with the executing of my office with great trouble not onely of the body but also of the spirite made an end of this Booke with others the which I doe humbly offer vnto your Highnes whome God after manye and most fortunate yeares remayning in your place the Prince take and receiue you from the senurie of the earth vnto the ioyes of heauen Your Highnes most humble Orator Hernan Lopes de Castaneda ⧠How the King Don Joan the second of that name did send to seeke out by sea and by land the East India and of the newes that was brought him of the same Cap. 1. THIS King Don Ioan the second of that name of the Kings of Portingale the thirtéenth perceiuing that all the Spices Drugs Stones and other riches which came to Venice were brought out of a certaine Prouince of the East parte And as he was a Personage of an hautie stomacke and valiaunt minde so was he desirous to inlarge his Kingdome and increase the Christian faith and therefore he determined to discouer by Sea the Country from whence so great plentie of riches came that thereby his Subiects might be inriched and his Kingdome of Portingale enioy all such commodities as came from thence to Venice Moreouer to discouer the same Countrey he was the rather animated and enclined for that he was giuen to vnderstand that in the East India where Christians which were gouerned by a King of great power called Praesbiter Ioan with whom Don Ioan thought good to haue acquaintaunce and to know him by his Ambassadors and the rather for that he was reported to be a Christian Prince And therefore consulting with the Cosmographers of that time he gaue them in charge to procéede and goe forwarde by example of others which had sayled along the Coast of Guynee which Coast was before that time discouered by commaundement of the Prince his Vnckle Master of the Order of Christ who had sent for that purpose one Bartholome Dyas one of the Officers of his Storehouse in Lyshborne who did discouer that great monstrous Cape not knowen of our Auncestours which is now called the Cape of Buena esperansa And finding there matter of great terrour and daungers he passed beyond the same one hundred and fortie leagues where comming to a Riuer which he named Rio del infante from thence he retourned to Portingale In this voyage he gaue to the Ports Herbours and Riuers where he tooke in fresh water theyr names which at this present they doe retaine Likewise he erected there certaine markes with Crosses and with the roiall Armes of Portingale and the last that he erected was in a Rocke the which they named El pennol de la crus which standeth fiftéene leagues on this side the foresayde Riuer And from thence he retourned without hearing any newes or yet hauing any further intelligence of that India by reason all the Inhabitaunts along those Coasts bée almost a sauage and a wilde kinde of people and of coulour blacke This voyage and intelligence being intimated and reuealed to the King Don Ioan he foorthwith minded to 〈◊〉 couer that India by land albeit before that time he 〈…〉 and sent for the same discouerie intended 〈…〉 of the order of Saint Fraunces called Fryer 〈…〉 Lixbona by land in the company of a 〈…〉 two persons for want of the Arabian 〈…〉 trauaile those parts so that they went 〈…〉 Ierusalem from whence without 〈…〉 of that iourney they returned into Portingale The King neuerthelesse continuing to prosecute to effect his determination for discouerye of that India by lande did therevppon choose two of his owne seruauntes men of good knowledge and dilygent in whatsoeuer they were to be imployed the one called Pedro de Couillian borne in the saide Village and the other called Alonso de Payua borne in the Towne of Castil Blanco which did verye well vnderstande the language of Arabia to whome he tolde how that he had made choyce of them as of persons apt to execute his pretence which was to discouer by lande as well the Countrey of Presbiter Ioan as also that from whence the Drugges and Spices come to Venice Giuing them in charge and that earnestlye to make dilygent enquirye and gather certaine knowledge whether that from the Cape of Buena Esperansa forwarde there were anye Nauigation to the East India and that they shoulde set downe all thinges they founde necessarye to bée knowen or that they coulde by anye possible meane learne or gather of the same for certaintye Commaunding also a Sea Carde to bée giuen them which was taken out of a Maâ—pe of the whole worlde by a Maister of Arte called Calsadilla Bishoppe of Vyseu who was a good Astronomer Moreouer hée gaue them a Letter of credite whereby they might bée succoured and protected from and in daungers of death and in cases of necessitie and want of money in whatsoeuer Kingdomes and Countreyes theyr happe shoulde be to trauayle And for theyr charges hée commaunded to giue them foure hundreth Crownes out of the Chest of the Orcherd of Almeryn Of which summe they tooke as much as they déemed would suffice for theyr expence vntill they came to Valencia in Aragon putting the residue in the Baâ—cke of Bartelme Florentine to be deliuered them there and so he gaue them the blessing of God and his in the presence of the King Don Manuel who at that time was Duke of Vesa After this they departed from the Village of Santaren the seauenth day of May in the yeare of our Lord a thousand foure hundred foure score and seauen and came to Naples vpon Saint Iohns daye the same yeare from whence they were set forward on their way by Cosmo de Medicis sonnes and so went they from thence to the Rhoodes of which Religion wer then none other but Portingales And from the Rhoodes they went to Alexandria from thence to the Cayro as Merchaunts and from thence in the companie of certaine Moores of Feez and Tremencen they came to Toro which is a place that hath his harbour in the Straights of the red Sea in the Coast of Arabia at the foote of the Mountaine Sinay where they vnderstood mainie matters of the Indias and of the trade those places had out of the Straightes to Calicut and therevpon they trauailed to another place in the selfe same Sraightes of the Redde Sea ouer the Coaste of Aethiopia from whence they went to Edin And for that it was out of the waye to the Indies they parted companye and seuered themselues Alonso de Payua remained to go ouer by land to the Emperour of Aethiopia which is he whom we before haue named vpon errour Presbiter Ioan for the certaintie is this is he of whom Marco Paulo maketh mention in his booke who gouerneth all the Indies and whose Countrey ioyneth vnto the great Cam of Catayo where in a battaile betwéene them fought the saide Prester Ioan was vanquished and dyed And so thencefoorth finally ended
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
a Pilot a Gentile called in their language Gosarate whose name was Canaca making excuse that hée had not sent him sooner and so the king and the Generall remained friends and continued the peace before concluded vpon betwéene them ¶ How the Captaine Generall departed from Mylynde came to Calicut and of what greatnesse and noblenesse that citie is Cap. 13. THE Captaine Generall béeing thus prouided of all things necessarie for his voyage departed from Mylynde towards Calicut vpon the Tewsday being the 22. day of Aprill and from thence he began to cut ouer a goulfe which is of seauen hundreth and fiftie leagues for the land there doth make a certeine great valley which doth runne along the coast from the North to the South and our voiage in demaunding of Calicut lay to the Eastward in following whereof the next Sunday our men sawe the North which a long time before they had not séene and also they sawe the South of which good fortune they thanked God in that it represented as then to them winter of the Indias where alwaies in that goulfe are great stormes they now found none but rather faire weather The Fridaye being the .xvii. daye of May and xxiii daies next after their departing from Mylynde in which time they had séene no land they then discouered came to sight of land And the Fléete béeing viii leagues of seaboord from the shoare the land séemed high their Pilot whose name was Canaca did as then let fall the Plommet found fortie fiue fathom wherevpon to auoide and apart himselfe from that coast he made his way to the Southeast vppon the Saterday he made to landward howbeit he ranne not so néere the same as he might certainly knowe it but he perceiued by small showres of raine which fell as they made towards land y ◠they were on the coast of y e Indias for y ◠at y ◠present time of y e yere y ◠winter is euer in those Indias The sunday being y e xx day of May the Pilot sawe certeine high hils which were ouer the Citie of Calicut and came so néere to land that he did reknowledge the same and with great ioy and pleasure demaunded of the Generall Albrycias saieng that this was the land which he and his companie so greatly desired to sée and come to The General replenished with ioy of that good fortune gaue Canaca his demaund forthwith went to praier saieng the Salue wherein they gaue God greate thanks for this their happie and safe arriuall vppon that coast and in sight of the place which they so earnestly longed for to sée when praier was done they made great ioy and feasted on shipboord and the selfe same daie in the euening the Generall came to an Ankor two leagues from Calicut and immediatly came certeine people of that land in fowre boates called Almaydyas to our Fléete to vnderstand what ships these were hauing neuer before séene any of that making come to that cost These people came all naked sauing that their members were couered with little péeces of linnen cloath they are browne people At their comming to vs some of them entered into the Generalls shippe and albeit the Pilot Goserate tolde him that they were Fishermen a poore kinde of people for so they call all such as bee poore men in the Indias yet hée receyued them all well and commaunded his men to buye of their Fish which they brought with them And hauing some talke with them he did vnderstand that that towne was not Calicut for it was they said further off offered to carrie our Fléete thether Wherevpon the Generall required them so to doe and therewith departed thence and were brought by those Fishermen to Calicut which is a Citie scituated on the Coast of Malabar which is a Prouince of the second Indias that hath his beginning in the Mount Dely and endeth at the end of Comory which is in lentgh thréescore leagues and one and fiftéene in breadth All the Countrie lyeth lowe and is apt to be couered with water Ther be many Ilandes in the same it doth enter into the Sea Indico There is a verie high hill which diuideth the limits betwéene them and a great kingdome called Narsinga The Indians do report that this land of Malabar in olde time was maine Sea and ran as far as y e hill where now the Ilands of Maldiua are which were then firme land did couer discouer y e other of Malabar in which are many and pleasaunt Cities those also very rich by reason of y e trade they haue principaly with thē of Calicut which in riches vice doth excel al in our time whose foundation was on this sort This Prouince of Malabar was in the olde time gouerned altogether by one king who made his aboade in the Citie of Conlan and in the last kings daies of this land whose name was Saranaperimal and died sixe hundreth yeares agone the Moores of Meca discouered the Indias and came to the Prouince of Malabar the inhabitaunts wherof then were Gentiles and the king himselfe was a Gentile From the time of the comming of these Moores they beganne to account the yeares as we account from y e birth of our Lord God And after they came thether they grew into such familyaritie with this king and hée entered into such conference good opinion of their lawes that he renounced the manner of religion of his owne Countrie and minded thence forth to imbrace theirs and the loue and liking he had of this sect of Mahomet so déepely tooke roote and entered into his heart that he determined to goe and ende his lyfe in the house of Meca Thus béeing resolued for the loue he bare to that sect to abandon and leaue his kingdome for euer and goe with them before his departure he imparted to his kinred and diuided amongest them all his Lordships and territories and hauing distributed and giuen the same so farre forth that there remained to him no more but xii leagues of his Countrie which laye néere to the shoare where he meant to imbarke himselfe the which was neuer before inhabited therfore he then gaue y e same to a cosin of his which then serued him as his Page commaunding y ◠the same circuit shold be inhabited in perpetuall memorie of his imbarking there To the same his kinsman hée also gaue his swoord a towell after the Morisco sort as things apperteining and incident to the estate gaue commaundement to all the Gentlemen to whom he had giuen all the rest of his lands that they should be obedient true subiects vnto him and to take him for theyr Emperour the kings of Conlan and Canamor onely except whome also he commaunded and charged likewise al the others that they nor no other Lordes shoulde coine money in the Prouince of Malabar but onely the King of Calycut So hauing thus bestowed and giuen
his lands possessions and dignities as he thought good and set euery necessary thing in order for establishing his determinate will and pleasure he then imbarked himselfe there wher now Calicut is builded and scituated and for that the King did there imbarke himself to go towards y e house of Meca y e Moores then took such deuotion towards that place that they and all their posteritie euer since that time hitherto would not nor yet will take any lading but out of that Port. And from that time afterward they came no more to the Port of Coulan as vsually they did before by meane and occasion whereof the same grew to ruine and was destroyed especially when Calicut was once builded and that many Moores came and inhabited the same For as they were Merchaunts of great dealings so came they thether and made there the greatest and richest Faire or Marte of all the Indias finding there all the Spices Drugs Nutmegs and all other things that could be wished as all kindes of precious stones pearles séede of pearle Muske Saunders Aguila fine Dishes of earth Laker gylted Coffers and all the fine things of the Chyna Gold Amber Waxe Iuorie fine and couâ—se cotten as well white as dyed in colours much rawe silke silke twisted and all kinde of linnen cloth of silke and golde and cloth of golde and cloth of tissew chamlets graine scarlets carpets of silke Copper Quicksiluer Vermilion Allome coralls Rose waters and all kinde of Conserues so that ther is no kinde of Merchandise of all the world which coulde be demaunded but it should be found there Moreouer it was very quiet for that it was scituated along the Coast the which lieth almost open and very daungerous it is inuironed set round about with many Orchards in which are many sorts of fruits of that lande and many hearbes and excellent waters Also they haue many Palme trées and other sorts of trées In this lande there is but small store of Rice which is ther a principall victuall as amongst vs our Wheate is but there commeth from other places great aboundaunce thereof as in like manner there doeth of other victualls The Citie is great and all the houses be of straw onely the houses of their Idolls Chappels and the Kings houses except which are of lyme and stone and couered with tyle for none but they are permitted by theyr lawes to haue anye other manner of building then with strawe It was inhabited by Gentiles of sundry sects and by Moores which were great Merchaunts and so rich that some of them had fiftie ships There is no such season of Winter but that there may lye in that Harbour sixe hundred shippes They haue there a shore whether they do cary them with small trauaile for that they be made without nailes sowed with ropes of Cayro and pitched vpon they haue no quiell but are flat bottomed ¶ Of what great power the King of Calicut is and of his vse and custome likewise of the other Kings of Malabar and how the Nayres do liue Chapter 14. FOr that this Citie was of so great a trade and also the Countrey round about so inhabited which increased so largelye the Kings rents it came to passe that he grew to be so rich of money and so mightie in power by