his company after him a foot saieng w t a lowd voice certein words of witchcraft And after this sort he met with the Captaine Generall vpon y e water where he deliuered him a Pilot to carrie him to Calycut Heere there were lefte with the king two of those banished men that they might enforme themselues of the countrie as farre as in their strength one of those was called afterwarde Machado who after that hée had gotten the Arabian language went by lande vnto the straights and from thence vnto the kingdome of Cambaya from whence he did passe to Balagarte and did there settle himselfe with the Sabayo that was Lorde of Goa saieng that he was a Moore and for the same he was taken in all that Countrie this his trauell was very profitable to Alonso de Albuâ—querque as you shall perceiue héereafter How the Captaine Generall arriued at Calycut and how the king sent to visit him a boord his ship and also how afterward he came a land for to see him and of his receiuing there Cap. 22. THe Captaine Generall béeing returned to his ships departed toward Calycut being the 7. day of August on the 20. he came to Ansadina wher he staied certeine daies for the comming of the shippes of Meca with intent to set vpon theÌ„ if so be y t they came thether And whilest they were there they did confesse themselues and afterward did receiue the Sacrament And they séeing that there came no ships departed toward Calycut and on the 13. of September he came to an ankor within a league of the same And immediatly there came certeine Almadias toward our fléete to sell victuals also there came certein Nayres of y e most principall belonging to y â— king of Calicut with a certeine Guzarate merchant by whom y e king sent word vnto y e Captaine General y â— there could not haue happened a better thing vnto him then to vnderstand y t he was come vnto his port that hée could not do him no better pleasure theÌ„ to command him if ther were any thing in his citie y t he had néed of he would accomplish y e same with great good wil whervnto y â— Captaine generall made answere with great thanks séeing w t what good will y â— king sent to visit him he brought himself to an ankor néere vnto y e citie alwaies shooting of his ordinance with y e which he did salute theÌ„ which was so great a wonder to the dwellers that those that were Gentiles said that against vs there were no resistaunce The next daye following by the consent of the Captaines of the Fléete the Captaine Generall sent by one whose name was Gaspar to demaund a safe conduct of the king for to send a messenger vnto him sending also with the saide Gaspar those foure Malabars that Don Vasco de la gama had carried from Calicut These went all apparelled in a gallant sort after the Portingales order whom all the citie came forth to sée who meruailed to beholde them to returne so well which was the cause that they were so well pleased with our men that they were had in so great reputation But forsomuch as these were but fisher men the king woulde not sée theÌ„ although he was glad to vnderstand after what sorte they returned commaunded y t the said Gaspar shuld be brought before him whome he receiued very well And after that he knew wherfore he came aunswered him that whosoeuer of our men would come a lande might without any feare at all This answere béeing come to y e Captaine Generalls eares he sent presently vnto the king Alonso Hurtado to signifie vnto him y t the said fléet belonged to the king of Portingale of the which he went for Captaine Generall and that his comming thether was for no other purpose but onely to settle w t him a trade friendship for the which it was conuenient for him to talke with him Howbeit hée sayde the king his Maister hadde commaunded him that he shoulde not doe it without he might for the assurance of his person receiue some pledges to remaine in the shippes whilest hée was a lande with the king and that the one of those pleadges should be the Catuall of Calicut and Araxamenoca the which is one of the principallest Nayres And another there went with Alonso Hurtado one that coulde speake the language which shoulde declare vnto the king the effect of the message The king béeing héereof informed meruailed much to heare that the Captaine general did demand those pledges which he did excuse to giue forsomuch as they were sickly olde howbeit he said he would giue others that coulde better abide the brannesse of the sea But afterwards hée did insist very much not to giue any pleadges at all forsomuch as those that were Moores were verye sorrie to sée our men in Calycut and gaue the king counsell to sende none for that in giuing of any he might wel iudge therin y â— the Captaine Generall had but little confidence in him and by this meanes he should remaine dishonoured Yet for al this Alonso Hurtado did still insist in his demaunde In this encountrie they spent thrée daies At the end the king hauing a desire to haue a trade setled with ours for the benefit that might redound vnto him by the same did consent to Alonso
of Malabar staÌ„ding wtin y e couÌ„try at y e end of a riuer which coÌ„passeth y e same by some parts y e inhabitaÌ„ts therof saith he are both GeÌ„tiles christiaÌ„s also ther dwel amoÌ„gst theÌ„ many Iewes which are smally estéemed of ther are also many strangers amongst theÌ„ which are merchants of Surria of Aegipt of Persia Arabia by reason of y e great store of pepper which is there gathered this citie hath a king amongst theÌ„selues vnto whoÌ„ al such christians as dwel wtin this citie do pay certein tribute these dwel by theÌ„selues where they haue their church made after our order sauing they haue not in theÌ„ any Images of saints but only certein crosses they do not vse bels but when y e priests would haue theÌ„ come to diuine seruice theÌ„ they do obserue y â— order of y â— Gréeks The christiaÌ„s haue their Popes which haue 12. cardinals two patriaks many Bishops Archbishops all which do reside in Armenia for thether go y e bishops of GraÌ„galor to receiue their dignity he himself had ben ther w t a bishop which y e pope did consecrate he himself receiued at his hands orders of priesthood euen so he is accustomed to do vnto al others y â— are christians in y â— Indias in Caitaio also he is called catholike their Tonsura is made w t a crosse Of those two patriarks which they haue y t one remaineth in y e Indias y e other in Caitaio as for y â— bishops they are reposed in cities as is thought coÌ„uenient The cause why they haue a pope in those parts hath ben as is thought by theÌ„ for y t in S. Peters time he being in Antioch ther arose a great scisme of Simon Magus which was y e occasioÌ„ y â— he was called to Rome to ouerthrow y e same to help y e christians which wer in great trouble and séeing y â— he must depart froÌ„ Antioch for y t the church of y â— orient shuld not remaine wtout a shepheard he appointed a vicar to gouern who S. Peter being dead shuld remaine for pope those y â— succéeded him shuld alwaies assist him in Armenia but after y e Moores entred into Suria Asia for y e Armenia remained alwaies in the christian faith the Christians did therfore chuse to gouerne it by 12. cardinals Marco Paulo doth also make mentioÌ„ of this catholike pope wher he writeth of this Armenia in which he declareth there are two orders of Christians the one of those are Nestorians the other Iacobites their pope is also named Iacobite is hée whoÌ„ they cal y e catholike Ioseph Moreouer he told y e Captaine general y â— in Grangalor are priests whose crowns are not shauen as ours are but onely in y e midst of their heads they leaue certein haires al y â— rest is shauen also they haue deacons subdeacons They consecrate w t leuened bread with wine made of raisons for they haue no other in y â— couÌ„try Their childreÌ„ are not baptised vntil xl daies after their birth without they be sickly Those y â— are christians do coÌ„fesse theÌ„selues as we do they receiue y â— sacrament bury y e dead as we doe They doe not vse the holy Oyle but in stéede of the same they doe blesse them when that any die they gather many of themselues together and for the space of viii daies they doe eate abundantly and afterward they celebrate the obsequies of the dead They make their testament before they dy those y â— do not so â—he next heire shal inherit their lands and goods if so be that the husband die first the wife shal haue her dowrie on condition that she shall not marrie in one whole yeare after when that they enter in their churches they take holy water Their opinion is that there are sowre Euangelists whose writings they haue in great veneration They fast the Lent and the Aduent with greate solempnitie and take regard not to breake the same during this time they doe exercise themselues in praier on Easter euen they neither doe eate nor drinke any thing till the next day They doe vse to heare Sermons on holy Friday at night they obserue the day of the resurrection with great solempnitie with the two other daies following and also the sunday next following for that Saint Thomas on that day did put his hands into Christs side they do kéepe it with great solempnitie acknowledging thereby that the same was no fantasie or dreame Also they kéepe holy with great deuotion the Ascention day Trinitie Sunday the Assumption of our lady hir birth Candlemas day Christmas day all the Apostles Sundaies as wel the Christians as y e Gentiles And they with great deuotion kéep y â— first day of Iuly in the honour of S. Thomas they could yéelde no reason or cause why they doe obserue that daie They haue Fryers of Negroes which doe