very fresh This Citie is buylded much after the manner of Calycut and is inhabited by Gentiles and sundry Moores strangers which are come thether from manye places and are great Merchaunts amongst whom there are two that haue fiftie shippes a péece In this Countrey is great store of Pepper and the most parte that they haue in Calycut commeth from thence But forasmuch as in Calycut there are more store of Merchaunts which come from other places therefore the same is richer then Coching The King is a Gentile and is of the behauiour and propertie of the King of Calycut howbeit he is verye poore by reason his Countrey is but small neither can he commaund any money to be coined in his Citie The Kings of Coching are in great subiection to the Kings of Calicut for as often as ther chanceth a new king to succéede in Calycut he immediately goeth to Coching and dispossesseth him that hath the same of the whole kingdome and taketh possession himselfe therof so that by this meanes it lyeth in his hands whether he will restore that King to the crowne againe or not Also the King of Coching is bound to aide and accompany the King of Calycut in battaile against any other King also he is bounde to dye in the religion of the King of Calicut The Captaine generall being come to this harbour did there let fall his Ankor for that he was afearde to send Gaspar with a message to the king least he would runne awaye he choosed rather to send one whose name was Michael Iogue which although hée were a Gentile a straunger yet he came vnto our Fléete with intent to turne Christian saieng that he would goe for Portingale wherevpon the Captaine generall tooke occasion to baptize him and gaue him the name of Michael for his surname as he was called before By this man he sent to y e king of Coching his message certifieng him of all that they had past in Calicut also y ◠the Captain generall had brought w t him great store of Merchandize to giue in trucke for such commodities as there were in Coching with the which if so be that the King wer not contented that then he would buy the same for ready mony wherof he had brought with him great store and therefore his request was that in trucke of his merchandize or for his ready money he would giue him lading for foure ships The answere that the king made to this messenger was That he was very glad of his comming to this his Port for that he was wel informed of his strength and valiantnesse and therfore he estéemed them all the better as héereafter he should well perceiue And as for such Spices as he had there he would giue him y e same in trucke of his Merchaundize y ◠he had brought with him from Portingale or els for money as he should thinke best And also that without any feare he might send a land whom he should thinke good to prouide the said lading for the assurance of such as shuld trauel about y e same he sent him 2. of y ◠principal Naires in pledge vpō cōditiō y t euery day he shuld chaunge them and take others for that all such as did féede a sea boorde could not come anye more in the kings presence The Captaine Generall was well contented therewith who had the sending of those pleadges so quietly a boord for a good beginning and therfore he sent immediatly for Factor of this lading Gonsallo Gilbarbosa which was sent before with Aries Correa and for his Scriuenor he sent Larenco Moreno and for Interpretour one called Maderade Alcusia Also the Captaine Generall commaunded to be deliuered vnto them and to serue them in all kinde of affaires foure banished men The king hauing notice of the comming of the Factor a land sent to receiue him the Rogedor of the Citie who went accompanyed with many noble men of the Courte who brought them before the king This king euen as his rents did farre differ in value from the king of Calycuts so he did also differ very much in his estate not onely for y e furniture of his person but also of the place in the which he was in For there appeared nothing else but the verye bare walls The king himselfe was sitting within certeine grates made much lyke a Theatre with the which the whole house was compassed aboute and there was attending vppon him verie few men The Factor béeing come before the king did present vnto him a present which the Captaine Generall sent him which was a Bason of siluer to wash his hands in full of Saforne and a greate Ewer of siluer full of rose water besides certeine braunches of Corall this present the king receiued very ioyfulfully giuing vnto the Captaine Generall great thanks for the same and after that he had talked a while with the factor and with Larenco Moreno he commaunded them to be lodged and so there remained those thrée a land besides the other foure banished men But the Captaine Generall would not consent there should remaine a land anye more for he iudged that the fewer ther remained a land the fewer would be lost if so be that there should chaunce the lyke misfortune to that which did in