multitude of people that in one daye he was able to leauie and make in a readinesse thirtie thousand fighting men and in thrée dayes space one hundred thousand They called him Samoryn which in theyr tongue is Emperour for so he was among the Kings of Malabar and there were no more but two beside him that is to say the King of Coulan and the King of Canauor For albeit the others were called Kings yet were they not so This King of Calycut was a Bramene as others his Predecessours also were which amongst the Malabars are Priests and for that it is a custome and auncient order obserued that all the Kings doe dye in one Pagode which is the house of praiers to their Idolls he is elected for that cause for alwayes in the same house there must be and is a King to serue those Idolles and when he that serueth there doeth dye then must the King that then raygneth and gouerneth leaue his Empire and goe serue in that place as the other did and into his place and Kingdome they elect and put an other that shall so succeede him And if anye of them that is in possession of the Kingdome refuse to goe into the Pagode the King that then serueth in the same béeing dead they will then inforce him thereto which so refuseth although it be against his will These Kings of Malabar be browne men and goe naked from the gyrdell vpwarde and from thence downewarde they be couered with cloath of silke and of Cotten sometime they put vppon them shorte gownes which they doe call Basus of silke or cloath of golde and of scarlet with very rich stones and especiallye the King of Calycut excelleth in those attires and Iewells They be shauen leauing vpon the vpper lip as the Turkes vse the hayre vnshauen They be serued but with small estate especiallye at theyr meate whereof they haue but lyttle But the King of Calycut is serued with greater Estate These Kings doe not marrie nor obserue the Lawe of marriage but yet they maye haue a Lemman of the house of the Nayres which amongest the Malabars are Gentlemen and shée hath hir house by hir self neere to the Pallaice They doe allowe hir so lyberallye for hir charges and maintenaunce that she maye haue plentifullye of all thinges to hir contentation vppon that Stypende assigned hyr And when any disliking is had of hir by them they may alwayes leaue hir and such children as they haue by hir be not taken or accompted for theyrs neither doe they inherite the Kingdome nor anye thing of theyrs After they be men they are had in no more estimation then that is incident vnto them from the mothers bloud and parentage Their brothers doe inherite if they haue any if not then their sisters children shall who doe not marry neither yet haue any certaintie of their husbands They bée very frée and at libertie to choose those of whom they lyke and be such as are best estéemed of They haue verye great rents allowed them and when anye of them come to the age of ten yeares for at that time they are to be knowen of men their kinred then doe sende forth out of this kingdome for a young man Nayre and presenting him with gifts earnestly request the same to take hir virginitie who then receiueth hir with great ioy and after she is thus vsed doth tye about hir necke a Iewell which she doth carry and weare alwayes during hir life as a thing in great estimation for a token of the libertie giuen hir by that act to do with hir bodie afterward for euer what she will for without this manner of
to buye ther what they thought good so that there went out of each shippe euery day a man and those being returned there went immediately others And as they went on this order they were carried to the Gentiles houses wher they had good chéere and also when occasion serued might haue among them good lodging The like courtesie they did receiue in Calicut besides they did report vnto our men of all such things as they had and after the selfe same manner our men did bestow amongst them part of that they caried which were bracelets of Brasse of Copper Pewter and apparell which they carried to sell in Calicut or anye other place where they might goe as quiet as in Lishborne From the lande there went aboord both Fisher men Gentiles to sell their Fish Coâ—os and Hennes which they gaue in trucke of bisket and for ready money Others ther wer that went thether with their children who carried nothing with them to sell but only their going was to sée our ships The Captaine generall was very glad of their comming commanded to giue them meate this he did for to increase the friendship betwéene the King of Calicut them After this order the ships wer neuer without some those y t wer there remained till such time that night drew on and then they were bid to goe their waye After this sort they spent their time till it was the x. day of August the which was the beginning of the season wherin they might depart from the Coast of the Indias and also for that as then their winter did make an end The Captaine generall perceiuing the quietnesse of the people and Countrey and the familyaritie they vsed with our men and how quietly they went in Calicut without receiuing either hurt of the Moores or of the Nayres did credibly beléeue that this came to passe for that the King of Calycut would haue peace and friendship with the King his Master was the occasion that almost in thrée moneths that our men had trade in Calycut they did receiue no manner hurt either of the Moores or of the Nayres Hée did therfore determine to establish the Factorie which was there with all such Merchandize as he had lefte at that present although the least parte thereof was solde for that there was now layde a good foundation or ground worke for the next voyage when it shuld please the King his Master to sende againe and if it might please God to giue him life that he might bring him newes of this Discouerie so that it should not be néedfull to make any new consent or agréement for the Factorie And by the counsaile of his Captaines and of the other Principalls of his ships he sent vnto the King of Calicut a present of skarfes of sundry coulours of silkes Coralls and other things which was caried vnto him by Diego Dias desiring the King to pardon him for that he was so bold as to send him that present considedering he did the same for no other purpose but onelye to shew what seruitour he was of his who is and will bée alwayes at his commandement which was the occasion that he sent it and not for that he thought that things of so smal valew were of sufficient dignitie for to represent a King withall of so great a power as he was And if so be that he had in his custodie that which he might estéeme or think to be of a more worthie price he would sende it with a better good will And for that the time now drew néere y e he determined to depart he ordained for the same and also if so bée that he did minde to send any Embassadour to the King his Master to confirme the amitie or friendship betwéen them he desired him to commaund him to be in a readinesse for that he had a confidence that as touching that which he had agréed vpon with his highnesse as also presuming on y e gifts which he had receiued at his hands y t he might as he was desirous leaue in Calicut that Factor with his Scriuenor the Merchandize which he had left not onely for a witnes of a perpetuall peace friendship setled ther with his highnes but also for a testimony of the truth of his Embassage of that which y e King his Master shuld send héerafter as soone as he had news of him also for confirmatioÌ„ of his discouery to get some credit in Portingale he did therfore send to kisse his hands requesting him to send to y e king his master one Bahar of cinamon another of cloues another of some other spices as soone as y e factor did make any redy mony of his wares he shuld pay for y e same forsomuch as at y â— present he had not wherewith to paye After that Diego Dias had receiued his message there past foure dayes afore the King would consent that he should come in his presence although that he went euery day vnto his Pallaice After that he had commanded him to come into his presence he viewed how and after what sort he came laden and therevpon asked him with a frowning countenaunce what it was that he would haue but Diego Dias at that time was afearde that he would commaund him to be killed But after that he had told him his message and would haue deliuered him the present he would not sée it but commaunded it to be deliuered to his Factor The aunswere that he gaue touching the Captaine generall was that since he would néedes goe his waye he might so doe but first or that he doe depart he must giue him 600. Serasynes for so it was the custome of the Countrey Diego Dias being returned with this present was accompanied by manye Nayres which he séeing thought it to be for the best but as soone as he was come to the Factorie they remained at the dore and woulde not consent that he or any other shoulde come forth And after this proclamation was made in all the Citie that vpon pain of death there should goe aboord our Fléete no boate or Almadias but yet notwithstanding all this Bontaybo went and gaue warning to the Captaine generall in secrete not to goe a lande nor consent that any of his should goe for that he knew for most certaine by the Moores that if so be that he or they shoulde so doe the King would commaunde theyr heads to be stroken off And as touching all his faire words and good entertainment which he had shewed him vnto that present as also to giue him a house in the which his Merchandize might be layd as also the good entertainment that our men had was but méere dissimulation and to the ende he might haue taken him a lande with them so haue commaunded them all to be killed which was wrought by the industrie of the Moores onely which had made the King beléeue that they were théeues
for that they followed him an houre and a halfe And by reason of a showre of raine which came vpon a sodeine the Captaine Generall was driuen a sea boord with all his Fléete in the meane while the enimies fledde their waye and bearing his course towards Mylinde in great calmes that along the coast thought good conuenient although y e king of Calicut had abused him sundry waies that for the necessitie y ◠those that should returne to Calicut should haue of his friendship and fauour to receiue from thence theyr lading of Spices to vse as it were some friendship with them since that the king would be gladde thereof in especiall being exalted did therefore write vnto him a letter in the Arabian tongue which was penned in that language by Bontaybo in the which he did craue pardon for the carrieng awaye of those Malabars with him which was done for no other intent then that they shoulde be as witnesses of that the which he had discouered as before hée had sent him worde And for that he lefte no Factorie in Calycut the which he was sorrie for was for feare least that the Moores shoulde kill him which was also the occasion that he was not often times a land Yet for all that he did not leaue but woulde bée alwayes at his commaundement since that the king his Maister would be gladde of his friendshippe and also foorthwith woulde sende him in his Fléete greate abundaunce of all such merchaundise as he doth demaund for by the trade that from hence forth hée shoulde haue with the Portingales in his Citie would redound vnto him great profit This letter was deliuered vnto one of the Malabars to carry the same a land to the place where it was cōmāded to be deliuered And afterward he knew y t the same was deliuered to y e king of Calicut Then y e Captaine general going forward in his course that along the coast on the next Thursday after he fell amongst certeine rocks with all his Fléete and from one of them that was inhabited there came forth sundry Pinnaces with men within the same to sell them Fish and other victualls The Captaine Generall did receiue them very curteously who commaunded to giue them both shirts and other things of the which they were verye gladde wherevpon he tooke occasion to aske them whether they woulde be content that there shoulde be erected a marke with a crosse in the same with the royall armes of Portingale in token that the Portingals are theyr friends And they aunswered that they were contented and thereby they well knew that we were christians and so was the marke placed and since that time it is called El Padron de Sancta Maria. Now to this day by the foresaid name the rocke is called From hence as soone as the night drew on and that the winde began to blow of the shoare the Captaine Generall made saile and kéeping alwayes along the coaste on the Thursdaie after béeing the 19. of September hée fell with a goodly high lande and harde to the same there laye sixe little Ilandes and there he came to an Ankor and going a lande to take in water did there finde a young man which did demaund concerning the Captaine Generall whether he were a Moore or a Christian they aunswered him that hée was a christian This he did as it was thought with feare least that they should haue killed him forsomuch as in that place there were no christians This young man did carrie our men within a certeine riuer shewed them most excellent water the which issued out betwéene certeine rocks and so his paines they gaue him a red night cap. The next morning following there came from the land foure others in a small boate a boord the Captaine Generall which brought with them to sell many gourds and Cowcombers and they wer demaunded by the Generall whether there were in that Countrie any Cinamon or Pepper They aunswered that there was nothing but Cinamon and for that he was desirous to sée the same he sent with them two of his men the which at their return brought w t them two gréene boughs of certeine trées which they doe take to be the same reporting that thereof there was a great groue howbeit the same was wilde And at their retourne there came with them more then 20. of that Countrie men which brought to sell hens gourds Cowes milke Also they requested the Captaine Generall to send with them certeine of his men for that shortly after they should retourne with greate store of drie Cinamon Hogges and Hennes but for all their great offers he would let none of his men goe for that hée feared least the same was some treason The next daye after before dinner our men going a lande to cut woode somewhat farre of from the place where they were fell on a soddeine vppon two Boates the which laye harde by the shoare side The Captaine Generall woulde not immediatlye procure to knowe what they were till it was after Dinner for then he thought to know the same And being in a redinesse to depart did first commaund one of his Marriners to go vp to the top to sée whether that he could discry any other vessels a sea boord or not who being there tolde him that he had sight of eight great ships which wer incalmed with this newes he left his going to sée the others put himselfe in a readinesse the winde was in such sort that it might serue them both as they came within two leagues of our Fléete the Captaine Generall made toward them The enimies perceiuing that did immediatly flye toward the shoare And they bearing after this sorte was broken the Rudder of one of the same by reason whereof those that were within the ship were forced to go in their boats toward the lande Nicholas Coello who was next to this ship went immediatly and layde the same aboord thinking indéede to finde in it some greate shore of riches howbeit there was nothing els but Cocos and Melasus which is a certeine kinde of Sugar made of Palmes or Date trées Also he founde therein manye bowes arrowes swoordes speares and targats and the other seauen ranne themselues a ground and for that our men could not come néere vnto them with their ships they followed them in their boats and from thence did beate them with their ordinaunce so that their enimyes were driuen to leaue their shippes and béeing yet the next day at an Ankor there came vnto him seauen men of the country in an Almadias who tolde him that those eight ships were of Calicut the which the king had sent for to take him as by those that fled away they vnderstood How the Captaine Generall went to Ansandina to take in water also how he toke there a Moore prisoner which was seruant to the Lord of the Iland of Goa called Sabayo the which was taken for a spie cap.