liue very chastly Also there are Nunnes of the same order Their Priests doe liuâ— verye chastly for if so be that they doe not so they are depriued from celebrating There can be no seperating of the man and woman but well or ill they must liue together till death doe separate them They receiue the Sacrament thrée times in the yeare they haue amongst them greate Doctours and open schooles in the which are read the Prophets and also there were in times past olde auncient doctors doctors which haue left the Scriptures of the olde newe Testament well expounded or interpreted Their apparell is after the order of y e Moores They haue their day which they do call Iâ—tercalor which is of 40. hoâ—â—s They know how the day passeth away by the Sun the night by the stars for they haue no clocks The Captaine generall was very glad of the companye of this Ioseph his brother to carry them to Portingale for whom he commanded a good cabine should be giuen them in his ship Of the great Fleet of ships that was sent out of Calicut to fight with the Captaine Generall and what was the cause that ours did not sight with them And also of his departure from Coching toward Portingale and how in his way he was driuen to Cananor Chap. 40. THe Captaine Generall being in this harbour ther came vnto him a messenger froÌ„ the king of Cananor also from the king of Coulaâ— they both being great princes in y â— kingdome of Malabar requesting him to come to their ports or harbours for y t they would giue him sufficient lading for his ships better cheape then in Coching with verye many other offers of friendship To whom he made answere by a messenger that he sent yéelding vnto them most hearty thanks certifieng them y â— at this present he could not go to lade at their ports for that he
in a small Boate vnto him whose message was to demand peace till the next day which was by him graunted with this condition that they should tarrie no longer in the Baye but go into the open Sea so they did The generall although y e wind was partly against him made likewise his course into the Sea although it wer troublesome vnto him The Moores could not doe the lyke for their shippes and Paraos can beare no sayle but with a forewinde Yet for all the trouble that was past the Generall came to an Ankor hard by them and for all that he vsed in the night a great and vigilant watch by the which they hearde the enimies rowing in their boates towardes our Fléete yet before that they were knowen they wer almost vpon him their intent as it was presupposed was to set our Fléete a fire The Captaine Generall fearing this commaunded to vyere more of the Cabells that he might bée the farther off from them And perceiuing that the enimies did yet followe them he then commanded a péece to be shot of at them with y â— which they were afeard so went their way as y e wind came of the shore somwhat faire they hoysed vp their sailes and followed their course toward Calicut The Captaine generall gaue God great thanks y t he had so deliuered him from his enimies so taking his leaue of the King of Cananor departed toward Portingale where he arriued in safetie with all his ships After that he was departed there came to Cananor one of his men called Gonsallo Pixoto which was taken in Calicut for Captiue whome the King sent with a messenger to the Captaine generall The effect thereof was excusing himselfe of all that was done vnto Pedro Aluares and further also what hurt he had done vnto his Fléete in Cananor Moreouer he offered him if so be that he would come to Calycut to giue him his full lading of Spices and sufficient Pledges for the assuraunce of the same ¶ How Vasco de la Gama retourned for Captaine generall to the Indias with a Fleete of ships and what hee did till he came to Quiloa Chap. 43. THe King of Portingale hauing great desire to reuenge the iniuries treason that the king of Calicut had done vnto his seruants did therefore cause to be made in a readines a great Fléete of ships with the which he did determine to make warres against him And hauing giuen the charge thereof to Pedro Aluares Cabral did vpon certaine iust considerations take the same from him againe and in his stéed appointed for Generall Don Vasco de la Gama who departed from Lishborne the third of March in the yeare of our Lord 1502. and had the charge of thirtéene great Ships and two Caruells of the which besides himselfe went for Captaines Pedro Alonso de Aquilar Philipe de â—astro Don Luys CotiÌ„nuo Franco de Conya Pedro de Tayde Vasco Caruallo VinceÌ„te Sodre and Blas Sodre cousin germaines to the Captaine general Gil Hernand cousin to Larenco de la Mina Iuan Lopes Perestrelo Rodrigo de Casteneda Rodrigo de Abreo and of the caruells Pedro Raphael Diego Peres They carryed also a Caruell vnwrought which they shoulde make an ende of in Monsanbique of the which there shoulde goe for Captaine one called Hernand Rodrignes Badarsas besides this xv saile ther remained making in a redines other fiue ships of the which there should go for Captaine generall one Steuen de la Gama who departed the fift day of May next after following After that the Captaine generall had doubled the Cape of Buena Esperansa with his whole fléete béeing at the furthest end of the currents hée sent the same to Monsanbique to remaine there whilest hée went to Sofala according as he was commaunded by the king He carried in his companie foure of the smallest shippes of the whole Fléete His going thether was not onely to sée the scituation of the same and to sée whether there were any place conuenient there for to make a fort but also for to regrate their gold and this was done in xxv dayes The frindship betwéene the king of Sofala and him was agréed vpon and that he might from thence forth settle the factorie there After that this was ended there passed betwéens them sundrie presents from the one to the other And hauing concluded the Captaine generall departed from thence and retourned to Monsanbique and in going out of the riuer there was lost one of the ships but the men were all saued Being arriued at Monsanbique he immediatly renewed with the gouernour the olde friendship which in times past had bene betwéene them and by his condesent was left there a factor which was deliuered vnto him with other more of our men which remained in the Factorie for no other purpose but to prouide alwaies victualls for such Fléetes as should touch there either going or comming from the Indias This béeing finished hauing made an end of the Caruell with all his ordinance placed he departed toward Quiloa with intent to bring him to be tributarie to the king of Portingale the order whereof he carryed with him in his Register which hée meant to put in execution by reason of the euill interteinment he gaue to Pedro de Aluares Cabrall And beeing come to this harbour or port the king went to visit him a seaboord which hée did onely for the feare that he was in for the iniurie which he had done to Pedro Aluares After that he was come thether there arriued also Steuen de la Gama that came with other fiue ships which he departed withall out of Portingale Now when the Captaine Generall estéemed the king but for a lyar and had got him a seaboorde he would not trust him on his promise any further but did immediatly threaten him that if so be that hée would not pay tribute to the king of Portingale he would commaund him to prison vnder the hatches of his shippe With the feare héereof he promised to giue him yéerely two thousand Miticaes of gold and for the assurance of the paiment thereof he gaue in pledge a principall Moore whome they doe call Mafamede Aleones one whome he hated for that he was a feard least he wold take the kingdome from him for that he himselfe hadde vsurped the same from the right king After that he sawe himselfe at libertie and in the citie he woulde not according to his promise send his tribute but rather hoped that the Captaine Generall wold haue caused the pleadge to be killed by reason whereof he should be ridde of an enimie But the Moore séeing that the tribute came not was faine to pay the same himselfe and therevpon the Captaine Generall did deliuer him How the Captaine Generall did take a ship of the Moores of Meca at the mount Dely what chaunced vnto him thereby chap. 44. THis being done the Captaine Generall went forward on his voyage toward