Calycut Howbeit that was farre vnlike for y t the king of Coching séemed to be a man inclined to vertue all the loialtie in the world which wel appeared in his fauour in the vsing of our men in the dispatch he made for the lading of our ships with spices in the commanding of helpe to be giuen by those of y ◠countrie which they did so willingly and with so great a zeale that the same séemed to be ordeined of God that the trade might be brought from Calycut to Coching that his holy Catholike faith might increase in the Indias as y e same did besides the estate of y e king of Portingale which might increase also in riches as the same hath done Hovv the Captaine General being at Coching ther came vnto him a Priest vvhich vvas an Indian and a christian from the citie of Grangalor to go vvith him to Portingale and also vvhat els he tolde him of the christians of this citie Chap. 39 THe Captaine Generall béeing in this citie laden there came vnto him two Indians which as they said were christians naturally borne in y e citie of Grangalor which is hard by Coching these were brothers were desirous to go to Portingale frō thence to Rome to sée the Pope afterward to Ierusalem to visit y e holy sepulchre And being demanded by y e Captaine generall what city y ◠Grangalor was whether the same was only inhabited by christians also whether they do estéeme y e christiā order of y ◠Gréeks or of y e church of Rome one of thē made answere y ◠Grangalor was a gret city in y e prouince
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
1503. And although all those Ilandes were greatlye inhabited by the Moores yet he would venture a land y e rather for that the dwellers in that Iland were no men of war so that with the onely feare they stoode in of our men they gaue them good interteinment selling vnto them such victualls as they had and did conuerse in their companie Vincente Sodre hauing brought a Caruell a grounde therevpon the Moores tooke occasion to tell him that in the moneth of Maye there came alwayes such a torment or storme out of the North that no ships doe remaine there but are driuen a lande And therefore such as knowe the same doe immediatly auoide the daunger willing him likewise so to doe and to remoue himselfe on the other side of the Ilande which will be a defence for them and when the storme is past they may returne without feare But he not making account of their words but rather iudging y t they meant to do him some displeasure wold not go from thence but aunswered them that their ships had Ankors of wood that they were driuen so a shore but his were of yron and for all that the Moores could perswade him he wold neuer be remoued Yet Pedro Raphael Hernan Rodrigues Badarsas and Diego Pierres would not tarrie but on the last day of Aprill they went their waie and as for Vincente Sodre and his brother they remained And when the torment came and began to blow their ships were driuen on shore for all their Ankors and were torne in péeces in the which there were many men slaine Amongst these ther died the two brethren and of the ships was nothing saued but onely the Captaines that remoued with the Caruell that was brought a ground The losse of the two brothers was iudged to come by the handie worke of God for their sins and for not fauouring the king of Coching for leauing the Factour with the Factorie of the king of Portingale in so greate a daunger And therefore those that were saued returned toward Coching to succour our men if happely they had any such néed Amongest themselues they appointed for Captaine Generall Pedro de Tayde and so they made saile at the entering of Maie And for that the Winter of the Indias was come they passed greate stormes whereby they sawe themselues sundry times in great danger And for that they could not fall with Coching therfore they were driuen to winter in Ansadina Thrée or foure dayes after their cōming thether there came thether also a shippe from Portingale of the which was captaine a gentleman called Antonio delcimpo who departed alone after Don Vasco dela Gama his tarrieng was so long by reason y t his pilot died by meanes whereof he was driuen to kéep the coast so that with great trouble danger he arriued at Ansadina wher he was driuen to winter where also they susteined great necessitie for lacke of victualls How Francisco de Alburquerque and Alonso de Alburquerque departed to the Indias for two captaines generalls of two fleetes and how they arriued at Coching did after their comming restore the king of Coching to his kingdome chap. 56. IN the yeare of our Lord. 1503. the king of Portingale supposing that the Admiral had left setled the Factorie quietly in Coching Cananor that he should haue no such néed as to send any great fléet Therfore he determined to send but sixe ships imparted vnto two Captaines generalls Of the first there he named for Captaine general a gentleman called Alonso de Alburquerque which afterward was gouernour of y e Indias