that by the aduise of the other Captaines to burne one of those shippes and that the same should be Saint Raphael which they determined to doe the rather forsomuch as the same was al open and they had not brought him a grounde as they did the others and also determined to burne the same vppon the shoels of Saint Raphael vnto which place they came on the Sunday following where what for taking in of her furniture as also for burning the same he spent fiue daies and during that time from a village the which is called Tangata there were brought to sell many hens This béeing done the Captaine Generall departed hauing with him in his shippe his brother called Paulo de la Gama and on the .xx. of Februarie he found himselfe with onely Nicholas Coello in the Iland of Zenziber which standeth in the altitude of sixe degrées lieng but ten leagues from the firme land This Iland is verye greate with the other two that standeth néere vnto it whereof the one is called Pemba and the other Mofya and are verye fertill and haue in them great store of victualls Their groues are of Orenge trées which bringeth forth goodly Orenges They are inhabited by Moores which are but a weake kinde of people and they haue but small store of weapons howbeit they goe very well apparelled in silke and fine cloath made of Cotten the which they doe buye in Mombassa of Merchants of Cambayo The women haue store of iewells of golde from Sofala and of siluer from the Iland of Saint Larence They are merchants their trade is in the firme land and thether they do carry victuals to sell in litle boats Each of these Ilands hath a king of himselfe the which also doe obserue Mahomets lawe as all the rest of the subiectes doe As soone as the king of Zenziber hearde that the Captaine Generall was there arriued he sent to visit him and sent him great presents of the fruits of the country requesting him of his friendship to the which he agréed After all this he departed on the first of March and came to an Ankor before the Ilands of Saint George in Monsanbique and the next day after he sent a marke to be erected within that Ilande where at his going thether he heard Masse without any conuersation with those of Monsanbique he departed And on the third of March he came to the Iland of Saint Blase where he stayed to take in his water and to victuall himselfe of Sea woulfes and of Solitarius which they salted to eate whilest they were on the sea and for the same they gaue God great thanks After that they were departed from thence being once before putte back with westerly winds which blew right against them God of his goodnes sent them so prosperous a winde that on the twentith of March they hadde doubled the Cape of Buena Esperansa with great pleasure forsomuch as all those that came thether were all in health and verie strong and as they thought were all in good liking to arriue at Lishborne And finding héere a colde Winde which endured well twentye dayes did set them in a good forwardnesse towarde the Ilande of Santiago which by theyr Sea cardes was by the Pilots we known not to bée at the vttermost a hundred leagues from thence Some there were that thought themselues to bée with the same but it was not so Héere that goodly and fayre winde did faile them and forsomuch as the Captaine Generall would néedes knowe where that he was for that hée coulde not tell by reason there fell certeine showres which came from the landewarde he commaunded to make as much waye as they coulde possible And going after this sorte on Thursdaye being the xxv of Aprill he commaunded the Pilot to let fall his Plommet who founde that they were in xxv fathome Yet in all that daye sailing and kéeping the selfe same course the least water that they came to was at xx fathome and therefore the Pilottes iudged themselues to bée vppon the shoels Del zio Grands All the rest of this voyage perticularlye what aduentures the Captaine Generall did passe vntill such time as he came to the Ilande of Santiago I coulde not come to the knowledge thereof but only how that as they went néere to the same Nicholas Coello to carry the king newes of this discouerie did on a certeine night a parte himselfe from the Captaine Generall and followed his course vnto Portingale where hée arriued at a place called Cascais on the x. of Iuly in the yeare of our Lorde God 1499. who informed the king of all that the Captaine Generall hadde past in the discouery of the Indias and of the commodytyes that he had brought with him from thence Of whose discouery the king was so gladde to heare of and that they might trade into the Indias by sea as when he was proclaimed king of the kingdomes of Portingale Now after that the Captaine Generall founde missing Nicholas Coello hée went forwarde on his course towarde the Ilande of Santiago for because his Brother was verye sicke of a Tyssicke and also for that his Shippe made but small waye for that shée was all open and therefore hée did fraight there a Caruell which he found there for to carrye him to Portingale before that he should dye who left there Iohn de Sala for Captaine of his ship as I sayd before who as soone as the ship was new rigged had charge to bring the same to Portingale from the which place the Generall departed with his brother in the Caruell whose infirmitie did dayly increase in such sort that the Captaine Generall was driuen to beare with the Iland of the Terceras And béeing there arriued commaunded that his brother might be brought a lande where he was so cruellye handled with his disease that he dyed thereof who at his end shewed himselfe to be a good and perfect christian and a very honest Gentleman After that he was dead and buried the Captaine Generall departed toward Portingale who came to Belen in the moneth of September in the selfe same yere 1499. being two yere two moneths past after his departure frō Lishborne with 108. men of them came backe but fiftie aliue which considering theyr great trauaile and trouble that they had past was verye much After that the Captaine Generall had giuen God greate thanks for that he had escaped so many great daungers he sent word of his arriuall vnto the king of Portigale who for the great pleasure that he receiued of his comming sent Don Diego de la Silua de Menesis Lord of Portugalete with many other Gentlemen to receiue him as they did brought him vnto y e court w t an excéeding great number of people that came thether to sée so new rare a matter as that was of y e Captaine General not onely for that hée had done but also for that they tooke him for dead
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
chap. 80. THe next day after the which was the first day of Ianuarie the Captaine Generall departed toward Cananor for that there hée went to take in the rest of his lading And being there arriued the Factor gaue him to vnderstand of the great victory that he had gotten in Pandarane and how the Moores were very pensiue for the same suspecting that from thence forth all our men might remaine in the Indias and that without feare For as their pride was before this victore great so theyr pretence was alwayes thought to be to kill both the Factor and all those that remained with him The like tale also did the king of Cananor alwayes tell The Captaine Generall béeing readie to departe before his going he made an Oration vnto Manuel Telez and those that remained with him touching that which they should doe laieng before them the great seruice that Edwarte Pacheco had done and therefore he woulde giue him no greater a Fléete then Francisco de Alburquerque left and an hundred fighting men in it But after that he was departed there were in the Indias no more warres for that the king of Calycut remained as in case aforesaid The Captaine generall being departed from Cananor toward Portingale he ariued at Mylinde the first day of September where without comming a land he sent Antonio de Saldanua to y e citie for many rich prises which he had left there had taken before at the Cape Quardaâ—um where he went toward the Indias And from thence he directed his course toward Quiloa to recouer ther y â— kings tribute which y e king wold not pay From thence he departed the tenth day of Februarye without chauncing vnto him any thing worth the writing arriued at Lishborne the 22. day of Iune 1525. with two ships more then he carried out with him when he went toward the Indias All these were laden with great store of riches for the which the king Don Manuel gaue him great honour and the like he did to Edwarte Pacheco after y t he vnderstood what good seruice he had done him in the Indias how by his meanes the Factorie was there mainteined also the credit of his power And for that all men shuld haue knowledge of so notable seruice immediatly vpon thursday next after the Captaine generals arriuall was commaunded to be made a solempne Procession as they vse on Corpus Christi day in the which he went from y e high church vnto Santo Domingus carieng with him Edwarte Pacheco In this Church there was a Sermon made by the Bishop of Vizew called Don Diego Ortis who brought in by order all that Edwarte Pacheco had done in the warres against the king of Calycut This feast was not onely kept in Lishborne but also in Algaruy in all the cities notable towns of Portingale which was so done by the kings commaundement Moreouer he wrote of the same vnto the Pope by Don Ioan Sutill which was then Bishop of Saâ—in who had the carriage of those letters Besides y â— he sent the same to many christian Princes y t they might know of those notable acts victories being such a thing as within these our dayes no prince hath done y e like for his subiects FINIS The order of Christ in Portingale giueÌ„ vnto Noble men Gentlemen to some that are made knights Another iorney by lande attempted Presbiter Ioan by errour is the verye Emperour of Aethiopia The king of Portingales letters deliuered to the Emperour of Aethiopia The number of persoÌ„s in this voyage Bartholome Dyas returneth into Portingale Description of the people manners of Saint Helens Iland Treason by these men imagined against ours The vvatering of S. Blaze Sea vvolfs most firce terrible beasts The little Nigroes made more afeard then hurt They safely passed the daÌ„gerous currents A revvard sent by y e Generall to a Nigro A nevv land discouered of curteous Moores Tke curtesie apparel of the noble meÌ„ of this Countrie This sicknes is called the Scurfe three smal Ilands discouered not vvorth the entering The Iland of MonsaÌ„bick vvith the tovvn of Merchandise Cayro is the caske orrind of a nut they haue in y â— India called Caco and vvith the same these ropes are made Our men taken for Turks by the Mores of Monsambicke The Gouernor coÌ„meth abootd the discriptioÌ„ of his person and attire The Moores withdravv ther good wils knovving that vve vvere Chtistians The other Moore Pilot in reueÌ„ge practiseth treasoÌ„ against the fleete A vvhite Moore repaireth to our ships The Moores runne away at the cracke of the ordinaunce the tovvn of MonsaÌ„bick battered from the Fleete The Iland of asotado vvhy so called Another deuise of the Mores to destroy our men vvithall The shoels of S. Raphael Certaine of the inhabitants of this city came aboorde the ship Svvete practises of sowre treason MerchÌ„ts of the Indias vvhich are Christians God sent them fatherly checks to keepe theÌ„ froÌ„ vtter destructioÌ„ Tunnie good meate plentifull in the coast of MoÌ„bassa Among the Mores also olde men vse to marrie youÌ„g vvomen The beautiful scituation of Mylynde vvith the pleasantnes of the soile and fruits Mylynde like a city of Portingale A present sent to y e Captaine Generall from the king of Mylynde The descriptioÌ„ of their persons and attire that inhabite this couÌ„trey and Citie The meeting of the king of Mylind and the Captaine generall The Generall vvould not consent to go on laÌ„d at Mylynde They wer 23. dayes savve no laÌ„d after theyr departure from Mylinde The Fleet arriueth at Calicut the maner of the people there The first strange institutioÌ„ of the kingdoÌ„e of Calicut Laker is a kinde of gum that procedeth of the Ant. The election and suceâ—isioÌ„ of the kings of Calicut the kings Lemman vvith hir state and allovvaÌ„ce Naires vvhat theyr degree office calling is The CalicutiaÌ„s kill no kine for they vvorship them their god or the diuell is many times in them Bontaybo a More of Barbarie dvvelling in Calicut The king of Calicuts greatest reuenue riseth by custoÌ„e of Merchandise Certeine messeÌ„gers sent by y e Captaine generall to y e king of Calicut Moores mortall enimies to christians Princes Generalls ought to be eareful of their persons in respect of their place and charge The Generall determined to goe to Calicut The Captaine Generall goeth a laÌ„d the fruits of Calicut Holy vvater of Calicut Holy ashes The Generall decerued coÌ„mitteth Idolatry vvith the Diuell The descriptioÌ„ of the kings pallaice The description of y â— kings presence chamber the kings Vitele The custome in drinking The message that vvas sent to y e king of Calicut from y e king of Portingal An Ambassadour promised from Calicut A present for y e king of Calicut Treason conspired against the fleete the Mores oratioÌ„ to the king The king remaineth doubt full vvhat to doe The fained friendshippe of the
who was desirous to haue landed Howbeit for that they did not know the land he commaunded them to cast about a sea boord and so they passed along by the same vntill tewsdaie following at what time they came to perfect viewe and sight of the land perceiuing the same to lye lowe and that there was a great bay which as it was a conuenient place for the ships so he commanded them to fall to an anker there of purpose to take in water And afterward they named it the Iland of Sancta Haelena The people of the countrie within the said Iland as our men afterward found the same bée lyttle men ill fauoured in the face and of colour blacke and when they did speake it was in such manner as though they did alwayes sigh theyr apparell is of beastes skinnes made after the manner of the French Cloakes they truste vp and hide theyr members in certeine Cases made of woode verye well wrought They haue for armes or weapons certaine staues of an Oke trée bathed or toasted with fire at the endes whereof are hornes of beasts somwhat burnt or hardened with fire also seruing them for swoords and wherewith they do hurt their enimie These people doe mainteine themselues with rootes of hearbes with Sea Woulfes and Whale fish of which the countrie there hath great plentie and likewise of sea crowes and sea mewes Also they doe eate of beastes which they call Gazelas and of doues and other beasts and birds which they haue in the land They kéepe also dogs as those ben of Portingale barking after the same manner The Generall thus lyeng at Anker commaunded to goe rounde about the Ilande to sée if there were anie riuer of swéete water and finding none he then sent Nicholas Coello in his boate along the coast to séeke out water which he found fowre leagues of from thence the which he named Sancty Ago from whence the whole Fléete prouided themselues of fresh water The next day the Generall and the other Captaines and some of their companie went a shore intending to sée and view what manner of people they were that inhabited that countrie or land and whether they coulde informe him how farre from thence the Cape of Buena Esperansa was which he knew not neither was the head or chiefe Pilot of that voyage of any certeintie which it was for that in the voyage wherein hée went before with Bartholome Dyas he departed in the morning from the Cape into the Sea and past the same in the night with a fore-winde and at his first going came not néere the Shore By reason wherof he did not know the land notwithstanding hée coniectured and déemed it not aboue thirtie leagues distaunt from thence at the vttermost The Generall being disimbarked and come to land and walking there he ouertooke a man one of the inhabitaunts of the same who was going to gather honny at the foote of a bush where the Bées made the same without anie hiue with this man y e general returned vnto his ship right well contented thinking he had gotten by him an interpreter but it happened not so for ther was not any of that company could vnderstand him The Generall commaunded to giue him meate and he did both eate and drinke of all that was giuen him and when they saw he vnderstood none of their languages nor any of them had any vnderstanding of his he was the next daye set vppon the shore well apparelled from whence he went as it appeared amongst others his countrey men for that y ◠next day then following vpon shew of himselfe to them there came about the number of fiftéene of his Countrey men where our ships were At sight of which the Captaine generall went to lande carrieng with him Spice Golde and Pearle to make triall whether those people had any knowledge of the same or of any part thereof but by the lyttle estimation they seemed to make of those things it appeared they had no knowledge of the same Then they gaue them bells little rings of tinne and counters and of these things they wer very glad and from thence forward vnto the next Saterday following very many of them repayred to our Fléete and those people so returning to their Townes one of our men desirous to sée the same and to viewe the order and manner of their liues craued then licence of the Generall to goe with them whose petition albeit he was verye vnwilling to condescend vnto yet vanquished by importunitie he graunted the same Fernan Veloso for so was his name that was licensed then going in their company they tooke a Sea Woulfe which they rosted at the foote of a hill and supped altogethers after which it then appeared that they of that Countrey had armed themselues and practised treason against our men for so soone as they had supped they caused Fernan Veloso to returne to our Fléete againe which was hard by and when he was departed from them they followed and came after him a little and a little the manner whereof Fernan espieng fearing he therefore hasted to the water side and hailed to our ships The Generall then being at supper and hearing that call and looking out to landward sawe those sauage people comming after him and presently imagined they meant him harme and therefore foorthwith he commaunded the whole Fléete to put themselues in battaile araye and he himselfe with certaine others went to landward without anye weapons déeming verely that those blacke men meant him no harme nor would offer anye force and indéede when they sawe our boates comming to the shoreward they began to runne away with a great clamour and outcrie and so did manye others also which lay secretly hidden amongst certeine bushes there which policie they vsed to traine our men the rather to lande for when ours were disimbarked and landed they then returned and furiously set vpon them shooting their darts and vsing their other weapons in such sort as they inforced our men to retire to their boates and imbarke themselues and that in hast taking with them Fernan Veloso which being done the Negroes retourned to theyr townes hauing hurt the Captaine generall thrée others who afterward remaining in that road foure dayes coulde not sée any moe of those people and therefore could not vse any reuenge for the damage they had done them ¶ How the Captaine generall doubled the Cape of Buena esperansa and what hapned vntill they passed the Riuer called El Ryo del Infante Cap. 3. THE Fléete hauing taken in fresh water and flesh which they néeded the Generall and the rest then departed thence vpon the Thursday being the sixtéenth daye of Nouember in the forenoone of the same daye making their waye into the Sea with a South southwest winde and vpon the Saterdaye then next following in the euening he came within sight of the Cape of Buena esperansa and for that the winde was contrarye as being then