messenger from the King of Calycut vnto him sieng that if so bée that he would retourne to Calycut he woulde restore vnto him all that had bene taken from him and that he shoulde settle a Trade there The Captaine generall after that hée had considered vpon the message commaunded the messenger to prison for this intent to reuenge himselfe on him if so be that the King did lye since he had so oftentimes deceiued him And being now determined to goe towarde Calycut which was more to sée whether that he coulde recouer the Merchaundize that were taken then for anye hope hée had of the Kings friendship would for that cause go alone leauing behinde him for his Lieuetenaunt Steuen de la Gama The Captaines that remained were sore against his going alone and especially after that sort for feare of mischaunce yet he would not be perswaded but to goe saieng that along that Coast there was Vincente Sodre with the other ships that were appointed to remaine in the Indias and if so be that he were driuen to any necessitie hée would ioyne with them As soone as the king was informed that he was come to Calycut he sent him immediatly word that the next day he would comply with him for all such goods as had bene taken from Pedro Aluares and afterwarde hée would renue the Trade and settle the Factorie But contrarie to these his wordes as soone as he had knowledge that the Captaine generall was come alone vpon a sodayne he commaunded to be made in a readinesse xxxiiii Paraos with intent to set vpon him so to take him if it were possible And indéed with such a sodaine came vpon him that to escape them he was fain to cut one of his Cables which he had out and so made saile And as the winde was of the land he went somewhat further off from those Paraos yet for all that they did not giue him ouer but alwaies followed him with such a vehemencie that hadde it not bene for Vincente Sodre and the others which kept along y t Coast he had bene taken but yet at length they were fame to run their way Being thus escaped he retourned to Coching as soone as he came thether he commanded the messenger to be hanged whom the King of Calycut had sent vnto him for the which déed hée remained greatly afrighted when the same came to his knowledge But séeing now that by no means he could take him he determined then to proue whether he could perswade the King of Coching to giue him no lading and also not to consent to any Factory for him in his Countrey How the Moores were the principall doers heerein that mooued the King to write concerning that matter by one of his Chaplaines to the King of Coching after this manner I Doe vnderstand that thou fauourest Christians and that thou hast receiued them into thy Citie there dost giue them both lading victualls It is possible thou dost not foresée what daūger may insue therof also how much thou dost displesure me I do request thée y t thou remember what great friends we haue ben till this present now thou dost procure my displeasure in especiall for so small a matter as is y e maintaining of those Christians which are théeues y t accustome to rob in other mens Countries From henceforth my request is y t thou do not receiue them neither yet giue them spices in the which thou shalt not onely shew me pleasure but also binde me to requit thy good will in what thou shalt command I wil not now further request y e same for I beléeue thou wilt do it w t out further intretie as I wold for thée in any matter of importance This letter being perused by the king of Coching who was honest true in al his delings he was not moued therewith but aunswered the King of Calycut after this sort I Cannot well tell how it can be done being a matter of so great a waight as is to put out of my Citie those Christians hauing receiued them vpon my word and to do it so easily as thou doest write I will neuer request thée of anye such matter at the desire of the Moores of Meca neither yet vpon the instaunce of no other Merchauntes that are Traders to Calycut In receiuing these Christians and giuing them lading for their ships I do beléeue that neither to thée nor any other I doe offence since that it is a custome we haue amongst vs to sell our Merchandize to those that will buy them and to fauour those Merchaunts which doe resort vnto our Countrey These Christians came to séeke me out farre off and for that cause I did receiue them promised to defend them They are no théeues as thou dost tearme them for they bring great sums of money in golde and siluer and Merchaundize wherewith they do trade Then friendship I doe and will obserue dooing therein but my dutie and so oughtest thou to doe and otherwise I will not take thée to be my friend neither yet oughtest thou or any other be agréeued or offended withall for that which I doe is to inrich my Citie With this aunswere the King of Calycut was sore offended whereby hée tooke occasion to write this letter following IT grieueth me very much the hatred or enuie thou hast conceiued against me for that thereby I do perceiue thou wilt leaue my friendshippe for those Christians sake which I take for my great enimies ought to be the cause that thou shouldest accept them after the same sort Once more therefore I doe returne to desire thée that thou wilt neither receiue them nor yet giue them their lading for their ships For if so be thou wilt not be perswaded to the contrary but rather meanest to prosecute thine intent then I take God to my Iudge and from henceforth I doe protest that I am not in fault of the damage that will growe vnto thée thereof The King of Coching hauing receiued this letter laughed at it saieng to his Chaplaine that was the bringer therof that he would doe nothing for feare but that which hée minded to doe should be vpon request and so aunswered to this letter I Haue séene thy message which soundeth as it were threatenings God who alwaies resisteth pride doth fauour him that hath Iustice equitie on his side Since thou art my friend do not request me so an abhominable and vnlawfull a request as is to vse treason especiall amongst Kings and if there be any other thing that grieueth thée and is not hurtfull to mine honour I will doe it yea although it wer to my losse which I doe not estéeme in comparison of mine honour I doe trust that thou wilt take this aunswere in good part and preuent the death of men and the destruction of thy Countrey But if so be notwithstanding thou wilt maintaine thine opinion God doth well knowe perceiue that
héereof I am in no fault The King of Calycut perceiuing that the King of Coching did stand so much vpon his reputation and wold not doe that which he had requested him did then determine the Captain generall being once departing to set vpon him by the waye and vtterly to destroy him against whome he commaunded to be made in a readines a Fléet of xxix great ships that they might encounter with him vpon the Sea at his departure toward Portingale supposing that forasmuch as they went laden he should be the better able to do them the more harme Of the battaile that was fought betweene the Fleet of Calycut and the captaine generall as hee was going toward Cananor how Vincente Sodre Pedro Raphael and Diego Pieres tooke two of those ships how the Captaine generall departed toward Portingale Chap. 49. OF all these letters and messages the King of Coching woulde neuer make the Captaine generall priuie vntill such time that he was ready to depart and then he tolde him which before he was loth to doe And for that he should not conceiue and thinke him to be so vaine as to alter his minde to doe as the King of Calycut would haue him he did therefore shewe himselfe to be so constant and such a friend of the king of Portingales that for his sake he woulde aduenture to loose his Citie if it were néede For this the Captaine generall gaue him great thankes saieng that the King his Master would neuer forget that good will and in his name he promised to fauour and succour him in such sort that he shoulde not onely haue his kingdome in great assuraunce but also that he would ayde him to conquere others He willed him also not to feare those Letters that the King of Calicut hadde sent him for that they were nothing els but to put him in feare and bring him to be a traitor as he was being therefore so destroyed and that from henceforth there shoulde bée made such cruell wars against him y e he shuld haue inough to doe to defend himselfe much lesse to make warres against others All this he tolde him for the succour of those ships which should remaine in the Indias These wordes were spoken afore many of his Nayres of the which the King was verye gladde that they heard them And for that we had knowledge that in respect of the friendship that they had with the Moores they were verye sorye that we had the Factory graunted in Coching Therefore the Captaine Generall promised vnto the King that from Cananor hée woulde forthwith sende him thether a Fléete of ships from whence he was minded to departe Now after that he had laden his ten shippes and was a Sea boorde thrée leagues from Pandarane he had knowledge of the nine and twentie great shippes of the Moores that went to séeke him out And as soone as he had sight of them he consulted with his Captaines to fight with them vpon whom with the winde that did begin to blowe they did beare This being agréed vppon the Generall began to beare toward the Enimies Vincente Sodre Pedro Raphael and Diego Pieres for that theyr ships were great saylers went before them all and these were the first that did giue the onset vpon two of the chiefest ships Vincente Sodre fought with the one alone and Pedro Raphael and Diego Pieres with the other Their méeting was with such a valyaunt minde that out of both the Enimyes shippes there leapt many into the Sea The fight indured no longer but vntill such time the Captaine generall with the other shippes drewe néere who did alwayes shoote off at them In the meane while the rest of the Enimies did beare all that they could towarde the shoare The Captaine generall for feare of the losse of some of his shippes would not followe the rather for that they were all laden Howbeit our men leapte into theyr boates and there fought with those that were swimming in the water and slewe them all the which were néere to the number of thrée hundred persons After this the Captaine Generall commaunded to discharge theyr Shippes which were taken in the which was founde store of rich Merchaundize and amongest the same these péeces following Sixe great Tynages of fine Earth which they doe call Porcelanas and the same is verye costlye as by experience thereof we do sée in Portingale foure great Guyndes of siluer with certaine perfuming Pannes of siluer also they there founde certayne Basons of siluer and gylte in the which they doe vse to spit But that which excéeded the rest was