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
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
left by the late king for Nauigation to those farre countries he then commaunded that Fernan Lorenso Treasurer of the house of the Myna should cause to be made and prepared of the timber which was bought in king Iohns time two shippes wherevnto after they were finished he gaue the names to the one the Angel Gabriel being of an hundred and twentie tunne and to the other Saint Raphael a shippe of one hundred tunne And to goe in the companie of these ships the King then bought of a Pilot that was borne in Lagus called Berrio a Caruell of fiftie tunne which had and bare the selfe name of the Pilot Moreouer he bought a ship of two hundred tunne of one Ayres Correa These Shippes thus made readie and prepared and the king then being in Monte mayor the new with his first wife the Quéene Dōna Izabel in the yeare a thousand foure hundreth nintie seuen he then gaue the chiefe Captaine shippe of this voyage vnto the Indias to Vasco de la Gama his seruaunt who also before was seruaunt to Don Ioan borne in the towne of Synis a harbour towne in the fields of Dorricke The same was a man experimented in matters of the Sea and of Nauigation wherein he had done to this kingdome great seruice And forasmuch as he was a man of greate courage and valure and therefore very apt and likely to atteine and atchieue the end y ◠was by the king desired the king then accordingly in presēce of many noble personages to his great praise and no lesse incouragement commaunded him when he gaue him the charge of that iourney earnestly also requiring him to aunswere and satisfie the expectation and credit he had conceiued of him and reposed in him which if he did he would then very largely reward that his indeauour and trauell and so liberally deale towardes him as he shoulde finde himselfe satisfied for that his dilligence and seruice imployed and for some proofe of those princely and louing speaches he then beganne to make performaunce of parte thereof at that verye instant giuing him an Encommenda with money to put himselfe in a readinesse for that voiage And for to goe with him the king also dispatched one Paulo de la Gama brother to the Captaine Generall and one Nicholas Coello both of them the kings seruants and men méete and apt for whatsoeuer matter of enterprise or cause of valiauntnesse Moreouer he appointed one Bartholome Dyas to goe with them in a Caruell to the Myna And for that in the ships of warre sufficient victualls for the people in the same could not be carried further then to a place called Saint Blaze where they must of course take in fresh water the king gaue commaundement that the shippe of Ayres Correa should goe loaden with victuals vnto that place in the companie of the Fléet and there to take out the same and then to burne the said Ship The Captaine Generall thus informed and dispatched departed with the other Captaines from the Kings court towardes Lishborne where the ships being in a readinesse he imbarked his companie béeing one hundred fortie and eight persons in Belen one league from Lishborne vpon the Saturday being the eight day of Iulye in the yeare of our Lorde God a thousand foure hundred nintie and seauen At which imbarking all the religious men of our Ladie Church in Belen which is a Monestrarie of Saint Hierome went in Procession bare footed and in their cowles with waxe Candles in their hands praieng and the most part of the people of Lishborne with them al of them wéeping and pitieng those that so imbarked themselues supposing they shuld all die in that so aduentrous and daungerous voiage as in déede the p resumption and common opinion thereof was greate and no lesse to be adiudged of The Generall and other his Captaines with their people so imbarked and by the multitude and companie then present commended to God and good fortune they forthwith made saile and departed The Captaine Generall went in the Ship called Saint Gabriel hauing Pilot for y e same one Pedro de Alanquer which was Pilot with Bartholome Dyas when he went to discouer y e riuer called El ryo del ynfante The brother of the Captaine generall went in the ship called S. Raphael Nicholas Coello went in the Caruell Berrio one Gonsalo Gomes seruaunt to the Captaine generall went for Captaine of the ship that carried their victuals Thus being set forward and vnder saile the Captaine generall commaunded that if by any happe whatsoeuer they should bée seuered and loose each other they shuld euery one make and kéepe their roote or course to Cabo Verde where they would ioyne themselues together againe And so following their voiage they came within eight dayes after to the sight of the Ilandes of the Canaries from whence going ouer against the Riuer called Ryo de Oro the night did growe so darke and such great tempest and storme rose as they lost each other and therefore they retourned their course towardes Cabo Verde and Paulo de la Gama Nicholas Coello Bartholome Dyas and Gonsalo Gomes hauing met and after eight daies failing together they came to sight of their Captaine Generall vpon the wednesdaye in the Euening and saluting him with many shot of ordinaunce and with sound of Trumpets they spake vnto him each of them heartely reioysing and thanking God for their safe méeting and good fortune in this their first brunt of daunger and perill The next day béeing the twenteth day of Iuly the Captaine general with all his Fléet attained vnto the Ilands of Sancty Ago wher cōming to anker in y ◠play de Santa Maria they remained there seuen daies taking in such water as they had néed of repairing the yards of their ships and other harmes they had receiued in the storme past Tewsday being the third day of August the Captaine Generall departed thence following his course to the East but first before his departure he tooke his leaue of Bartholome Dyas who returned into Portingale And going towarde the Cape of Buena Esperansa with all the ships of his companie hée entered the goulfe into the Sea and from thence sailed all August September and October in which time they susteined many and great tempests or rather torments of outragious windes and raine so that they expected nothing but present death which still was represented before them by view of the manifolde daungers and perills they presently then sawe and whereof they were forced to abide the euenture Béeing thus perplexed God of his diuine goodnesse recomforted them for vpon the saturdaye being the fourth day of Nouember at nine of the clocke in the fore-noone they sawe land whereat they greatly reioysed and all the Captaines béeing together they then saluted the Generall all of them apparelled in their best araie and hauing decked and garnished their shippes with Flagges accordingly they drew néere the land as the generall had commaunded
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
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