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
of our men in those fiue daies wherein they had houered vpon and viewed that Coast had no manner domage done or offered them and saw both many quiet and gentle people there also many noble men he gaue to this land an apt name calling it The Land of good people in the Towne where Martyn Alonso was theyr houses bée made all of strawe and verie well furnished within The owmen be more in number then the men for in the companie of fortie women there are no more but twentie men They carrie with them long bowes with arrowes and darts of yron and vpon their armes and legges they weare many braceléets of Copper and some péeces of them in their haires Also they carrie daggars the hafts or handles of Pewter and the sheathes of Iuorie so that it is manifest that they haue in that Countrie plentie of copper and tinne Moreouer they haue great store of Salt which they make of Salt water carrieng the same from the Sea side in gourds and putting it into certeine Caues where they make the Salt These kinde of people were so gladde of the linnen that our men carried with them and brought with them thether that they gaue for one shirt much Copper They also were so quiet amongest our men that they brought them water to their boates from a riuer which was two Crosbowe shotte from the place where our men tooke in the same which riuer they call Ryo de Cobio From this place our Fléete departed the fiftenth daye of Ianuarie and going vnder saile did discouer land of an other countrie which lyeth very lowe wherein were trées verie high and thicke and so procéeding forward they discouered or found a riuer which was verie open at the entering of the same And for that the Generall thought it necessarie to reknowledge or haue notice of that Countrie there to learne whether they might heare anye newes or intelligence of the Indias hée commaunded to come to an Ankor which was vpon the Thursday béeing seauen daies before the end of Ianuarie and the same night he with his brother Nicholas Coello entered the riuer and at the dawning of the daye did well perceiue the lande to bée lowe and couered with water hauing trées of great height and thicke loaden with sundrie sortes of fruites Our men then beholding the land which was verie pleasaunt they sawe also certeine boates at that present comming towardes them with men in the same whereof the Generall was very glad supposing vppon sight of those people and view of their countrie in that manner which argued they had some knowledge and experience of the Sea that therefore they were not farre of from the Indias or at leastwise could not then goe far but they should heare newes of the same when the people with their boates came néere to our Fléete our men perceiued they were all blacke people of good stature howbeit all naked sauing their priuie members which wer couered with little péeces of linnen made of Bomebast or Cotten they came neere and entered into our ships without any feare and in such sorte vsed themselues towardes our men as though they had ben of long acquaintance and familiaritie with them They were very well receiued of our people of the Fléet the Captaine Generall commanded the same and also that there shuld be giuen vnto them certeine little Bels other things he talked with them by signes for they did not vnderstand any of Martin Alonso his languages nor any other interpretour y t our men thē had After this their good interteinment they departed and as it séemed well liking of the same they and many others with them afterward returned in their boates to our ships bringing vnto them such victuals as their countrie yéeldeth They in appearance shewed themselues verie well contented with our men as they came by water so also did many others of those people repaire thether by land amongst them women of indifferent good beautie especially y ◠young maides which goe after the same sort that the men doe They haue in their lips thrée holes and in euery hole a péece of tinne which they estéeme as a thing very gallant and gaye They tooke with them certeine of our men to make merrie at a countrie towne there néere hand and where they fet water for our ships And after the thrée daies space that our Generall was in that riuer there came of curtesie two noble men of that countrie to visit him in their boates whose apparell was none other then of the rest sauing the péeces of lynnen wherewith they couered their members were farre greater then those the common sorte vsed and one of them ware vpon his head a tucke or kerchiefe wrought with silke and the other had a night cap of gréene Satten The Captaine Generall séeing those men somewhat addicted to cleanlinesse was verie glad thereof receiued them in curteous manner and commaunded to giue them meate and moreouer he gaue them apparell and certeine other things but it appeared by their countinaunces they smallye or nothing at all estéemed thereof Howbeit while they remained in our Shippes the Generall perceiued by tokens and signes which a young man that came with them then shewed that their countrie was farre of thence and that they had séene as great ships as ours were wherof he greatly reioysed and all our people in like manner as then verely hoping and thereby coniecturing that the Indias were néere to that place which their hope and coniecture was also farre the more augmented and confirmed for that after those noble men were gone to shore they sent to the Fléete certeine linnen cloth to sell which was made of Cotten vpon which also were certeine marks of Okar in respect of which good newes and intelligence héere found and likely to ensue the Captaine Generall gaue to this riuer a name calling it The Riuer of the good tokens or marks and caused there a marke to be erected calling the same San Raphael according with the name of the shippe wherein hée was and went that voyage And forasmuch as he perceiued by the signes of the young man that those noble men inhabited a Countrie farre thence and that they had séene shippes as greate as ours hée thereby and vppon other coniectures gathered that their Countrie was néere to the Indias and so consequently that the Indias was farre of from that riuer where our ships then lay wherefore consulting héereof it was by him and the other Captaines then determined vpon that all the shippes should be brought on ground which determination was executed accordinglye the same ships repaired dressed and trimmed in all points néedfull and necessarie In dooing whereof they spent and passed ouer two and thirtie daies in which time our men susteined and passed ouer great troubles and tormentes of minde by occasion of a sicknesse there happened amongest them which was thought to growe by meanes of the aire
of that countrie for that the hands and féete of so many of them and also their gums in such sorte did swell that they could not eate and the same so rotted that the stinke which came out of their mouthes was so great and pestiferous that none could abide the sauour therof with this pestilent infection sicknes our men were greatly discomfited many of them dyed thereof which also put the rest of the companie in greate feare and perplexitie of minde Yea and further would haue increased and aggrauated their griefes of bodye and sorrowes of minde were it not that one De Gama a man of good nature and condition had taken speciall care and vsed greate dilligence for the recouerye of their healths and putting them in comfort who continually visited the sicke and liberally departed vnto them such wholesome and medicinable things as for his owne bodye hée had prouided and carried with him through whose good counsell giuen great pains taken and franke distribution of that he had many of our men were recouerd which would otherwise haue died and all the rest thereby were greatly recomforted ¶ How the Captaine Generall with all his Fleete came to the Iland of Monsambicke Chap. 5. THe Fléet béeing furnished and prouided of all things necessarie the Captaine Generall then mindfull of his voyage departed thence vpon the Saturday béeing the 24. day of Februarie and the same day and al the night following for that he was incalmed and to auoide the shore made way into the sea and vppon Sunday by Euensong time our men discried thrée Ilands a Seaboord all of them being but little or small they were distant one from another foure leagues Two of them were replenished with great woords the third was plaine to arriue to these Ilands the Generall was not willing for that he sawe or coniectured no cause to occasion the same therefore he still kept the sea staieng comming to an ankor alwaies as the night approched which manner of course order he vsed and continued the space of sixe daies And vppon the thursday being the first day of March towards euening our men came within sight of foure Ilands whereof two were néere the shore and the other two a Seaboord for that they would not that night fall with them they stil kept the Sea minding to passe betwéene them as indéede they did Wherevpon the Captaine Generall determined commaunded that Nicholas Coello by reason his ship was lesse then the others shuld go first so going vpon the friday within a certein harbour which was betwéene y e maine land one of the Ilands the said Nicholas missed y e channell and ranne on ground which daunger when our other ships sawe comming after they did cast then about went backe and as they were returned they perceiued comming out of that Iland seauen or eight little boates vnder saile béeing distant from Nicholas Coello a good league At sight of those boates comming towards them Nicholas Coello and those which were with him tooke great pleasure for ioye gaue a great crye and at their repaire to them Coello and they went to the General and saluted him to whom the same Coello sayd How say you sir héere is an other kinde of people wherevnto the Generall answered that hée was very glad of that good Fortune and therewith commanded to let them go a Seaboord with their boates for that his meaning was to beare with them to that Ilande from whence they came and there to come to an Ankor of purpose to vnderstand what land that was whether amongest those people he might heare or haue anye newes or certeine intelligence of the Indias yet notwithstanding y e generals cōmandement they in their boats followed our ships alwaies making signes and calling to our men therein to stay and tarrie for them wherefore the Captaine Generall with the other Captaines came to an Ankor and so they in their boates approched néere and came to our Fléete And then by view of their persons it appeared they were men of a good stature and somewhat blacke They were apparelled in linnen cloth of Cotten welted with sundry colours some girdeled vnto their knées and others carried the same vpon their shoulders as cloaks and vpon their heads they weare a certeine kinde of tucks or kerchiefe somewhat wrought with silke and gold thrid They haue swoords and daggers as the Moores doe vse them in their boates they brought with them their instruments called Sagbuts These men being thus come to our ships they forthwith came a boord the same with great opinion of assuraunce euen as though they had knowne our men a long time and immediatlye began to be conuersant and very familiar with them vsing their speaches which they vttered in the language of Algarauia and would not be knowne they were Moores The Generall commaunded to giue them meate they did both eate and drinke with a good wil of whatsoeuer was giuen them And béeing asked at commaundement of the General by one Fernan Aluares who could speake y t language what land that was they answered that it apperteined to a great king which was before how that Iland was called Mōsambicke and the towne there full of Merchantes which haue traficke with the Moores of the Indias who bring thether siluer linnen cloth pepper ginger siluer ringes many pearles and rubie stones and that out of another Countrie which remained behinde they doe bring them golde Declaring further that if our men would enter into the Harbour there they would bring them thether and they shuld perceiue and sée the truth and more at large touching those thinges they then gaue information of The Generall hearing this entered into counsell with the other Captaines debating the matter thereof and argued whether it were good to enter the Harbour and sée if those things were of truth which those Moores had imparted to them and also there to take some Pilottes to carrye them further since they were nowe destitute of such Vppon which consultation it was there determined that Nicholas Coello shuld first make an assay proofe for enterance and sounding of the barre by reason his ship was the least of the Fléete which accordingly he forthwith did And so going to enter he went and touched the point of the Iland and therewith brake his helme howbeit through God his goodnesse he perished not there although he was in great daunger and hasard thereof for as he went vpon the point vnwares so with quicke spéede and good fortune he gote of the same Neuerthelesse he perceiued and found y ◠the barre was good to enter and therfore he came to an anker two crosbow shot from the towne scituated in that Iland which is in fiftéene degrées towards y ◠South it hath a very good harbour and also great plentie of the victuals of that countrie the houses of that towne be made of strawe and the dwellers therein
Paulo de la Gama did take foure Moores in a boate And although ther were other boats wherin many Moores were yet could not they be taken for making hast to the shore atteining the same they ran away leauing their boats as a pray to our men who found in y e same much linnen cloth made of cotten also books of their lawes of Mahoma which the Generall commanded to bee safely kept And albeit he went that day along and before the town in his boate as other his Captaines did in like manner in theirs yet could not they procure anie talke or speach with anye of the Moores of the towne and to goe on shoare he durst not for that he had but few men in number with him wherefore for that time hee departed thence and the next day retourned to shoare to take in water which without anye resistaunce was done Nowe beeing without all hope to recouer the Nigro and the two Indians the generall then determined to depart without them howbeit before his departure he ment to visit the town of Monsambick the dwellers therein with some sufficient reuenge by sending to the same such messengers as thereby they might deeme him their mortall enimy through the offence they had giuen him wherefore vpon the munday following hee went before the towne of the Moores with his Ordinaunce and shooting into the same destroied it in such sorte as the people thereof were inforced to abandon the same and flye into an Ilande within the country And so vpon the Tewsday being the xxvii daie of March our Fleet wayed Ankor departed from the Towne of Monsambicke so in going forwarde came to an Ankor hard by two little rocks of Saint George for so they named it after they came thether where they remained for that the winde was contrarie to their purpose Neuerthelesse hauing after a small winde they departed howbeit the same was so small and the currents there so great that they were cast backward Hovv the Captaine Generall after his departure from Monsambicke went tovvards the citie of Quiola hovv hee lost himselfe going to rhe Iland of Mombassa how the ship called S. Raphael stroke vpon the Flats the vvhich novv haue the same name Cap. 8. THe Captaine Generall following his voiage and being very glad that they had found that one of the foure Moores which Paulo de la Gama toke in the boate was a Pilolt could carry them to Calicut vpon the Sunday being the first daye of Aprill came to certeine Ilands which were very neere to the shore to the first whereof they gaue a name calling it the Ilande of the Asotado which they so named for that they there did whippe the Pilot Moore of Monsambicke by commaundement of the Generall as well for that he had told them those Ilands were firme land as also before that he wold not shew the Generall the water at Monsambick in the night when they fought for the same as before is declared and therefore now taking him with the lie as informed of those Ilands y â— Generall was very angrie with this Pilot supposing as it was likly that he did carrie them thether of intent the ships should be cast away amongst the same The Moore being cruellye whipped confessed y â— indeed he did cary train them thether of purpose they shuld there haue perished and bene cast vpon the daungers and rockes of the Ilands These Ilands were so manye and so neere together scituated that they coulde hardlye bee discerned one from another which when the Generall perceiued he made into the Seaward and vpon the Fridaye which was the fourth daye of Aprill made his way to the Northwest before the noone tide of the same had sight of a gâ—eat land and of two Ilandes neere to the same about which were many shoeâ—s now being come nere to y â— shore y â— pilots Moores did recknowledge y â— same howbeit they said y â— the Iland of the christians is that of Quiloa which was behind or a sterne vs 3. leagues wherwith the generall was much grieued beleeuing y â— certeinly they were Christians as the Pilots had informed him and that they had willingly lost their course for that the shippes should not arriue at that place The Pilottes shaddowing their treason made shew of a reasonable excuse saieng that as the winde was greate so were the currents swift by reason whereof the shippes had further made saile then they thought for But the truth was indéede that they more sorrowed their missing and passing by the Iland where they informed to be Christians then did our Captaine Generall For they were verely in hope to haue ben reuenged ther vpon our men by death of them all But GOD beholding the daunger and perill meant towards them of his diuine goodnesse and mercye deliuered them from the same and that by a great miracle For if our men had gone thether not one of them had escaped with lyfe since the Generall hauing such a beliefe opinion that there were Christians in that Iland as the Pilot had tolde him would no doubt haue gone presently on land at his arriuall there and so thereby runne headlong into a place where he and his people should haue bene put to slaughter The Generall thus sorrowing the misse of that Iland for that he supposed there to haue found Christians and the Pilots Moores in chafe with themselues for that they had missed their course thether for purpose afore said it was then on each part determined to goe back and assaie to finde the same neuerthelesse although they earnestly bent themselues to attaine vnto that desired Ilande and spent that daye in trauell to winne their purpose therein yet coulde they not preuaile thereto For still the winde was so contrarie and the currents so great as doe what they could they failed of their wills and were put off from arriuall there which no doubte was done by Gods prouidence and of his méere fauour and goodnesse towards our men as not willing they should receiue anie daunger or susteine crueltie or losse of lyfe amongest those Infidels and therefore miraculously he preserued our people from the effect and sequele of the malice of those two Pilots of the Moores of Monsambicke which had imagined in their mindes and trauailed to bring to finall and execution their diuellish intent The Captaine generall and the other Captaines thus tossing vp and downe to and fro as well with their ships as also in their mindes determined to beare towards the Ilande of Mombassa in which as those two Pilots gaue information wer two Townes peopled and inhabited as well with Moores as Christians which instructions these Pilots gaue to the intent to deceiue our men and to traine them thether of purpose there to kill them for that in déede that Ilande was altogether and whollye inhabited by Moores as in lyke manner all that Coaste is and therefore vnderstanding that from