an Idoll of Golde which weighed thirtie pounde waight with a monstrous face and for his eyes he had two verye fine Emerauldes a Vestement of beaten golde wrought and set with fine stone the which vestement belonged vnto this Idoll with a Carbuncle or Rubie in his breast as bigge as a Crosado which gaue as great a lyght as it had bene a fire The ships being set a fire y e Captaine general departed toward Cananor wher he was with the King who gaue him a house for the Factorie the possession whereof was taken by Gonsallo Gill Barbosa who was appointed for Factor and by Sebastian Aluares and Diego Godino Notaries and by the Interpretour called Edwarte Barboso and sundry others in all to the number of twentie of all whom the King tooke charge vpon him with all that was in the Factorie and bound himselfe to lade from thenceforth all the King of Portingales ships of Spices that they should at any time haue néed of and this at a certaine price which was immediately named The Captaine generall did enter into the like bonds in the name of the King of Portingale to defend him from all those that shoulde make him warres for this cause Also the King of Cananor did the lyke and to remaine the King of Cochings friend and not to helpe nor aide any that should come against him vpon paine that wée should make him warres and of all this there were sufficient great and lawfull writings made on all parts After this the Captain generall sent Vincente Sodre to go along the Coast and to kéepe the same vntill Februarie And if in the meane while there were any newes or knowledge of any lykelihood of warres betwéene the King of Coching the King of Calycut that then he shoulde Winter there in Coching but if not that then he should go to the straights of the red Sea to take such ships of Meca as doe passe to the Indias This being dispatched and those thrée shippes laden with that they should haue they departed toward Portingale with thirtéene shippes the twentith daye of December in the yeare of our Lord 1503. and so arriued with all their ships at Monsanbique And for that the ship that Steuen de la Gama went in had a great leake he commaunded the same to be vnladen and brought a ground and after that she was
was come to Panane thether also came presentlye sundry noble men his subiects and others his friends whome he had sent for to aide and succour him in this enterprise Others there were that came before they were sent for For as soone they heard that the warres were begun and that for our sakes that remained in Coching of the which they were all glad hoping therby to hunt vs out of the Indias therfore they came with the better good wil to séeke the destruction of the king of Coching There were also of his owne subiects that arose against him and some of his nobilitye as the Caimall of Chirapipill and hée of Cambalane and also he of the greate Iland which is ouer against Coching who carryed with them all the power that they were able to make And béeing come into the presence of the king of Calycut he spake vnto them all IF that good workes doe engender friendshippe amongest men then I and you for my sake and generally all the Malabars ought to beare the same greatly vnto the Moores for that it is well knowne that it is sixe hundred yeare since they came into the Prouince of Malabar and in all this time yea to this daie there was neuer anie that euer receiued at theyr handes anye hurt or losse But hauing no sooner receiued straungers newly come into anye of our Countries immediatlye we receiue losse by them wheresoeuer they doe beginne to settle theyr trade But the Moores doe trade with the people with all friendship and loue as ought to doe one naturall neighbour with an other by whose meanes the Countrey hath béene alwayes well prouided of much victualls and merchaundise which hath béene a cause to enrich our Townes and that our rents are greatly increased in especiall within this our Citie For whilest the Moores are héere resident they haue made the same the greatest mart Towne that is in all the Indias For this cause I am bounde in conscience and haue greate reason to fauour them and to mislyke of the christians which to my greate hinderaunce yea and against my good will settle in my lande more for to take the same and to destroye mée then to bring mée anye profite or gaines as the Moores doe hauing giuen of themselues greate shewes and signes thereof within these few daies that they were héere as in taking of my Captaine Generall and my Embassadour prisoners in making of new lawes in my Citie to lade their shippes first and before the Moores shuld lade And vpon this they tooke an occasion to staye a certeine Shippe of the Moores which was the cause that the Moores did as you doe heare and as I maye iudge by the sequeale thereof was so ordeined of God for theyr pride of the which hée was in no fault Yet this notwithstanding they burnt ten of my shippes which lay within my harbour After all this they with theyr Ordinance destroyed my Citye so that I was driuen to runne awaye out of my pallaice Not contented with this they burnt me other two shippes which they woulde not haue done if so be that they had come to settle a trade But first of all since they found themselues agréeued they shoulde haue come and made theyr complaint to mée of the Moores and tarryed till I had punished them and not to doe as they haue done by which it was apparant that they are théeues and no Merchants as they name themselues to be that vnder this coulour they might conquere the whole Countrie Which things the king of Coching would neuer vnderstand nor giue credit vnto although I sent him worde And being as he is my subiect wel vnderstanding what they had done vnto mée yet he would not but receiue them giue them lading for their ships and now he hath giuen them a factorie I sending him word and praieng him many times that he wold not consent therevnto For this cause therfore I haue sent for you that you should ioyne your selues And also to request you to tell me your opinions whether I haue reason to reuenge my selfe or no This determination to them all séemed verie good and they praised his purposed intent but principally the Lord of Repelyn forsomuch as hée was a greate enimie to the king of Coching for that he had vsurped an Iland of his called Arraul also of the selfe same opinion were other principall Moores But against this his pretended iourney spake the kings brother called Nambeadarin which was the onely heire to the Kingdome after the death of his brother who immediatlye in the presence of them all sayde THE kindred that is betwéene thée and mée beside sundrie other thinges may certifie thée that I do desire more thine honour and profit then anye that bée héere present and therefore my councell ought to be of a more efficacie then anye others For as they are not so greatlye bound to giue thée the same as I am so as it appeareth they doe feede thy humour and councell thée according to thy will since thou art desirous to accept it and not according to good reason which thou hast to leaue it But if so bée that they without flatterye and thou without passion wouldest iudge or weigh the cause of these Christians thou shouldest finde that vnto this present time they haue giuen thée no cause but that they should be well receiued into thy Countrie and so into all the Prouince of Malabar and not to hunt them foorth lyke théeues which they cannot bée called although they were present And forasmuch as from all the places of the worlde men doe resorte hether and assemble themselues to buye those Merchaundise which they haue not in theyr Countryes and bring those hether which we haue not héere In the same sorte come these Christians and as the custome is of Merchauntes they brought thée in their kings behalfe the richest present that thou diddest yet euer receiue And besides theyr merchandise they brought much Golde and siluer made in coine which they doe not vse to bring which come to make warres And if so bée they hadde come in anye such sorte they woulde not haue dissimuled the running awaye that the Pleadges offered vnto them whome thou doest call Embassadours that were kepte in Prison for that theyr Captaine was a Lande But they reconciling themselues vnto thée went and tooke the shippe at thy request in the which was the greate Elephant and afterward did present thée therwith and with all that the same ship carried besides those that are théeues doe not vse so to doe nor yet paye so well nor vse so much truth as they did for all the time that they were in Calycut there was none that did complaine of them but onely the Moores which they did for that they are their enimies and being mooued with enuy to sée them pertakers of their profite did accuse them that they hadde taken greate store of Pepper from the owners against theyr wills they