as héereafter I shall declare in the third booke These were his Captaines one called Edwarto Pacheco of whom I spake before Hernan Martines Mascarennas who they said died in the voiage to Gordo Of the other thrée he appointed for Captaine general one Francisco de Alburquerque cousin to y e other Alonso Alburquerque These following wer his Captaines Nicholas Coello one y t was in y e discouery of the Indias and Pedro Vas de la Vega. This Fléete departed fiftéene daies after Alonso de Albuquerque and so as well the one as the other passed in their voyage great stormes in the which was lost Pedro vas de Lauega Francisco de Albuquerque which departed last of all came first and before Alonso de Albuquerque who brought with him Nicholas Coello to Ansadina who came thether in the month of August where as yet he found Pedro de Taide with their Captaines which were forced to winter ther. And hauing certeine knowledge of the warres that were published betwéene the king of Calicut and the king of Coching and all about our men they went immediatly with all the Fléete which was of sixe sailes to Cananor for that he would enforme himselfe the better thereof and what had passed in Coching At theyr arriuall in Cananor our men were verye glad of theyr comming The king of Cananor himselfe reioysed so much that he went to visite the Captaine generall a sea boord and told him all what perticularly had happened to the king of Coching and where the king was As soone as he knew all this he immediatly departed toward Coching to the which place he came on Saterdaie at night being the second day of September in the selfe same yeare As soone as his comming was knowne to the king of Coching ther was great reioysing at the same not onely of the king our men but of all the dwellers in Coching There were sundrye that at his comming did so reioyce that they plaied vpon sundrie sorts of instruments in token thereof All those that were in theyr trenches by the king of Calycuts commaundement viewing this great ioye and mirth and perceiuing wherfore it was as soone as the night came ranne their waie to Grangalor for so the king of Calycut had commaunded them to doe who also knewe of their comming by the waye of Cananor Immediatlye on Sundaie in the morning Francisco de Albuquerque came to an Ankor at the entering of the riuer of Coching The king hearing of his arriuall also sent to visite him by the Factor On the Munday morning Francisco de Alburquerque hauing left his ships in good order tooke his boates being very well armed and went in the same vnto Vaypin caried with him also two Caruells to succour him if there should come any Paraos from Calycut As he went somewhat far off from the Caruells came after him Edwarte Pachece who suspecting wherevpon he went leapt into his boat with some of his men which came after him with such hast hee made with his rowing that he ouertooke him before he came to Vaypin where the King of Coching was tarrieng for him along the water side with as many men as went with him to the Iland The pleasure was so great of theyr méeting that as soone as the King of Coching had sight of our boates he began to crye out saieng
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
manner whereby we might be preserued from the crueltie intended towardes vs. ¶ Heerein is contayned matter of the Citie of Mylinde and how the Captaine generall came thether Chap. 10. THe Captaine generall did willingly tarrie remaine before Mombassa the two daies as before is declared of purpose to sée if he could haue from thence two Pilots to cary him to Calicut for that without them it was verye hard for him to goe thether since our Pilots had no knowledge of that Countrey But when he sawe he coulde not haue anye there he departed thence vpon Friday in the morning with a small winde and at the comming ouer the Barre he lefte behinde him one of his Ankors for his men were so wearied with bringing and hailing vp the rest that they coulde not waye vp the same which afterward being found ther by the Mores was carried to the Citie and placed harde by the Kings Pallaice and remained there at what time Don Franco de Almeyda was the first Lord President of the Indias who when he tooke the same towne from the Moores found this Ankor there as I shall declare in the second Booke of this present Treatise Being thus departed from Mom. bassa and passing on their voyage eight leagues beyonde the same the Generall and his Fléete through lacke of winde came to an Ankor hard by the land in the night and in the dawning of the daye they discouered two Sambucos which are little Pinnacies vnder the lye thrée leagues from the Fléete a Sea boord which when the Generall sawe and being desirous to haue some Pilots to carrie him to Calycut he supposed he might be sped of such to serue his turne if he could take those small boates or Pinnacies and therfore waying his Ankors he and the other Captaines went towards them and pursued the