thence to Mombassa are seauentie seauen leagues they made way to goe thether and being then towards Euening they sawe a great Ilande scituated towards the North in which the Moores Pilots sayde there were two Townes one of Christians and the other of Moores as aforesayd Thus they sayd and inuented to the intent to bring our men in opinion and make them beléeue that there were in that Land and those Coasts many Christians In this sort our ships going vnder saile certayne dayes the ship called Saint Raphael by fortune one morning two houres before daye light came on ground vppon certaine shoells two leagues from the firme lande and as she strake on ground they within made signes to the other ships to take héede and beware wherevpon they shot by the shoells and came to an Ankor launching out their boats to giue succour to Paulo de la Gama Captaine in the Raphael and perceiuing when they came to the same that the water did ebbe the Generall was meruailous glad thereof for then he well knew that at the next floud the ship would be afloate againe so that now he lost the feare and iealousie he had conceiued vpon the doubt he had that she was lost Thus recomforted with the certaintie they saw of y â— safetie of the ship they foorthwith layed into the sea many ankers By this time it was daye lyght and after that it was a lowe water she then remained drye vpon the shore being a Sandie ground which was the cause she tooke no harme by striking vpon the same Our men placed their Ankers which were layd foorth right ouer against themselues and walked vpon the Sandes whilest the Ebbe endured So staieng for the floud and beholding and viewing that Ilande so farre as they coulde sée they gaue for name to those Sandes the Shoells of Saint Raphael in respect of the name the shippe there so hazarded did beare And to certayne great Ilandes and Hilles which were within the firme Land directly ouer against those shoells or sands they gaue the name of The Hills and Ilandes of Saint Raphael vpon the same consideration The shippe thus being drye our men sawe two boates and Moores of that Country in the same comming towards them to sée our shippes bringing manie swéete Orenges farre better then those of Portingale and gaue the same to our men saieng also to the Generall that in no wise hée should feare anye damage that coulde ensue to the shippe on grounde for that when it were full Sea she woulde then be on floate agayne so as at will and pleasure the same might passe on the intended voyage thereof with which speaches the Generall was very glad not onelye for the good comfort they gaue him but also in that they came in so good season and time opportune and therefore he gaue them certayne giftes which they accepted with manye thankes and certayne of them vnderstanding that our Fléete intended their Course to Mombassa they desired the Generall to carry them with him thether who graunted their requests permitted them to abide and remayne with him the others retourning from our Fléete to their Countrey And when it was a full Sea the shippe before on ground was afloat and so came off from the Sandes wherevpon the Captaine general returned and procéeded on his way with all his Fléete ¶ The description of the Iland and Citie of Mombassa and how the Captaine generall arriued there and what was the sequell that hapned him after he came thether Chap. 9. THe Generall following this voyage did vpon the Saterday béeing the seauenth day of Aprill about the going downe of the Sunne the same daye come to an Ankor without the Barre of the Iland of Mombassa which is harde by the firme lande and is verye plentie of victualls that is to saye Millyo Rice and Cattell as well great as lyttle but all well growne and fat chiefly their shéepe which be all without fayles Also they haue manye Hennes Moreouer the Ilande is verye pleasaunt hauing many Orchards wherein are planted and are growing great store of hearbes many sorts of fruites that is to saye Pomegranets Figges of the Indias Oreâ—ges both swéete and sower Lymons and Cidrons and in the same are manye excellent good waters In this Ilande there is a Citie bearing the selfe same name of the Ilande being in foure degrées on the South side it is a verye great Citie placed and scituated vppon an Hill which also is a Rocke wherevpon the Sea doth beate so that it cannot bée vndermined At the entering into the Protes or Heauen there is a Marke and at the enteraunce vppon the Barre there is planted or builded a lyttle Fort lowe and néere to the water The most parte of the houses in this Citie are builded with lyme and stone with the loftes thereof wrought with fine knottes of Plaister of Paris the stréetes therein are verye fayre They haue a King of themselues and the dwellers or inhabitaunts of the same are Moores whereof some bée white and some browne of coulour both men and women it appeareth they are good men on horsebacke They goe gallantly arayed especially the women which go apparelled in gownes of silke and be decked and garnished with Iewells of golde and precious stones In this Citie is great trade of all kindes of Marchandize There is also a good Harbour where alwayes are manye shippes lieng at Road and from the firme land commeth thether great plentie of Honnie Waxe and Iuorie the Captaine Generall thus come to the Barre of this Citie did not then enter foorthwith for that it was almost night when he came to an Ankor But he commaunded to put foorth the flagges and to toll their shippes reioycing and making great mirth for that their good fortune and hope they conceyued that in that Ilande there dwelled manye Christians and that the next daye they should heare Masse on the shore Moreouer they were greatly comforted as hauing such confidence that in this place they might and woulde cure and heale all such as were then sicke amongest them as in truth were almost all that were there present albeit in number but fewe for all the others were dead Yet such as remayned and had escaped the sicknesse and diseases past and were not dead of the great infirmities and troubles before in this voyage chaunced vnto them Being thus at an Ankor and the night almost approched our men saw about an hundred men in a great Barcke euery one of them hauing a Sworde and a Target who at their comming to our shippes woulde haue entered therein with all theyr weapons howbeit the Generall would not consent thereto neither permitted he anye more to enter then foure of them and those also without weapon declaring to them in their language that they shoulde pardon him since he was a straunger and therefore coulde not tell whom he might trust and vnto those whom he gaue license to enter aboorde his ship he gaue
araied withall his best apparell carrieng with him twelue of the most principall men of his shippes his brother onely except whom he left with charge of y e same The boates of each part being come néere together and the one making countenance of friendly salutation entertainment to the other the King then said to the Generall that he would speake with him in his owne boat of purpose to sée view him the better whervpon foorthwith he receiued him into his boat the King then giuing to the Generall as great honour curtesie as though he had also ben a King he very earnestly noted beheld him his men as a strange sight and matter to him and his people he required the Generall to tell him the name of his King and being tolde he commaunded the same to be then presently written he also inquired matter perticularly of him of his power whervnto the Generall aunswered and in euerye point satisfied his demaund declaring also for what cause y e king his master had sent him to discouer Calicut which was to haue from thence spices whereof in his dominion countrey was none And after he had thus talked with the King informed him somewhat of the same of the straights of y e red Sea the King then promised to him a Pilot to carry him to Calicut also very earnestly desired him to goe with him into his Citie there to take his pleasure solace himself in his Pallaice saieng it was néedfull necessary after so many troubles in so long a voyage sustained to vse some recreation and take some rest further then promising that if he would so do that afterward he in like manner would go with him to sée his ships make merry in the same whervnto the Generall aunswered that he had no license of the King his Master to go a shore therefore if he shuld varie from his Princes wil commaundement therein he shuld then giue an euill accompt of himselfe to which excuse the King replied saieng that if he shuld go to sée his ships what accompt should he then make to those of his Citie or what might they déeme adiudge of him therein yet notwithstanding he said y t it was a griefe to him y t he refused to go with him to his Citie which was shuld be at y e commandemēt of him of y e king his master to whom he wold send his Embassador or els write if he wold come y t way at his returne from Calicut The General yéelding thanks to the King promised him to returne y ◠way whilest they were thus talking there did send for those Moores which he had taken captiues and gaue them to the King saieng that if he could do him any further pleasure he would gladly doe the same with which gift the King was so content that he said he did more estéeme of the same then if he had giuen him such another Citie as that of Mylynde was Now hauing ended their talke and confirmed the friendship betwéene them the King then rowing amongst our ships and behelde the same with great pleasure and admiration out of which great store of shot of Ordinaunce passed wherewith they were greatlye delyghted all which time our Generall went with him to whom he declared that he neuer saw any men of whom he tooke so great pleasure as he did of those of Portingall whereof he woulde gladye haue some with him to helpe him in his warres which he hath sometime with his enimies for it well appeared they were men apt to offend their enimie and to abide and suffer any trauell or paine that should happen vnto them To which his speaches the Generall aunswered that if hée had experience of their doings he woulde then a great deale better lyke of them and further that they would helpe him if the King his Master would sende his ships of warre to Calicut as he doubted not but he would if it wer Gods good pleasure to permit the same to be discouered After the King had in this sort solaced himself he then desired the General that since he would not go with him to his Citie he shuld then let him haue two of his men to go and sée his Pallaice and for pledge of the same he would giue him his sonne and one of his chiefe Chaplaines the which they call Cacis wherevnto the Generall yéelded and appointed two of our men to go with the King who at his departure requested the Generall that the next day he would goe along in his boate hard by the shore where he shuld sée his horsmen running so they departed for that time the next day being Thursday the Captaine generall Nicholas Coello went in their boates armed along the shore the one somewhat distant from the other betwéene whom vpon the shore were many men on horsebacke skirmishing as our boats approched néere the shore there came certaine footemen downe certaine stayres of stone from the Kings house which was in sight where they tooke the King vp in a chaire and caried him verye néere to the Boate of the Generall to whom he spake verye louing wordes and once more requested him to enter vpon land and go to his Citie for that his father being a lame man was desirous to sée him and that whilest he should remaine on shoare both he and his children would enter and abide in his ships But our Generall fearing least vnder such sugred speach some bitter baite might lie couered did therfore still excuse himself for going on land alleadging hée must obey his Prince who gaue him no license or commission so to do at anie time And so taking his leaue of the king hée went a while hard by the ships of the Indias shooting off much Ordinaunce who when they sawe vs passe by lifted vp their hands saieng Christe Christe and that night with the kings license our men made them a great feast with much pastime also of Squibs Gunne shot and great and lowde cryes The Fléet thus lyeng in y e harbour there came vpon y e sundaie béeing the. 21. day of Aprill from the king a man that was in great credit with him to visite the Captaine Generall who at that instant was very sad and heauie for that it was then two daies since any man came to the Fléet from the Citie by reason whereof he feared least that the king were offended with him as taking occasion of offence for that he refused to go on shoare supposing also that he wold therevppon breake the peace and league made betwéene them for which he was sorrowfull especially since as yet he had no Pilots And when he sawe that he which was so great with the king did bring him no Pilots he then began to haue some iealousie and suspition of the king who being informed therof and knowing the Generall remained there for that cause did therefore forthwith send him
ceremonie they may not know any mā These Kings sometimes haue warres one with another they in their owne persons goe into the fieldes yea and if néed so require they also fight when they die they be caried out from their pallaice into a plain field wher they be burned with great quantitie of wood of sanders a swéet wood called Aguila At this burning are alwaies present all his brothers néerest kinred and al the noble men of the countrey And they make staye of him from burning after his death thrée daies that they all may repaire thether come together to sée and viewe whether he came to his death naturallye or whether he were killed for if he dyed by force of anye mans hande then are they bounde to take reuenge thereof After hée is burned and all the ashes buryed they doe all shaue themselues without leauing any hayre yea euen of the least childe that is a Gentile All of them in generall doe then cease from eating of Betele during the space of thirtéene daies and he that doth eate the same infringeth their law and therefore they wil cut his lips and that by iustice In all this time the prince which shall succéed doth not command nor gouerne which is done of purpose to sée whether in that time anye man will come to saie or obiect any thing against him These things and daies thus done and past the noble men of the Countrie doe cause him to bée sworne to all those lawes customs which were made by his predecessour and to pay all his debts Also that hée shall trauaile to recouer whatsoeuer things of his kingdome before were lost This oath he taketh hauing his swoorde in his lefte hande and in the right hande a Candle burning which hath a ring of golde vppon it which he toucheth with two of his fingers and so taketh his oath This being done they throwe or powre vpon him a few graines of Rice with many such other ceremonies in dooing whereof they say many prayers and he worshippeth then the Sunne three times which so done the Caymayles that be Lords by parentage doe immediatly holding the selfe same Candle sweare to be true subiects vnto him The thirtéene daies béeing ended they all then doe eate Betele againe and flesh and fish as before the king onely except who then taketh thought and sorroweth for the death of his predecessour whose manner of mourning is thus He must not by the space of one whole yeare eate any flesh or fish or yet Betele neither must he shaue his beard nor cut his nailes nor eate but once in a daie and must wash himselfe all his bodie ouer before he doe eate and praie certeine houres in the daye After the yeare is past and ended he then vseth a certeine ceremonie for the soule of the king his predecessour which is much like to our Dirge whereat are assembled an hundreth thousand persons at which time he giueth great almes when this ceremonie is finished they then confirme the Prince for inheritour of the kingdome and so all the people do depart The king of Calicut and all the other kings of Malabar haue one especiall man that hath the charge for administration of iustice and doth command is obeyed in all other matters of gouernement as amplie as the king himselfe The men of warre which the king of Calicut the other kings haue are Nayres which be all Gentlemen and are appointed to no other office or affaires but to fight when néede requireth They be all Gentiles and carrie their armour wherewith they fight themselues which is bowes arrowes speares daggers made like a hooke and targets and march with them very honourably and gallantly but they goe naked carrieng onely certeine linnen cloth of cotten painted with the which they couer themselues from the girdle to the knée they are bare footed and weare vppon their heads certeine towels They all liue by the king and by the noblemen of the countrie of whome they haue ordinarie stipends and allowaunce for their maintenaunce They doe so greatly estéeme and make account of theyr gentrie and of their cleanlinesse that they will not touch any husbandman neither permit any of them to come into their houses The husbandmen are bound when they goe in the stréetes to crie with a lowde voyce and saye Hoo they goe for if these Gentlemen doe come and bid them goe out of the way and they doe not obey their commaundement therein then may they kill them The king cannot make Gentlemen except they be of the stocke of Gentlemen They serue very well and faithfully with them of whome they haue their interteinment and vnder whose obeysaunce they liue not sparing by night nor daie anye opportunitie of time for shewe of their best indeauour in seruice of the same nor making anye account of meat or of theyr person or of sléepe whensoeuer their trauell or dilligence may take effect or purpose of well doing They haue so small charge and occasion of expence that with halfe a crowne a péece which is their ordinarie allowance for one moneth they may very well and sufficiently mainteine themselues and each of them a boye to serue him The Nayres by the law of the country cannot marry and for that cause they haue no children certain but those which they haue are begotten of Lemmans with which thrée or fowre of them do lie by accord agréement had and determined amongest themselues hauing one woman onelye to serue that purpose vnlesse any cause or quarrell growe amongest them and euerye one of them shall be with her a whole daie accompting from the one halfe of the daye present wherein he commeth to the other halfe of the day next following at which time he departeth from hers and then commeth another who continueth the lyke time Thus they passe ouer and spend their life time without care and trouble of wife and children They mainteine their lemmans verie well according to their degrées and birth And if any of them will at any time leaue and forsake her they may at their pleasure doe it and likewise she maye refuse anye of them at her will These women are all Gentlewomen for the Nayres amye not take anye Countrie women and they also doe not marrie And for that there bée so many men to one women they take not them for theyr children which bée begotten of her although the same bée lyke vnto them and therefore theyr brothers children doe inherit their lands and haue their goods This lawe that these Gentlemen shoulde not marrie the king ordeined and made for that they hauing no wiues nor children on whom they should haue care and fixe their loue might the better indure the warres and liue at more libertie to serue in the same And because they are Gentlemen and that they should be the more animated and incouraged to liue in that order and to serue well they be so priuiledged that none of them