themselues béeing those that vse the same and for that the Christians shoulde not benefite themselues by lading of theyr ships And forasmuch as this was so apparant thou gauest them license to take theyr fraight by the which license the Captaine sent to the shippe of the Moores which was laden and they béeing in all the whole fault did yet notwithstanding rise against them These men then haue done as it is well knowne to the world and yet for all this as quiet men ought to doe they tarryed all one daye to sée whether thou woldest excuse thy selfe But they séeing that there came none from thée they did then put in execution the reuenge not traiterously as the Moores doe which went not to defend the ships although now they speake with a stout stomacke and councell thée to make these warres against the king of Coching for that he did receiue them into his Citie where no iust cause is at all For his receiuing of them it is not to be iudged that it is to hinder thée but he receiued them as he would anye other merchaunt that would haue come to his harbour After the selfe same sort did the king of Cananor and the king of Goulan deale with them who would not haue admitted them if they had knowne them to bée théeues If thou bée minded to banish them out of the Indias and for this cause art determined to make warre against the king of Coching it is requisite also thou make warre against the king of Cananor for from thence they may doe that which thou fearest they wil from Coching But I will not let to tell thée that thou doest aduenture thy selfe against him For that as thou thinkest he is of lesse power then the king of Cananor These words were spoken by Nambeadarin with such a stomacke and so lyberally to the King that they were by him well taken In one respect for that he was a very valyaunt Gentleman and in another for that he was with him in great credit and authoritie And for this cause they hadde him in great reputation Insomuch that if the Moores and Caymayles had not shewed themselues verye stout against him the King woulde not haue gone forward with his enterprise to make wars against the King of Coching Howbeit they stood vppon their reputation so much that they thought it would be a great imbasing to their credite in especially hauing assembled so great a power as the King had done and not to goe forward or at the least to do some what afore they did retourne By meanes whereof it was possible that the King of Coching hearing of theyr comming would now doe that for feare which hée would not otherwise doe before béeing prayed After all this the King of Calycut would néedes know of his Witches what daye was good to march forward in with his Armie who appointed him a fortunate one and promised him the victory against the King of Coching and that as yet there would come vnto him more men With this certainetie which the Witches had comforted the King withall which he much trusted vpon he departed toward the Countrey of Repelyn which is foure leagues from Coching ¶ Of the great feare that our men were in least the King of Coching would haue deliuered them to the King of Calycut Cap. 52. OF all this whatsoeuer hadde past was the King of Coching aduertised by sundry espyes which he had in the Campe of y e king of Calycut and therefore he stoode somewhat in feare of him for that he hadde not sufficient men to defend himselfe forasmuch as all those that he hoped had fauoured him were tourned against him yea euen those that were his owne subiectes whome if he hadde on his side he had bene sure to haue giuen the King of Calycut the ouerthrow Therefore for that he had but few men he was greatly afeard thereof and the rather for that of those there the most part serued him against their will in especially they that were dwellers in Coching which did abhorre y e very sight of our men where vpon they openly spake it that it were good that the King of Coching should deliuer our men to the king of Calycut or els that he put them out of Coching and so he might acquite himselfe of these warres Moreouer there were many of the inhabitants of Coching that ranne their wayes and left their houses and all for feare of this warre Our men also on the other parte were gretly afearde to sée this tumult which gaue them occasion to waye the daunger that they wer in for all that the king did warrant them Wherfore the Factor fearing the successe thereof procured lycense of the King to goe to Cananor hoping that there they should be very quiet vntill such time the fléete should come from Portingale thinking that the King by this meanes should breake vp those warres that were pretended against him and also his Subiectes be the better contented therewith But at those words the King séemed to be in heauines tolde the Factor that now it appeared very well that he had but small confidence in him that he would aske him license to depart and therfore he told him he would giue him none but rather requested him earnestly not to haue any such mistrust for he there gaue him his worde and it stoode him so much vpon his credite in preseruing them all alyue that he would rather loose his Kingdome and lyfe withall then delyuer them to the King of Calycut or to other that should doe them any harme And if so be that his euill Fortune were so great that he should loose Coching yet there would not lacke a place of sufficient strength to sende them vnto vntill the comming of the next Fléete from Portingale to the Indias And although sayd he the king of Calycut shoulde come with a great power yet for all that he is not assured of the victory for it is séene many times that few with valyant hearts doe giue the ouerthrowe vnto great numbers without strength much more hauing as I haue Iustice equitie on my side And therefore he willed them to be quyet to pray vnto their God to giue him y e victory With these words knowing well that the King did speake them with a louing minde our men remained somewhat eased of the feare wherein they were and would haue kissed his hands but he would not suffer them so to doe nor yet woulde agrée that they should helpe him in his warres which they did offer him to do but aunswered them that he would not place them in anye such daungerous place for that it stoode vpon his credite so much to kéepe them alyue And for that they should remaine as witnesses how much he did trauell to saue their lyues therefore from thencefoorth he committed the kéeping of them vnto certayne Nayres such as he had a confidence in And that this mutenie might cease and they from
that the boats carried which made the enimies to flie from the shoare Whilest they were thus doing Edwarte Pacheco did determine to leape a land somwhat farther of from the others going forth to doe so he found ther many Naires w t theyr weapons which had past by a narrow way to y e intent to succour their felows As soone as he had sight of theÌ„ he commanded to bring his boat hard to y e streight where w t his ordinance he did hinder and keepe that passage Then immediatly came thether our men which forthwith did leape a land setting vpoÌ„ their enimies inforced theÌ„ to ruÌ„ away and for that they knew not the countrie they followed them not but did set fire to the towne Then Edwarto Pacheco Pedro de Taide did part themselues with their men to go and burne another Towne which stoode a little aboue the â—ther and in the way they met with eightéene Paraos all armed of the king of Calycuts which they did put to flight and the towne being burnt as they before had determined they returned to their Generalls And for that it was somwhat rath for to returne they went to the Iland of Cambalan minding to destroie y e same for that the Caimall was enimie to the king of Coching where they burnt a greate towne From thence Edwarto Pacheco with sixe Paraos of Coching went to burne another towne but before they could accomplish the same they fought a good while with their enimies of the which there were some slaine The Towne being set a fire he retourned with his men of the which were seauen hurt and béeing retyred he fought with thirtéene Paraos of Calicut which he did ouercome with the helpe of Pedro de Tayde Antonio del campo which came thether at that instant The enimies being retired into a certeine créeke there went after them Edwarto Pacheco and was the cause that one of those Paraos ran a ground and so he tooke the same and in the meane while the others went their waie And for that our men that rowed were wearyed they went not therefore after them but returned vnto their Captaines generall with whome they went to Coching And giuing the king an account of that which they had done hée yéelded himselfe sufficiently contented with reuenge of his enimies and prayed them to giue ouer the warres What the captaine Generall had done going for a Tone laden with pepper and how Edwarto Pacheco did put to flight 34. Paraos chap. 6â— NOw by reason of these foresaid wars there was none that durst bring one graine of Pepper to sell at the Factorie Neither yet durst the merchants goe to seeke the same out and for all that they were able they could not get more then thrée hundred Bahares And so they sent word to the generalls willing them to send for it being nine leagues of from Coching y â— which they immediatly did béeing accompanied with all the other Captaines of the Fléete for that they shoulde goe for the same amongst all their enimyes And because they woulde not be knowne they departed in the night and in their way Edwarte Pacheco did destroy an whole Ilande where hee with onely those of his owne companie fought with sixe thousand of his enimies the Generalls did in the meane while put to slight xxxiiii Paraos This béeing done Edwarte Pacheco and Antonio del campo went and destroied a great towne in the firme land fighting with putting to slight two thousand Naires of the which ther were many slaine and hurt and of our men not one With this victorie they returned to their Captaines Generall who sent immediatly for the pepper which was but a lyttle way of and being night themselues did depart toward Coching from whence they were minded to send the Tone which carried the pepper laden with merchandise to giue in truck of the same And for that it might goe the surer Edwarte Pacheco was sent with other thrée Captaines who carried each of them fiftie men a péece of Coching therwent 