same vntil Euensong time at which instant the Generall tooke one of them but the other ranne alande from whence before it came In this Pinnace which was so taken were seauentéene Moores amongst which was one olde Moore who séemed to be Master of the rest hauing with him a young woman that was his wife In the same also was found great store of siluer and golde and some victualles The Captaine not stayeng vppon this occasion foorthwith went forwarde and in the selfe same daye with his whole Fléete came harde by Mylynde which is eightéene leagues from Mombassa and in thrée degrées to the Southwarde it hath no good Harbour for that it is almost an open Roade but there is a certain Piere or recife wheron the sea doth beat which is the cause why the ships doe ride far from y ◠shore This Citie standeth in a broad field along the Sea side round about the same are many Palme trées with many other sorts of trées which all the yeare grow gréene Also many Gardens and Orchards replenished with all kind of hearbes and fruits and very faire fountaines of good waters in the same But principally their Orenges excel which are not onely very great but also very sweet and pleasant in tast They haue also great store and plentie of victuals as Mylyo and Ryse Cattell both greate and small also great store of Hennes which bee very fat and good cheape The Citie is great hauing in the same faire stréets many faire houses of lime and stone builded with many lofts with their windowes and tarrisis made of Lime earth The naturall people of that Countrie are blacke and of good proportion of bodie with curled haire the straungers which resort thether make their abode there are Moores of Arabia which doe gouerne themselues very well commendably especially the Gentlemen who from the girdle vpward goe naked and from the same downeward doe couer themselues with silke and with very fine cotten cloth and others with short Cloakes made of Cotten after the olde fashion the which they doe weare to couer their arms pits and vpon their heads they weare a certeine manner of Cloth wrought with silke and golde They weare also rich Daggers with great tassels of silke of many colours and swoords very well garnished They be all left handed and carrie with them alwaies bows and arrowes for they vse the pastime of shooting be great good Archers Moreouer they account themselues to be good horsemen although there be a common saieng or speach vsed by the inhabitants in the coasts thereaboutes The men on horsebacke of Mombassa and the women of Mylynde for as in Mombassa be very good horsemen so in Mylynde are very faire women which goe richly apparelled In this Citie also dwel many Gentiles of the kingdome of Cambaya which is in the Indias and those are greate merchants vsing tract or traficke for golde whereof there is some in that Countrie as in like manner ther is Amber greace Iuory Pitch and Waxe all which they giue in exchaunge to such as come from Cambaya for Copper Quicksiluer and Cloth of Cotten and that the one and the other hath gaines therof The king of this Citie is a Moore and is serued with farre greater estate then the other kings which remaine behinde The Generall being come ouer against this Citie did reioyce in his heart very much and so likewise did all the rest of the Fléete for that they now sawe a Citie lyke vnto those of Portingale and therefore they rendered most heartie and humble thankes to God for their good and safe arriuall there And being desirous to haue some Pilottes to carrie them to Calicut the Generall commaunded to come to an Ankor minding to assay if he coulde by anye meanes obteine such there as might serue for that purpose For vntill this time he could not know of the Moores hée had taken whether amongest them were any Pilots who albeit they were offered torments still answered and said there were none of them skilfull in that respect ¶ How the Captaine Generall sent a Moore in message to Mylynde and what aunswere the King made him Cap. 11. THE next day after being Easter euen the old Moore which was taken Captiue with the rest in the Pinnace tolde the Generall that in Mylynde were foure ships of the Christian Indias promising also that if he would license him and the other Moores to goe to land he would giue him for his resgat Christian Pilots and moreouer wold furnish him with all things he had néede off The Generall being well pleased with the speaches and offer of this olde Moore commaunded to wey theyr Ankors and so remoued and came to an Ankor within in halfe a league of the Citie But from thence there came no bodie to our Fléete for they feared and were in doubt that our men would take them captiue and besides they knew by the Pinnace which the Generall tooke that wee were Christians beléeuing also that our Shippes were Shippes of warre All which the Generall supposing they coniectured hée therefore vppon the Mundaye in the morning
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