port of the same village howbeit when he had conducted them to the bar thereof the Generall woulde not enter so far within the same as y ◠Pilot would gladly haue had him to haue done fearing indéed that some thing might afterward happen to his preiudice if he shuld giue ouer farre credit to those people came within the compasse of anye their forces wherein he dealt very aduisedly and wisely preuented such iniury as was offered him How the king of Calicut sent for the Captaine Generall and after what sort he was carried to Calicut Cap. 16. THe Captaine being come néere to this harbour his dispatch was sent him from y ◠Catuall of Calicut in y e which there was signified y ◠he was come to Pandarane by the kings commaundement with other noble men for to beare him company vnto Calicut and therefore he might at all times when y ◠it should please him disimbarke himself But for y ◠the day was past y ◠Captaine General excused himselfe as at y ◠present also y ◠he would first take counsell of his Captaines other the principall of his Fléet touching his landing who being all ioyned together said vnto them y ◠he minded to go to sée y ◠king of Calicut to settle there a trade and perpetuall friendship Against the which his going his brother repugned alleadging y ◠it was not conuenient y ◠he shuld so doe For albeit y ◠they were christians yet y ◠ther were amongst them many Moores which were to be feared least thy wold procure his destruction since that they were his mortall enimies For when that they doe remember how those of Monsambicke and Mombassa for onely passing by theyr ports would haue killed them all What should they looke for of those of Calicut knowing that they will mixture themselues with you yours quoth he you séeking to haue the trade where they haue the same so to diminish this their profit and gaine He tolde him therefore that it is the sooner to be beléeued that they wold procure with all their force possible to destroy him yea although they knew that the beginning and end of the same did depend vppon his death and that therefore there woulde not lacke wayes to put the same deuice in execution who being once dead for all the griefe the king shoulde take therewith yet hée could not raise him againe to lyfe And that so much the more they béeing as it were naturall inhabitauntes there and he a méere straunger Moreouer who doth know what the king doth passe for his death and what shall become of them all after the same is procured And if so be that they shuld be cast away altogether then were all theyr trauaile lost To excuse all this and that they might remaine vppon this good assuraunce it were very good sayd hée that hée did not goe a shoare but that hee did sende one of them or some other who might doe that which he shoulde doe for those that are Captaines in especiallye Generalls shoulde not aduenture themselues in such daungers but where there were such great necessitie that they coulde not otherwise excuse themselues Of this minde were all the rest of the companie vnto whome the Captaine Generall aunswered that although he knew or did vnderstand y t by his comming it were present death vnto him yet he woulde not let but goe and visit the King of Calicut and the rather to sée whether he would settle a friendship and trade there and to haue out of his Citie Spices and other commodities for that the same at our arriuall in Portingale might represent as a witnesse the discouerie of Calicut For if so be that at the end of so long a time God did returne vs thether without then said he it would be hard to be beléeued that wée had discouered Calicut And our credit and honour woulde stand in suspence or ballance vntill such time there should come persons of credit from thence that shoulde declare that to bée true which we had affirmed Therefore doe you not thinke but y t I had rather die then suffer so long time as we haue spent and are lyke to spend and others shall come to discouer y e truth of our seruice so that in the meane while those that are enuious should iudge our trauaile as it shuld please them certeinly I had rather die then to tarrie vpon the same Much more friends I doe not aduenture my selfe to so great a daunger of death as you do surmise neither yet that they should remaine in so great danger as you doe presuppose for I goe to a Countrie where there are Christians and to talke with a king which is desirous that vnto his Citie should come many Merchants for the profit that doth arise thereby vnto him for the more Merchants that do resort vnto it the more wil be his profit I doe not goe thether to stay there many daies that the Moores shall haue any such time to vse anye treason against me And for so much as I doe minde to talke with the king it shall haue an end and that within thrée dayes and in this time you may be in a readinesse And as touching the honour and credit that I shall get by making or establishing this trade if it please God that he doe accept the same I will not giue it for any treasure And the king can settle the same with no other better then with me for that he will estéeme me and beare some reuerence towards me being once knowen vnto him that I am the Captaine generall of this Fléete and the King of Portingales Embassadour rather then with any other person whatsoeuer Furthermore whosoeuer he be that shall goe in my steede the King will thinke himselfe to be mockt or that I do not esteeme him as one that is worthy that I shoulde goe to speake with him or els that I doe not trust him on his word Besides all this I cannot giue so large instructions to him that I should send thether that he might doe in all things which is néedfull as much as I my selfe and if so be that for my sinnes he shoulde kill me or take me as a prisoner it were a great deale better for me that ther shuld chaunce to me all this for doing of my duetie then to remaine alyue and not to doe the same And you my friendes remaining in the Sea and in good ships as soone as you shal heare that any of these things shall chaunce vnto me get you hence and carrie newes of this our discouerie and as touching this let there be no farther talke for that I by the grace of God will goe to Calicut to sée the King When that his determination was perceiued they all assented that they were contented with his going and therevpon they appointed him twelue of his men to goe with him that is to say Diego Dias his Secretarie
and Fernan Martines the interpretour Iohn de Sala which was afterward Treasurer of the house of the Indias c. So that with him in all they were thirtéene They appointed also that in his absence ther should remaine for Captaine generall his brother Also hée gaue commaundement that he shoulde not suffer any man to come aboord his ship and all those that were desirous to goe aboord to commaund them to remaine in their boate or Almadias Moreouer he left order with Nicholas Coello that he should come euery day with his boate as néere vnto y e shore as he could These things being setled the next day after being Mundaye the xxviij of May the Captaine generall did imbark himself with those twelue before rehearsed they all being apparailed in the best attire that they had their boates furnished with much ordinaunce flagges and trumpets which went alwaies sounding vntill such time y t y e Captaine general came to land whereas y e Catual was tarrieng for him being accompanied with 200 Nayres which attended ther continually besids many others y ◠wer not of that company besides many also y t were of y t towne The Captaine generall being disimbarked was ioyfully receiued of y r Catuall of y e others y t did accompany him as though they were very glad of his comming after y t he was thus receiued he was taken into an Andor which y ◠King of Calicut had sent to bring him vpon for y t in this countrey they are not accustomed to goe a horsebacke but in these Andors which are like vnto a horslitter sauing y t they are wtout any couer ouer them almost plaine y e sides therof are also very low Each of these Andors when they will occupie y e same are caried w t 4. men vpon their sholders which also doth run post w t thē at such time as y e king noble men do make any great iourny or if so be y t they wil go a great ground in a small time for they may trauell in y e same either sitting or lieng as they wil themselues Also ther go with these certain footmen which carie with them hats wherwith to couer those y ◠go in these Andors which they do call Bueys so that by this meanes they are kept from y ◠sunne the raine ther are also other Andors y ◠which haue ouer thē a cane bowed like vnto a hoope which for y ◠they are made very slight may easily carie those 2. men The Captaine generall being moūted in this Andor departed w t the Catuall who was carried in another Andor to a town called Capocate but all y e rest of the cōpany went afoote the people of the country was cōmaunded by the Catuall to carie all such apparel as our mē had brought vp w t thē which was ther redeliuered vnto thē being in Capocate they staid to refresh themselues where the Captaine generall being in one house the Catuall in another they did eate to al our men was giuen to eat sodden fish w t rice butter besides fruits of y e countrey which differ from ours very much yet they are very good The one sort of these is called Lacas and the other Mangas howbeit they haue figs also The water y t they did drinke was very excellent as good as any in Portingal Thus after they had eaten they went againe to imbark themselues for that they shuld go vp a riuer which from thence runneth into the sea the Captaine generall did imbarke himselfe with his company into 2. Almadias lieng the one close to the other which in y ◠countrey they did call Ensangada The Catuall w t his traine were imbarked in many others and the people that came to the riuers side to sée and view our men were without number for so much as that countrey is well inhabited And after that they had gone in this riuer about a league and that along the shores side they saw lieng a ground many great ships the Captaine generall with the Catuall being disimbarked did returne to their Andors and following their waye there resorted alwayes about them thousandes of people to sée them wherein they tooke such a felicitie that the very women also with their children hanging at theyr backes did not féele the waye they went in following to féed their eyes From this place which I haue made mention of the Catuall did carrie him vnto a certaine Pagode of their Idolls into which when they were entred he told him that the same was a Church of great deuotion which the Captaine generall beléeued to be true to be some church of the Christians therfore he gaue the more credit therevnto the rather for that he saw y t ouer the principall dore therof there hanged seuen little bells afore the same there was a pillour made of wier the which was as high as the mast of a ship vpon the top thereof there stoode a wether cock made likewise of wier This church was as great as a good Monestary and was made all of frée stone and couered or vauted ouer with bricke which gaue an outwarde shewe as though within side it shoulde be of verye faire workmanshippe Our Captaine was very glad to sée the same for that he thought himselfe to be among Christians and entering within this Church with the Catuall they were receiued by certaine men naked from the girdle vpwarde and from thence downe to the knée couered with certaine linnen cloth made of cotten with y ◠which their arme holes were couered also without any thing vpon their heads and vpon their left sholders they had certaine number of thrids which came vnder their right shoulders much like as the Priests were wont to weare their stoles héere amongst vs when they went to Masse These men are called Cafres and are Gentiles which serue in Malabar in their Pagodes who with a sprinkle tooke water out of a certaine fountaine threw the same vpon the Captaine generall vpon the Catuall and on the rest of the companye After all this they gaue them Saunders in pouder to cast the same vpon their heads as they did héere their Ashes as also they shuld do y e like vpon y e brawns of their armes but they could not do so by reason of their apparrel which they had on but yet they did not let to doe it on their heads so going about this Church they saw many Images painted vpon y ◠wal wherof some ther wer y ◠had great téeth which appeared to be so monstrous y t they were of an inch of length without their mouth Others ther wer y t had foure armes therwith wer so ill fauoured that they séemed to be very diuells y t which sight made our men stand in doubt whether the same wer a Church of Christians or no. Being come afore the Chappel which stood
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
Captaine Generall he did not commaund him to come into his presence in thrée houres after his comming to the Coursie and then commaundement was giuen ther should come no more in with the Embassadour but two of his owne men with the which he was offended for y â— he thought the same seperating from his men was not meant well did therfore carry with him Fernan Martines and one Diego Dias she which was his Secretary Being come where the King was he did not receiue him so well as at the first time but said vnto him with a seuere countenaunce that he had tarried for him all the day before and he came not The Captaine generall aunswered that he did deferre his comming for that he found himselfe weary by reson of the long way for he was very loath to tell him the cause why he staid for that he woulde not giue the King occasion to talke of the present that he would haue sent him But it did well appeare that the Catuall and the Factor would not haue hindred the sending of the same vnto the King but for y t they well knew he would haue made small account thereof And also they must of force haue told him that they had seene the same Neuerthelesse it coulde not be excused but that the King spake vnto the Captaine generall thereof immediately saieng how that he had tolde him that he was belonging to a great and rich King and yet he brought no present from him but an Embassage of friendship onelye and therefore he could not tell what friendship he woulde haue with him since that he did send him nothing Vnto this the Captaine generall did aunswere that there was no maruel that he did bring him nothing for that he came not in assuraunce that he should méete with him But now since that he hath séene him he should well perceiue what his King Master will héereafter sende him if so be that God wil giue him leaue to carry newes of this his discouery And if so be that he will giue credite to his Letters which hée did bring with him he shall then sée what the King doeth send him word of The King in stéede of demaunding his Letters asked him whether the King his Master did sende him to discouer stones or men and if so be that he did send him to discouer men how doth it chaunce then that hée sent him no present And since that it is manifest that hée had brought him nothing he sayd as then that it was told him that he had a Sancta Maria in golde requesting of him the same The Captaine generall was partly ashamed to sée the King so altered for that he had not brought him a present And now moreouer to demaund without all honestie that Image To whom he aunswered that the Sancta Maria which they tolde him of was made of woode and gylded ouer and not of Massie golde And although that it were yet would he not depart therewith forsomuch as the same had preserued him in the Sea and had brought the same from his Countrey The King did not reply vpon this answere but demaunded those Letters the which the King had sent him whereof the one was in the Portingale tongue the other in the Arabian language These he tolde him were sent in this order for that the King his Master did not know whether of these two languages was vnderstoode in his Countrey Wherefore he desired that since the Portingale language was not vnderstood in his Countrey but the Arabian and that there were Christians of the Indias that did vnderstand the same one of those might read his Letter and the rather for that the Moores are enimies to the Christians of whom he was afeard least that they should chaunge the sense thereof The King commaunded them so to bée read howbeit there could be founde no Indian that coulde read the same or at the least would shew himselfe that hée could read them The Captaine generall séeing that there was no other remedy but y â— the Moores must néeds read the same was driuen then to request the King that Bontaybo might be one of them This was done for y t as he thought he would speake and vse more truth then the others for the acquaintaunce they had with him The King commaunded the same to be read by other thrée who hauing read y e same first of all to themselues afterward with a loude voyce declared to the King the effect thereof the which was That as soone as the King of Portingale had knowledge y t he was one of the mightiest Princes of all the Indias a Christian he was desirous to haue a trade a friendship with him for that he might haue out of his Countrey Spices the which he hath in great plentie for which there commeth diuers from many places of the world thether to buy y e same And therefore if so be he will giue him license to sende for the same that then he wil send vnto him from his kingdome many things which he hath not in his as his Captaine generall and Embassadour will tell him And if so bée that with those things he were not pleased he will sende him money both of golde and siluer to buy them withall how that as well of his Merchaundize as of the money y t Captaine generall could shew him part The King hearing this as he was desirous that for the increase of his rents there should come many Merchaunts vnto Calycut shewed himself to be wel pleased with this letter also made vnto the Captaine generall a better countenaunce then he did before asked him what Merchaundize ther were in Portingale He named many shewing how that of all he had brought with him part and also of their money requesting him license to goe aboord for the same and in the meane while he wold leaue in his lodging foure or fiue of his men The King giuing more credite to that which he spake then to that the Moores had told him said vnto him y t he might go in a good houre carie his men with him for there was no necessitie that they should remaine a lande that he should bring his Merchandize sell them as well as he could With this lycense he remained well content for as he saw y e King make him at the first an ill countenance so he thought y t he wold not haue giuen him y e same with this license he went first to his lodging being by y e Kings commandement accompanied with the Catuall and forsomuch as that daye was all spent he would not goe aboord that night ¶ How the Captaine generall hauing lâ—cense of the King to go to his ships was staid by the Catuall in Pandarane Chap. 20. THe next daye after which was the last daye of Maye the Catuall sent to the Captaine generall a Horse howbeit without anye furniture to the same vpon which hée might