500. Paraos Edwarte Pacheco being departed did passe the foresaid straight before it was day therfore he was not seens being broad day did passe by the mouth of a 〈◊〉 where ther were bow men without number y â— which shot at our men with their arrowes And if so be y â— our boates had not ben paueicâ—d or fenced with their shields a targets our men had receiued great hurt for that the riuer was but narow so y e with their arrows they might reach them Edwarte Pacheco séeing that they were ioyned all together and iudging that on that sort they might do them some harme commanded immediatly one of the Captaines to kéepe y â— Tone and he with the other two also those of Coching did determinatly come with y e proers of their boats a land where there were two thousand men of the enimies amongst the which he commaunded the Fawlkons to be shotte off the which did so enter amongest them all that with the same there were many torne in péeces so that it made the residue to retire from the water side there remained place inough for our men to disimbarke themselues without daunger so they did And as the most part of them carried handguns so they did set vpon them with the better stomacke The enimies for all that gaue no place but shot of their arrowes which were so many in number that it was thought that one met in the aire with another The skirmish was valiantly handled of the one side and of the other which in such sort indured a quarter of an houre yet notwithstanding the enimie at length did runne away and left of their company many slaine the cause whereof was for that they brought no weapons to offend their enimies withall Then our men pursued them to a village out of the which there issued many Naires which ioyning theÌ„selues with those y â— fled away returned vpon our men with such a stomacke that they ran in great daunger for that there were of the enimies wel néere sixe thousand men A great multitude of those y t were ther did then as much as they could to go betwéene the riuer and our men but to resist them that they should not so doe and to kill them all our men defended themselues and repelled them with greate difficultie And as the riuer was thus defended so they ran into the same in the which they shewed themselues to be valiant And when they drew néere to those that were in their boates they separated themselues into two seuerall places leauing one broad way that our men might the better imbark themselues standing without the daunger of their Ordinaunce with the feare of the which the enimyes did suffer our men to imbarke themselues whereat there was none either slaine or hurt which séemed to be a miracle ¶ Heere is contained the scituation of the Citie of Coulan
and how the Apostle Saint Thomas came thether and there was martyred and Alonso de Alburquerque went and laded there and in what place did settle a Factorye Chap. 62. IMmediatly after this was the king of Calicut aduertised of the losse of those â—araos and also of all the successe that our men had in those wars for the knowledge wherof he vsed all diligence in respect of the great desire he had to turne vs out of the Indias for that naturally they could not abide vs. And fearing least that we shuld take their countrie from them they were so much the more desirous to hunt vs away This thing they procured with great instance and also were the occasion that we should haue no Pepper Making this account that if so be that we should goe without the same vnto Portingale it would be the occasion that we would not retourne againe to the Indias By this meanes therfore we were driuen to prouide for the Fléete in their riuers and that with such a number of men that we could neuer haue aboue a 1200. quintall of Pepper of 4000. Bahares that the Merchants had promised and yet this we got with great shot of Ordinaunce and hurt of our men and with infinit shedding of bloud of the enimies In the ende the king of Calycut found the meanes by merchants his friends to perswade with the merchants of Coching to giue to the Captaine general no more pepper excusing themselues with the warres Which thing was done in such sort that neither with the request of the king of Coching neither with anye gifte that was giuen them by Francisco de Alburquerque hée coulde moue or perswade them to giue them anye more Pepper Now the hope of our men for hauing the same anye more in Coching béeing past Alonso de Alburquerque with Pedro de Tayde and Antonio del Campo were driuen to séeke for the same at the citie of Coulan which they did the sooner for that they knew that the gouernours of y â— Towne were desirous of our factorie the which was offered to Pedro Aluares Cabrall and the Lorde Admerall Those that thus went thether were fully bent to make warres against them if so be that they woulde not giue them lading for theyr ships Alonso de Alburquerque béeing departed from Coching with certaine Captaines came into the port of the Citie of Coulan the which standeth twelue leagues from Coching and from Comarin xxiiii the which is beyond the same bearing toward the South This Citie as 〈◊〉 saye before that Calycut was builded was the principall of the Poruince of Malabar and the greatest and most principallest Port of all that Coast Notwithstanding as yet their houses be both greate and fayre and so are also theyr Pagodes and Chappell 's comparable to these of Calycut Their harbour or hauen is verie good they are well prouided of all sortes of victualls the people are in condition lyke vnto those of Calicut The inhabitants are Malabars Gentiles and Moores and the Moores are verie rich and greate merchauntes in especially since the warres beganne betwéene Calycut and vs for many merchauntes of Calycut lefte the same and nowe dwell there They doe trade in Coromandyll Ceilan in the Ilands of Maldyua Bengala Pegu â—â—matia and in Malaea The king of this countrie is Lorde of a greate Kingdome wherin are many great Cities and rich which haue belonging vnto them sundrye goodlye harbours by reason whereof his customes are great and for that cause they are riche of Treasure and are able to make a greate power of men of warre which are for the moste parte men but of lyttle stature He hath alwayes in his gard thrée hundred women which doe vse bowes and are very perfect in the skill of shooting They haue about their breasts certaine bands of lynnen of silke with the which they doe binde them so harde that they are no hinderaunce vnto them in their shooting This king hath for y e most part of his 〈◊〉 war with the king of Narsinga which is a great trouble vnto him He doth continually or for the most part remain◠〈◊〉 a Citie the which they doe call Calle The Gouernours of Coulan are as it were Aldermen in the which there is a certaine Church which y e Apostle Saint Thomas builded comming thether to preach the Catholike faith by reason wherof there were great numbers that turned Christians as well of the Gentiles as otherwise so that of them there are procéeded from generation to generation the number of twelue thousand householders that are scattered abroad in the Country wher they haue their Churches The King of Coulan séeing how many were daylye conuerted and the daunger thereof did banish him out of his Countrey who being thus gone went to a Citie called Malapur lyeng along that Coast and is parcell of the Kingdome of Narsingas And yet being there for y t he was so followed by y â— Gentiles and by y e Christians of Coulan did apart himselfe to y e Mountains wher they affirme y t he dyed from thence he was brought to be buried in Coulan in a vante y t was made in the foresaide Church This Church is now ouergrowen with bâ—shes and woodes for that the Citie is disinhabited onely there remaineth a poore Moore which doeth kéepe the same for that there are no Christians néere vnto it and there he liueth vppon the almes of all those y t commeth thether in Pilgrimage aswell of Christians as of the Gentiles for y e Moores doth not let to giue their almes likewise vnto him for that he was buried in their Countrey Alonso de Alburquerque being come to the harbor of this citie the Gouernours hauing knowledge therof they came to visite him a boord his ship where within the same there was setled a peace y â— which was made vpon condition that we should haue our Factory in the Citie also should haue as much lading of spices and other commodities as would lade presently those ships the which immediatly they went about to prouide In the meane while that our men were there and whilest that the one ship tooke in his lading the other two kept abroad in the sea to watch all such as past by from other places and those that they could discrie were brought some with their good wills and others there were brought against their wills to speake with Alonso de Alburquerque and to shew him obedience as to a Captaine general of y e king of Portingales He offered no hurt to any but onely to the Moores of the red sea for all such of them as he tooke he would cause their ships first to be ransacked and afterward to be burnt in reuenge of that they had done to Pedro Aluares Cabrall of the which those of Coulan were greatly afraid The house for the Factorie béeing finished and the shippes laden Alonso de Alburquerque lefte there for Factor one Antonio de Sala
haue done so foule a déede yet I would haue tolde thée thereof that I had so meant to doe for that I was afearde of the king of Calycuts power But for that I doe take thée to be a man indued with reason I did suppose that thou wouldest not haue thought ill thereof For otherwise those béeing warned thereof it might haue bene very profitable vnto thée to haue remained frée from the enuie and mallice of the king of Calicut Which thing if so be that the Moores had considered of they would not haue tolde thée so great a fable Beleeue me if they could haue done thée a greater iniurie they would haue done it for the good will thou doest beare vnto vs. This I doe knowe very well but let not that trouble thée For although thou doest loose them and all the rest of thy subiectes yet thou doest recouer me and as many Portingales as héere remaine who all will die in thy seruice if it were néede for that is the onely cause wée did remaine in the Indias and in especially for there was no man that bound me therevnto if so be y ◠I wold not but only the fidelitye truth which thou hast alwaies vsed towards our men vntill such time as thou diddest loose Coching and diddest sée the same burnt For the which cause thou oughtest to estéeme the better of thy selfe for thereby thou hast exalted thy fame through all the Countrie and therfore thy name wil remaine for euer which is the greatest treasure that kings canne leaue behinde them and the onely thing that all men doe séeke for And beléeue me when the king of Calycut did first set fire to Coching the same was his destruction which was afterwarde well reuenged vppon thine enimies by the Portingales so thou shalt now bée as well defended by them And although thou doest thinke vs to bée fewe and a small Fléete yet I doe promise thée that very shortly we will séeme to bée verye many by our valyantnesse And I hope in God that we shall so defend whatsoeuer straight or passage the king of Calycut shall enter into where assuredly we will tarry and not remoue our selues from thence neither night nor daye and for the passages that are straight our armie is inough and therefore it skilleth not there remaine no more for the riuers for that these are sufficient And since that they chose me to remaine beléeue certeinly that they did well knowe they left him that shal excuse thée of thy trauaile and of the wearieng of thy men And therefore be thou merrie and resolue thy selfe that by Gods grace it shall not happen now vnto thée as héeretofore it didde when thou diddest loose Coching for I and these that doe remaine with me shall take vppon vs the whole charge and daunger of the warres How the Moores of Coching prepared to go from thence and how the captaine Generall stayde certeine of them that they should not departe and what more he did chap. 65. THe king being with this somwhat eased recomforted touching that the Moores had told him the Captaine general went to sée the streights to fortifie them which had great néede thereof But they all were wel furnished sauing onely the foord which he commanded to be fortified with stakes that ther might enter no vessells of the enimies In the meane time he was aduertised by a Letter from Rodrigo Reynel that a principall Moore of Coching and besides diuerse others did procure all that they could to leaue the citie that y e king might remaine alone that thervpon this Moore hath come twice to speake with the king of Calycut in his owne behalfe and in the name of the others This newes troubled the Captaine Generall a while howbeit to disappoint them of their suttle dealing and that the same shoulde take no effect hée thought it necessarie to execute this principall Moore that the others might conceiue some feare thereof This béeing knowne to the king of Coching he woulde not consent therevnto thinking that if so be that he were executed the others would make a mutenie immediatly and then there shuld be no victualls brought into the citie for that those did prouide the citie therewith in trucke of their merchandise and therefore he thought best to dissemble with them all The Captaine Generall séeing that the king woulde not consent therevnto tolde him that he woulde talke with the Moores himselfe and that he had thought to vse some policie that none of them should depart out of the citie But first he commaunded all his owne men to obeye him in all such occasions as should be néedfull or requisite which commandement the king also gaue out amongst his subiect this being done the Captaine general went with forty of his men to Coching to the house of this principall Moore called Belinamacar who dwelt hard by the riuer side requesting him to send for certeine Moores which he did name for y ◠he wold consult with them vpon a certeine matter which did concerne them all To whom the Moores came immediatly for that they wer afeard of him and when hée sawe them all he saide vnto them I Did send for you all honest Merchants that you shoulde vnderstand wherfore and for what cause I remained in the Indias for that it is possible that all you do not know Some there be that doe report that I do remaine to gather together the Factorie and so to carrie the same to Coulan and to Cananor but that you may vnderstand it is not so I will therefore tell you the truth I doe remaine for no other purpose but onely to kéepe Coching and if so be that it were néedfull or requisite to die my selfe and all those that doe remaine with me in your defence in preseruing you from the king of Calycut And this shall be manifest vnto him if so bée that he doe come for I promise you all that I will méet with him in the way of Cambalan wheras it is tolde me he will enter and if so be there he dare fight with me I will not doubt but to take him prisoner and carrie him with me into Portingale Wherefore vntill such time as you doe not sée any thing to the contrarie I earnestly request you that you doe not goe from Coching for that I heare that you are minded to goe from thence that you doe allure the residue of the inhabitants with you for as you are the chiefest and principalls so all the common sort of people doth follow you Now I meruaile much y ◠being men of so gret wisdome as you are you wil leaue your houses in the which you were borne the country wherein you haue dwelt so many yeres not for feare of any thing that you haue séene but onely of that which you heare which thing for women to doe were verye ill much more for you that are men But if so be that you would go when
suffer one ship leye the other a boorde as they haue done alreadie whereby they ranne all into greate daunger Also there were others he said that had no regard to kéepe theyr right course but vnaduisedly there were some that would go before and others come after and others by the winde by meanes of which disorder they might haue cast away themselues And the better to auoid these daungers and to kéepe the Fléete in good order he did set down certaine rules in writing by his Scriuenor and firmed therevnto his name with the names of the other Captaines which they should obserue and kéepe Inprimis That all the Fléete as soone as it is night shall follow his course remaining alwayes a sterne the Generall and that no ship shall carry other light then onely that which is in the Bytoke and within the Captaines cabin Also that the Masters and Pilots kéep their watch and that they haue a good regard that one ship doe not lay the other a boord and that they do all aunswere when the Admirall doth make any signe Item That as soone as it is day they doe come and salute their Generall and that in the night they doe not go before him He that doeth not obserue these commaundements shall paye ten Crownes and be kept in prison vntill they arriue there and that without wages And for that there was some Masters and Pilots very neglygent by whose default one ship did lay the other a boord he commaunded to remoue them from one ship to another and by this diligence that was thus vsed euery man had a regard therevnto and the Fléete went in good order neuer after ranne in any daunger Thus going on their course in the month of Iune and iudging themselues ouer against the Cape Buena spuransa there fell vpon them a meruailous great storme of winde with the which all the Fléete ranne two dayes and two nights without sayles so y t they were in great daunger to haue bene all cast away the wether being so darke and close that it séemed rather night then day These two dayes béeing past they saw certaine signes of lande the which as it did appeare could not bée farre off and for that cause was the weather so close After that they had discryed y e same were come néere thervnto then these signes appeared the greater And therefore the Captaine generall commaunded that out of his shippe there should be shot two péeces of Ordinaunce that the others might after the same manner aunswere with the like and the better kéepe companie the one with the other This storme being past they founde missing the ship of Lope Mendez And the Captaine generall séeing that he hadde lost the sight thereof did not let to goe forwarde on his course And so within certaine dayes through the neglygence of the Officers one shippe layde the other a boorde and gaue therewith so great a blow vpon the how of y e other that with the same there was opened so great a hole that they might sée through the shippe verye well by the which hole there entered such aboundaunce of water vppon a sodayne that she was almost sunke The Captaine generall bare with the same shippe immediately and came so néere them that they might well heare him and the great comforte he gaue them willyng them not to bée a fearde but to goe forwarde in stopping the leake without feare to be lost for that he was there to succour them with his men which he did sende in his Boats not fearing the Seas that went so high nor the daunger that they were in And for all that