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
were to take his shippes which hée would not doe but hauing time to arme his owne Fléet so to set vppon them wherefore hée aduertised them that if so bée were not set at liberty immediatly after y â— the Merchandise were landed that then they should not remaine there any longer but goe their wayes toward Portingale informe the king his Maister what had chaunced vnto him and also what hee had done that there might not bée lost a Countrie of so greate a profite for Portingale as that was and also to tell him after what sort that hée did remaine there and what confidence hée hadde in his highnesse that he would send him such a Fléete of ships and men that by the same hée doth hope to be sette at lybertie béeing assured that as nowe they woulde not kill him He that carried these letters béeing come to Paulo de la Gama did deliuer them vnto him giuing vnto him large instructions of all that which they had past since they did departe Nowe Paulo de la Gama hauing séene this Letter which was sent him from the Captaine General did send immediatlye the merchaundise with an aunswere to this Letter in the whsch hée sayde that GOD would not permit him to retourne to Portingale without his companye And if so bée that their enimyes would not sette him at lyberty that then hée did hope in GOD that hée woulde strengthen those fewe that remained in the Fléet with whome and with the Ordinance that they haue hée woulde come and set him at lyberty and of this hée might make full accompt and of no other thing The Merchaundise béeing landed the Captaine General did deliuer the same vnto the Catual and also to Diego Dyas whome he lefte for Factour of the same and to Aluora de Braga the Scriuenor who remained in a house which the Catuall had sought out for them In this space the Captaine Generall made himselfe in a readynesse to goe aboorde his shippes but first the Catuall did reforme and make himselfe friendes with him After that hée was a boorde hée would send no more Merchaundise a lande vntill such time hée heard newes the same were solde neyther yet would goe anye more a lande because hée would runne in no such daunger with this the Moores were grieuously offended for that they thought that if so be that he would come a land that there they might doe him more hurte then a Seaboorde And for that they woulde the rather so do they beganne to make a mocke at the merchandise which he had left a land Also they wrought all the means they could to hinder their sales therof saieng y t they wer litle or nothing worth Of al this y e Captain general was informed for y â— as he thought the king knew nothing of all these things neither yet what discurtesie the Catuall had offered him for that he should vnderstand the cause why the Captaine Generall did not returne a land neither yet wold send any more merchandise he did therfore send him word within fiue dayes after hy his Factour of all that they hadde done vnto him and also what iniurye the Moores hadde shewed him touching their Merchants promising notwithstanding that he would not let to be at his commaundement with all the whole Fléet Then the king seemed to be very greatly offended for that which they had done to y e Captaine general insomuch as he had sent him vnto his shippes But for all that the Catuall went vnpunished although he sent the Captaine Generall worde that he would punish those that had so vsed him which out of doubt were naughtie christians so that it did well appeare that it grieued him verye much to heare thereof And as touching the Merchaundise he promised to sende thether such as shoulde buye the same as hée did indéede seauen or eyght Merchauntes which are Gentiles Gusarates and with his Factour hée sent a Nayre which was a principall honest man to the intent hée might remaine in the Factorye with the Factour to whome hée gaue commaundement diligentlye to beware that there shoulde not come any Moores to kill him But for because that this was done but vnder couloure that the Moores shoulde not séeme to subborne the Merchauntes they bought nothing but rather did abate the price of the which the Moores were verye gladde and said that nowe it did well appeare that they were not alone that woulde not buye of theyr Merchaundise yet for all that ther durst come no Moore to the Factorie they once hauing notice that there was placed a Nayre by the kinges commaundement And if so be that before they did not abide or loue vs they ten times worse loued vs afterwarde so that whensoeuer any of our men should come a land they receiued the same as an iniurie done vnto them spitting on the ground saieng Portingale Portingale But our men which vnderstoode their meaning did laugh thereat to the ende thereby they might sée howe little they did estéeme their doinges for so the Captaine Generall commaunded them to doe Nowe perceiuing that there was none that would buy of the Merchants he supposed the cause to be for that they lay in a place where there were no Merchaunts And therfore supposing that if so be that they were in Calicut where other Merchants are he should sell the better did therfore â—â—ue y e King of Calicut by a messenger for license to send the same which he gaue immediately and commanded the Catuall to sée the same brought forthwith to such as should carrie them to sée them paid at his owne costes and charges for that he would not that any thing of y e king of Portingales shuld be at any charges in his Country and so it was done but for all this the Captaine generall wold neuer come more a lande for that which the Catuall hadde done vnto him and for that Bontaybo which came to sée him manye times did giue him counsaile so to doe for that the King was moueable and therefore it was possible that the Moores would alter his minde for the great credite that they were of with him But the Captaine general was very warie and because that he was a Moore he would not much trust him neither yet woulde giue him account what he was minded to doe yet for that he would séeme to haue him in some reputation that he should bring him alwayes newes of that which did passe on shoare he departed with him both money and other rewards ¶ How the Captaine generall being desirous to retourne toward Portingale sent to demaunde lycense of the King to haue a Factor and a Scriuener with such Merchaunts as he thought good how the King caused the messenger with one other that was found a shoare to be craried to prison Chap. 22. THe Merchaunts being brought to Calicut the Captaine generall therewith gaue all his men license to goe and sée the Citie of Calycut
and went a rouing and that he came not vnto his Harbour but to steale such Merchandize as should be brought to the Citie and also to espie the Countrey and after to come with a great Fléete for to inuade the same In the selfe same order was the Captaine generall informed by two Malabars which are Gentiles being therefore now in a studie what was best to be done hauing this aduertisement for most certaine as soone as it was night there came aboorde the Generalls ship a slaue of the colour blacke which was naturally borne in Guynee belonged vnto Diego Dias and also was a Christian and had the Portingall tongue very well who tolde him that Diego Dias and Aluoro de Braga did remain in prison what aunswere the King of Calycut had made to his message what he had commaunded to be done with his present and also what Proclamations there were made Diego Dias for that he thought good to giue him knowledge of y t which had past had bribed a Fisher man to carrie this messenger and that in the night season that he might not be knowen After that the Captaine generall had heard all this he was much offended therewith howbeit for that hée woulde sée the end thereof would not depart but did let passe that day to sée whether that any would come aboord him The nexte day which was Wednesdaye being the xv of August there came one onlyPinnace or Almadia aboord the General in the which were foure boyes which brought fine precious stones to sell and for that they came after such sort he tooke them to be spies and that their comming was for no other purpose but to sée what they did and by this meanes hée thought he might vnderstand in what reputation they were with the King This was the occasion the Captaine generall did receiue them with as good a countenaunce as he did before giuing them nothing to vnderstand y t he knew of the imprisonment of Diego Dias and wold not therefore laye hand vpon those but vpon such as shoulde come afterward which as he thought should be of more credite vntill such time as he had recouered those that were imprisoned Vnto those also he wrote a Letter by those Boyes with fained words saieng that he did vnderstande of theyr imprisonment this was done in such order that if so be this letter should haue come to any other mens hands they could not haue vnderstood the same These Boyes did deliuer vnto him this letter who afterward told the king what great entertainment they had at the Captaine generalls hands which made him to beléeue that he knewe nothing of the imprisonment of his men whereof he was very glad did retourne and send aboord others and those that shoulde goe had warning giuen them not to disclose that the Factour with the others did remaine prisoners This was done by pollicie for that he made this reckoning to deceiue the Captaine generall on this sort vntill such time that he was able to sende a Fléete of ships vpon him or til that the ships of Meca should come and take him On this sort went the Malabars aboord vnto whom the Captaine generall made a good countenaunce and commaunded them to be entertained very well all this he did for y t he saw none worth the staieng On the Sunday next there came sixe principal Malabars with other fiftéene which waited vpon them in another Pinace And for that the Captain generall thought that for those the King would send him his Factor and his Scriuenour he laid hands vpon them all onely he lefte two Mariners in a pinace by whom he sent a letter to the kings Factors written in the Malabars tongue in the which he demaunded for the Factor and his Scriuenor then he wold send those which he had staid The kings factor hauing perused this letter he enformed y e king of y ◠which had past who cōmaunded the Factor Scriuenor to be brought home to his house as prisoners that he might from thence send for them and to dissemble therewith as though he knewe nothing of their imprisonment so cause them to be sent from thence to the Captaine generall for that he might send him those Malabars which he had detained whose wiues made exclamation for the imprisonment of their husbands And therefore the King was the more willinger to set our men at libertie who afterward remained a while in the Kings Factors house ¶ How the Captaine generall seeing the delayes wer made for that the Factor with the Scriuenor came not did bring himselfe in a readines as though he would depart immediately wherevpon without any further delay the King sent them away and what els happened Chap. 23. THe captain general séeing y t they came not determined to proue whether y t with shewing himself as though he wold depart immediatly they wold thē send them to him did therfore on wednesday being the xxiii of August commaund to wey his Ankor to bring himselfe vnder saile And for that the winde was contrary he was driuen to come to an Ankor foure leagues from Calicut riding in an open road and there they remained till the next Saterday to sée whether they would sende their prisoners And perceiuing no likelihood thereof he went yet further into the Sea so far that he scarcely could descry any land being at an Ankor for lack of winde there came thether a boat w t certain Malabars which told y e Captaine generall y t their comming was to séeke him out to tel him y ◠Diego Dias with y e others wer in y e kings pallaice whom he minded to send aboord which thing to be true they would bind thēselues y t as y e next day they should be brought And y e cause why they brought thē not as then was for that they thought they shuld not ouertake him Now for y t they sawe not y t Malabars y t the Generall kept as prisoners thought y t they were all dead This craftie dealing was for no other purpose but to dally with y e Captaine general to stay him with those words that the King might in the meane while prepare in Calicut an armie of ships to set vpon him and to tarry for the ships of Meca to ioyne with his Fléete After this the Captaine generall commaunded those of the towne to goe their way and not to retourne without his men or els their letters for if so be they did he would sink them w t his ordinance And also if immediately they did not returne with an answere y t then he would cut off the heads of those which he had taken With this aunswere those of the towne did departe and immediatelye as soone as they had winde he made sayle and bearing along the Coast came to Ankor at the Sunne set ouer against Calycut The next daye our men descryed comming seauen Almadias which came
aboord the Captaine generalls ship in the one whereof came Diego Dias and Aluoro de Braga and in the others there came many others of the countrey howbeit there were none that durst enter within their ships but did put Diego Dias and Aluoro de Braga in his owne boate which they had at their stearne and afterwarde they themselues fell further off tarrieng for the Captaine Generalls aunswere To whom Diego Dias said That as soone as the King of Calicut knew that he was gone he sent for him from his Factors house and shewed himselfe ioyfull as one that knew nothing of his imprisonment and asked him what was the occasion that the Captaine Generall tooke those men which he doth kéepe as prisoners who afterward tolde him the cause wherevpon the King made aunswere that it was well done He asked him also whether that his Factor had demaunded at his hands any thing of gift speaking against his owne Factor which was there present for that he knew wel inough y t it was not long ago since he cōmaunded one other to be killed for taking certain bribes of Merchaunt scraungers After all this he willed him to tell the Captaine generall that he should send him y e stone which he promised him to be set in the Countrey vpon the which there is a Crosse and the royall Armes of Portingale and also to know of him whether he be content to leaue Diego Dias for Factor in Calicut and with the same he sent him a letter for the King of Portingale which was confirmed and signed by the King and written by Diego Dias and with this Letter he sent Aluoro de Braga The Captaine generall tooke this Letter which was written in a certaine Leafe of a Palme Trée vpon the which they doe vse to write matters that shall indure a long time the effect whereof was this Vasco de la Gama a Gentleman of thy house came to my Countrie of whose comming I was very glad In my Countrie there is great store of Cinamon Cloaues and Pepper and precious stones That which I am desirous to haue out of thy Countrie is Siluer Gold Corall Skarlet The Captaine Generall for that he sawe the king to vse no truth woulde not aunswere for all his offers but therewith sent him all such as he hadde stayed that were Nayres and for all the others he sent him word he would not send them vntill such time that he sent him all such merchaundise as he had taken of his Notwithstanding hée sent him the stone he sent for with this answere departed those that brought Diego Dyas aboord The next day there came a boord Bontaybo who tolde the Captaine Generall that he came so sodeinly away from Calicut for that the Catuall by the kings commaundement had taken from him all that he euer had saieng that he was a christian and that his comming to Calicut ouer land was by the king of Portingales commaundement onely to bée his spie Other matters there were which he told him of and that the same came by the Moores procurement the which he knew wel that as they tooke his goods so they meant to do him some shrewd turne in his person if so bée that they coulde haue taken him and therefore he came his way before The Captaine Generall was very glad of his comming and tolde him that hée would carry him to Portingale and that there he shuld recouer all his goods with the double besides other rewards that the king his Maister would giue him He commaunded also that in his ship there should be prepared him a principall good cabine After this about tenne of the clocke there came a boorde the Captaine Generall thrée Pinnaces laden with men and vpon certeine of their seates or benches there was layd certeine Skarfs as who should say there came part of theyr Merchaundise And after these there came other foure one after another And as touching those thrée that brought those Skarfes they tolde the Captaine Generall that there came all theyr Merchandise which they would put in his boate and therefore they willed him to bring thether those Malabars which he had prisoners and that there they woulde fetch them The Captaine Generall perceiuing that this was but a fetche did will them to goe their waye for that hée woulde haue none of theyr Merchaundise but those Malabars to carrye to Portingale as witnesses of his discouerie And if so be that God of his diuine goodnesse doe giue him lyfe hée woulde very shortly retourne to Calicut and then they shoulde well knowe whether that those Christians were théeues or not as the Moores hadde made the king of Calycut beléeue and therefore that was the cause why hée did them so manifest wrong This béeing done hée commaunded to shoote of many péeces of Ordinaunce with the feare thereof they ranne theyr waye And if so hée that the kings shippes had bene in a readynesse and a floate they had sent them against the Captanie Generall but they were haled vp for because of the Winter which was to bée beléeued to haue béene the handye worke of GOD that our Shippes shoulde bée there at this season for that they might escape and carrye newes of the discouerye of this Countrye to restore in the same the holye Catholike Faith otherwise if it had ben Summer he woulde haue hadde his Fléete in a readinesse the which was great and so haue taken vs all and by this meanes there hadde bene none lefte to haue carryed newes to Portingale Of the departure of the Captaine Generall from Calycut towarde Portingale and what further happened vnto him being in the Iland Ansandina Cap. 22. ALthough that the Captaine Generall reioysed very much for that hée had discouered Calicut yet he was not fully satisfied therwith altogether for that the king had conceiued against him great displeasure by this meanes as he iudged the next fléet that the king his maister should send would run in great daunger Howbeit perceiuing that it lay not in his power to do any more he was therfore contented onely with the discouery and to haue knowne the Indias of their nauigation what was commodious for the Countrie and to haue brought with him from thence examples of the spices drugs and precious stones as also of all other thinges that were within the same citie And hauing there no more to doe he departed carrieng with him those Malabars which he had taken for that by them he hoped to haue some agréement made with the king of Calicut at the returne of anye other Fléet The Thursday after his departure being in ralme a league of from Calicut there came towarde him to y e number of lx Tonys full of Souldiers by the which the king of Calicut thought to haue taken them who séeing them comming commaunded his ordinaunce to be shot of at them that oftentimes and if he had not done so they would haue put him in greate daunger