the Mariners of the ship did so work that or euer it was night the leake was halfe stopped yet that they might end y ◠rest that remayned to doe the Captaine generall commaunded to be made a sign by the same shippe that the other Captaynes might come and succour him if there were any such néede The wether being y e next daye somewhat calme the leake was wholly ended the which was stopped with certaine hides nayled therevnto and pitched vpon This daunger béeing past without anye other mischaunce woorth the writing they arriued at Monsanbique on Saynt Iames daye where the Gouernour receiued him verye well and sent him great refreshing of fresh victualls and the Letter that Pedro de Tayde had lefte there for him before hée dyed as I haue sayd before Who vnderstanding by the same of the warres that the King of Calycut had begunne agaynst our men didde as soone as the shippe was rigged and made in a readinesse which they had brought a grounde for the same purpose he departed towarde Mylynde béeing the first of August And immediatelye after his arriuall there the King sent to visite him by one of his principall Moores by whome hée sent for a Present sixtéene of our men the which did escape out of the ship that Pedro de Tayde was Captaine of Within two dayes after this hée departed toward the Indias and so came to Ansadina where hée founde two Gentlemen the one called Antonyo de Saldanua and the other Ruy Lorenso which were Captaines of two shippes and were in groat feare supposing that our Fléet had bene of the Rumes Then Antonyo de Saldanua informed largelye the Captaine generall how he departed the last yeare from Portingale for Vice admirall with Ruy Lorenso being giuen him in commission to go discouer the red Sea with the Countreyes adiacent And how that in doublyng the Cape they were verye sorelye troubled with a storme which was the onelye cause of the separating the one of them from the companye of the other But Ruy Lorenso as he kept his course after their seperation met by chaunce in the way to Sofala with a certaine ship of the Moores being laden with much golde the which hée tooke afterward that he had taken the spoyle of the same hée lefte the Hull in kéeping at Mylynde Antonyo de Saldanua went to Quardafum where he tooke many great and excéeding rich prices without entering at all into the Straights and from thence he went into the Indias And for that he came not to Ansadina before it was the Winter he was therefore driuen to tarry there with Ruy Lorenso who hauing passed many dangers came afterward thether where hée past great troubles for lacke of victualls ¶ Howe the Captaine generall came to Cananor and spake with the King and how the Gouernour of Calycut woulde haue made peace with him howbeit he woulde not consent therevnto Chap. 76. THe Captaine generall béeing héere came thether vnto him Lope Mendez de Vascon celis who had lost the companye of his Generall with the foule wether past And immediately after that he was come the Captaine generall made him prest for his departure towarde Cananor where he arriued the first daye of September There the Factor enformed him of the warres of Calycut and how that he with his other
his good seruice make warres vpon him And therefore hauing knowledge that the King of Calicut was minded to set forwarde and to succour the Citie of Grangalor and that his Captaine generall was marching toward the same he did assemble 4000. Nayres which he placed in certaine straights by the which y e king of Calicut shuld passe at his comming did set vpon his whole campe ouerthrew the same with the death of 2000. of his men which was the cause y t he came not to succour the citie of Grangalor but with this losse returned to Calicut Wherefore hauing done this exployt he remaineth in feare least he wil come and set vpon him And therfore his request is that the Captaine generall will succour him since most hūbly he doth demaund y e same which if he will doe he will promise him to be true subiect to y e king of Portingale To this Embassage y e General aunswered y t he was wel content to accept him for y e kings subiect to send Pedro Raphael with his Caruell in y e which were an 100. men the most whereof were Crossebowmen shot It was a great chance y t the same daye our men came to Tanor thether came also y e king of Calicut by land with his whole camp gaue to y e king of Tanor battell in which through y e valor of our men he was ouerthrowen many of his slaine And for this succor y t the Generall sent thether the king of Tanor remained subiect to y ◠king of Portingale With this ouerthrow y e king of Calicut continued in great feare in lesse credit with y e Moores then he had with y e victories that Edwarte Pacheco had gottē against him because those wars wer made with strangers but this with y e king of Tanor who is his neighbor Which thing was y e cause y r all such Moores as dwelt in Calicut Grangalor conceiued now so great a misliking to trade toward Meca y t they determined to return to their coūtries for this cause they laded xvii great ships in Pandarane fortifieng them to defend thēselues from our men y e better to offend thē if they shuld come Also there were many Paraos and Tones lykewise a lading as fast as they could plye it ¶ How the Captaine generall fought in Pandarane with seuenteene great ships of the Moores and how he ouercame them and burned them Chap. 79. THe Captaine generall perceiuing that of force he must néedes returne with all such ships as were laden by counsaile of the Captaines and for securitie of the King of Coching and of the Fort there did therefore appoint and leaue in Coching a Captaine generall with whom he left a ship and two Caruels the one of Pedro Raphael and the other of Diego Pieres This Captaine was a Gentleman called Manuel telez de Vasconcelos whom the Captaine generall did present to the King of Coching who had a great deale more desire that Edwarte Pacheco should haue remained for his good seruice and affection he bare him as I haue sayd Howbeit notwithstanding he durst not demaund his tarrieng at the Captaine generalls hands forsomuch as he was of a very ill condition Edwarte Pacheco hauing knowledge of his going for Portingale purposed first ere that he departed to speake with the King of Coching the which he so did For whose departure the King remained very sorrowfull requesting him to tarrie if so be it were possible in the Indias and not to leaue him for that as yet he did not think himselfe sure from the King of Calicut and also he tolde him that he remembred that he had promised him sundry times not to goe away vntill such time he had made him King of Calicut and since as yet he had not the possession of the same he desired him not to leaue him Edwarte Pacheco aunswered him that he left him now in a good time hauing his Countrey verye quiet forsomuch as the King of Calycut hath bene and now is abated so greatly of his pride that he néeded not to stande in no feare of him anye more For sufficient proofe whereof was if none other thing that now he sawe the Moores of Meca to go theyr way from Calycut as men desperate for the losse of their trade Also that his going for Portingale was not but to returne and then to serue him for a longer time and more at his pleasure With this aunswere the King was somwhat satisfied and with the teares in his eyes desired him to pardon him for that he did not giue him all that was his desire in recompence of the seruice he had done for him in consideration that he was so poore as he did well knowe Howbeit he intreated him that of his Pepper which hée had he would take what he woulde But Edwarte Pacheco would haue nothing saieng that he did trust in God that when he retourned to Coching hée should finde him very rich in his prosperitie and then he would receiue reward of him And with this he departed the King with all his subiects remaining verye heauie for his departure Moreouer the King wrote vnto the king of Portingale of all Edwarte Pacheco successes in the warres and what he had done for him After this the Captain gerall departed toward Cananor the xxvi of September carieng in his companye those Captaines which shoulde remaine in the Indias His good wil intent was to come to an Ankor in the harbour of Panane and there to visite the King of Tanor But by reason of the ill weather they had and their naughtie Pilots they could not reach y ◠same but were driuen to Calycut and Pandarane And from thence he commaunded Pedro Raphael and Diego Pieres to go before the Fléete and to looke out whether they could see any ships of the Moores Being ariued at Pandarane bearing along the Coast with a small winde there came vpon them x. Paros of the xvii ships that were ther a lading Our men hauing sight of them began forthwith to shoote at them with their ordinaunce The other Captayns being a Sea boord and hearing the sound of the ordinance did returne and bare as close by the winde as they could And hauing sight of the ships of the Moores to be a ground came to Cananor by the Captaine generalls commaundement who immediately entered into counsaile in y e which it was determined by the whole consent of his Captains that they shuld fight with those Moores and that they shuld goe in their boates for that their ships could not come néere vnto them by reason they were within the Barre And for that the enimies were many that therefore they should do what they could to close with the ships the which as soone as they had done they shuld set the same a fire This being appointed the Captaine general with all y e other Captains of the Fléete did imbarke