25. AFter that the Captaine Generall was thus informed he would tarrie there no longer but immediatlye came to an Ankor at the Ilande of Ansandina the which was distaunt from thence as it were two Gunne shotte where it was tolde him there was excellent swéete water This Iland is but little and but a league of from the firme land There are in the same many woods and also two conduit heads made of frée stone of excellent sweete water the which are springs and do rise ther wherof one is sixe foote déepe Also in the sea about the sayde Iland is great store of fish Before that the Moores did vse to traficke to the Indias the same was inhabited by Gentiles in the which there were goodly buildings in especiall their Pagodes was a goodly thing And after that the Moores which came from the red sea began to saile that way they resorted thether alwayes to take in their water and wood and did so abuse the inhabitants that they could not wel abide the same so that they left their dwellings ther but before their going away they plucked downe almost all their Pagods so that they left nothing standing but the verye Chappell the lyke they did to all other their buildings yet for all that these Gentiles that wer of the firme land which belong to the king of Narsingas had to this Pagode such deuotion that from thence they would goe sundry times to make in the same their praiers vnto thrée black stones that were lieng in the middest of the said Chappell The Iland is called Ansandina which in the Malabars language is called the â—iue Ilandes for that rounde about the same there lye the other foure The Captaine Generall hauing come to an Ankor sent Nicholas Coello with his companye to discouer the same who founde it according as afore is declared and a goodlye place or grounde where they might newe graue their ships And for that the Captaine Generall had a great course to run and also for that he knew not when to finde so conuenient a place he consulted with the other Captaines to bring their shippes there a ground The first ship that they brought there a grounde was the Shippe the which they called Berâ—â—o And whilest they were thus occupyed there came many people to sell them victualls At which time there came two small Brickentines that hadde out theyr Standerds and Flagges in the toppes of theyr Mastes and within them theyr Trumpettes and Drumnies wherevppon they came playeng at theyr pleasure In these Brickentines there came manye men and they all at the Oare and along the shoare side there were other fiue which came to succour them if they shoulde haue anye néede The Captaine Generall after that hée hadde fight of them had warning giuen him by the Malabars to beware of them for that they were rouers and vnder a couloure of peace did robbe all that they coulde take And after that hée was entered into his shippe hée perceiued that hée might haue taken them if so bée that hée woulde haue consented to lette them to come aboorde him but hée woulde not agrée to the same And therefore as soone as they came within Gunne shotte commaunded all theyr Ordinaunce to be shot at them from those two shippes that were a floate They fearing this shotte gaue out a lowde voice crieng Tambarane Tambarane for so they doe call God and with this often shooting they fledde theyr way Nicholas Coello béeing as then in his Boate went after them alwayes shooting his Ordinaunce who pursued them so farre that the Captaine Generall was driuen to put vp his Flagge for a signe hée shoulde retourne and so he did The next daye after the Captaine Generall with all his men béeing a land working vpon the ship called Berrio there came in two litle Paraos to the number of twelue men of the Countrie the which in their apparel séemed to bée of some countenaunce who brought for a present a bundell of Sugar Canes and immediately as soone as they had deliuered the same they asked license to goe aboord and to sée the ships for that they neuer saw any before The Captaine generall was greatly offended with this their request for by that he feared least that they were spies and whilest they were in this talke there came thether other two Paraos with as many more men Those that came first séeing that the Captaine generall was somewhat growen in cholar did will those that came afterward not to come a lande but to returne againe The ship Berrio being made in a redinesse afterward that the Generalls ship was brought a ground to be new rigged and hauing a lande about hir all the other Captaines there came a man in a little Parao who séemed to be of the age of fortie yeares and not of that Countrey for that he had vpon him a Sabaco of fine Cotten which reached downe to his héeles and about his head a toocke or towell which also couered part of his face and at his gyrdell a Fawâ—â—in or Skeyne And assoone as he leapt a lande he went immediately to imbrace the Captaine generall as one that had séene him or knowen him before and after the selfe same sort he vsed the other Captaines telling them that he was a Christian and borne in Italy and that hée was brought into that Countrey of a childe and that his dwelling was with a Noble man that was a Moore called Sabayo the which was Lord of a certaine Iland called Goa lieng about twelue leagues from thence and had forty thousand horsemen within the sayd Iland And for that his habitation was amongst the Moores he obserued their lawe howbeit it was but for an outward shew but inwardly in his soule he was a Christian and being in Sabayos house it was tolde him that there was come by Sea to Calycut certaine men in ships whereof there was neuer séene y e like in the Indias and that there were none that vnderstoode their language and also that their bodies were couered ouer with cloathes And when he had vnderstanding of the same he immediatelye iudged them to be Frangnes for so they do call those that are Christians in that Countrey and for that he was desirous to sée them had therefore asked lycense of Sabayo saieng that if so be that he woulde not giue him license to goe and sée them that he knewe verye well that he should dye with very thought and anger by reason whereof he gaue him license by whome hée sent them word that if so be that there were in his Countrey anye thing y t they had néede of they shuld haue the same in especiall shippes and victualles And moreouer if they woulde come and dwell in his Countrey he would be very gladde thereof and would giue both them and theirs sufficient lyuing with the which they should liue very honourably After that he had ended thus his talke the Captaine generall asked him perticularly for
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
béeing come to the kings presence his highnesse gaue him so great an honour as such a one deserued who by the discouerie of the Indias did giue so great a glorie vnto the eternall God and honour and profit to the crowne and kingdome of Portingale and a perpetuall fame to all the world Afterward he made him knight to him and to his heires for euer he gaue for armes the royal armes of Portingal also to set at the foote of the Scutchin two Does the which they call Gamas Also he gaue him towarde this his liuing thrée hundred thousand Ceis a yeare the which may be worth of our money 200. pound a yeare and this to be paied out of the tiths of the fish in the village of Sinis Moreouer hée promised him to make him Lord of the said village forsomuch as he was borne there And vntill such time that he could giue him y e same he allowed him a thousand crowns a yeare the which he did well perfourme from that time forwarde and after that he had receiued the possession therof he did passe it ouer vnto the house appointed for the contraction of the Indias Moreouer he graunted him that after the trade of the Indias was setteled or established that then he might lade for his own account to the sum of 200. Duckats in spices that without paieng for the same any custome at all Also he gaue him other possessions rents and a bill of remembraunce to make him Lorde As for Nicholas Coello he made him a Gentleman of his house and gaue him possessions and did allowe him some recompence toward his charges The king himselfe with this new discouerie did increase his titles with a newe and a famous stile of Lorde of the conquest and nauigation of Aethiopia Arabia Persia and of the Indias How the king of Portingale did nominate A Pedro al Verez Cabral for Captaine Generall of a Fleete towarde Calicut for to settle there a factorie and of his departure from Lishborne Chap. 28. BEing certainlye knowne to the king of Portingale that from his kingdome there is a nauigation to the Indias and also of the innumerable riches that there are in those parts among the Gentiles sundrye Christians did therfore determine to prosecute and followe the discouerye of the same giuing all praise and lande vnto the eternall God for his great benefits that he hath bestowed vpon him to let him be the first that hath discouered this new worlde the which hath alwayes beene so close vpon the Sea that there hath béene none in all Europe that durst aduenture that waye But hée not remembring the trouble of his spirite neyther yet the spending of his treasure nor the daunger of his subiects woulde neuerthelesse take this most famous enterprise in hande for that there might bée in the Indias publyshed the Euangelicall lawe to the ende that those kinde of lost people might receiue the same as also for the increasing not onelye of his owne treasure but generallye the benefite of all his subiects And that the same might take the better effect hée determined to giue the attempt if it were possible to settle a Factorye in Calycut by gentlenesse for as hée once vnderstoode that the dwellers in the same were inclined to trade he thought that after this sort there wold grow betweene them and vs conuersation and so a friendshippe the which might bée an occasion that they woulde incline themselues to heare the worde of God preached And béeing thus fullye determined hée commaunded to bée in a readinesse against the next yeare following a Fléete of ten shippes and two Caruells which shoulde goe well laden with all such thinges as Vasco de la Gama shoulde informe him to bée spent in Calycut Also there went others towarde Sofala and Quyloa where also hée commaunded certeine Factoryes to bée setteled not onelye for the golde which they haue there but also that theyr shippes might alwayes touch there And concerning such as shoulde bée appointed for Calycut he named for Captaine Generall of this Fléet a Gentleman called Pedro Aluares Cabral who came of an honourable house of the Cabralls and for his pettie Captaine a Gentleman called Sancho de Toar The names of the other Captaines as manye as I knewe were these Nicholas Coello Don Luis continuo Simon de Myseranda Simon Leyton Bartholome Dyas who discouered the Cape Buâ—na Esperansa Dyego Dyas his brother y t which went before for purser with Vasco de la Gama Those that wer Captaines of y e Caruels were one Pedro de Taide and Vasco de la Siluera and for Factor of the whole Fléete was one Aries Correa who lykewyse should remaine for Factor in Calycut and for his clarkes there were appointed one named Gonsalo Gyl Barbasa Pedro vas Caninon Of this Fléete there shoulde remaine and staie with the Merchants and Merchaundise in Sofala two ships and with the same shoulde contineu for Factor one called Loriso Hurdato In this Fléet ther went 1500. men The Articles which the Captaine Generall carryed in his instructions besides those of the setling of the Factory was y t if so he y t the king of Calycut would not quietly conseÌ„t or giue sufficient lading for those ships which he caried nor consent to haue the factorie setled there That then he should make him most cruell war for the iniury which he shewed vnto Vasco de la Gama And if so bée that the Factorie might be quietly settled then he should request the king in secret that he doe not consent in Calycut or in anye other of his harbours belonging to his kingdome any of the Moores of Meca to remaine ther forsomuch as hée would send him from hence forth all such Merchaundise as they doe bring and that farre better cheap then they doe sell the same Moreouer that in theyr waye they doe touch at Milinde to set ther a land the Embassador which Vasco de la Gama brought from thence and to sende the king a present Also the king did send with the Fléete fiue Friers of the order of Saint Fraunces of whome went for Vicar a Frier called Fraij Henrique the which was afterward Bishop of Siebta and he to remaine in the Factorie to preach the Catholike faith vnto the Malabars The Fléet beeing dispatched the king in person on Sunday being the .viii. of March went to heare Masse at the Monasterie of Belem going thether in Procession hauing the Captaine Generall the which heard Masse with him within the curten for on that sort he ment to giue honour to such as did serue him in such daungerous affaires as this was The Masse was said after the Portingale order and at the same there was a Sermon made by Don Diego Ortis who was then Bishoppe of Vyseâ— who gaue great praise vnto the Captaine Generall for accepting the saide voiage at the kings hands since that therby he did not onely serue the king who is his
with the which they make fethered hats night caps which are very gallant Some of our men y t went to sée their townes do declare y e the same is a goodly country fertill of woods w t great store of goodly waters plentie of fruits that ther is gathered in y e same gret quantitie of cotten And for y t this country is y t which we cal Brasil which to all men is common I will not speake of y â— same further but only y t in viii daies that y â— Captaine generall staid ther was séene a fish which y e sea did cast a land y t was greater then any Tonel of y e bredth of two of theÌ„ howbeit he was round y â— head eyes were much like vnto a hogs his cares like vnto an Elephants he had no téeth but vnder his belly he had two issues his taile was thrée quarters of a yard in breadth as much in length his skinne was lyke vnto a Hogges skinne which was a finger thicke In this Ilande the Captaine generall commaunded to be erected a high Crosse of stone and therfore he gaue the same to name La tierra de Santa Crus From hence he sent a Caruell which he brought foorth with him for the same purpose with letters vnto the King his Lorde of all that which had chaunced him vnto this place and how that he had left there two bannished men of those twentie the which he carried with him to the ende they might better enforme themselues what Countrey that same was and whether it were a firme lande as it did appeare vnto them all by the great distance of the Coast that they had found and because of the great voyage which he had taken in hande to make he could not send to know perfectly With this Caruel he sent a man of that Countrey for a shew by what kinde of people the same was inhabited This Caruell being departed the next day after being the second day of May the Captain generall departed with all his Fléete bearing his course toward the Cape Buena espeâ—ansa the which was from thence almost 1200. leagues which is a great and fearfull gulph to passe by reason of the great windes which doe course in those partes most of the time And being vnder sayle in the same on the xii of Maye there appeared in the Element a great Comet with hir beames the which came out of the Orient and for the space of x. dayes did alwayes appeare as well in the night as in the daye alwayes inlarging his beames On Saterday being the xxiii of May there came amongst all the Fléete such a storme from the Northeast that all the Fléete was faine to take in their sayles hauing the Seas very high mingled with pretie showers of raine And for that the same storme was afterwarde somewhat abated they brought themselues vnder their forefailes againe and at night the winde being altogether calme such ships as wer left behind did spred out also their sprit saile to ouertake those y t went before And going by after windes following their course by the South the Sunday being the xxiiii of May the winde beganne to increase which was the occasion that the Captaine generall commanded their sailes to be taken in and to fardle vp their sprits sailes the which being done the like did all the other Captaines and going on this sort on Sunday betwéene x. and xi of the clocke of the day did begin to ariue in the Northwest a spowte with the which the winde calmed in such sorte that the sailes did beate against the Mast and the Pilots being not as yet acquainted with the secret signification of a spowte for that they had not trauayled those Seas thought the same to bée a signe of faire weather and of great calmes by reason whereof they neuer made any kinde of alteration in anye thing appertaining to their sayles Vpon this on a Sundaye there came such a winde and so furious that then they had no time to amayne and take in theyr sayles by reason whereof there were foure Shippes sunke without escaping one person of them all and of one of these was Captayne one Bartholomew Dias The other seauen remayned halfe full of water which they had taken in which lykewise had sunke if so be that parte of theyr sayles had not bene torne And after that the winde verred to the Southwest they bare with the same the which was so great that they were driuen to roue all that daye and the next night following without sailes so that the one could not sée the other howsoeuer as yet the returne of any other wind was not come they were driuen to such daunger that they thought thereby they should loose their liues forsomuch as the rest of the Fléete was so cast away before their eyes wherewith they were stroken into a very great pensiuenesse The next day the winde being somewhat incalmed with the same the Fléete did ioyne themselues together againe and immediatly after the winde came to the East and Northeast which was so great that it made the Seas to goe higher then euer they did before and so the same endured the space of xx dayes and all this time the shippes laye a hull although they proued fiue times to hoyse vp their sayles as aforesaid Now the Seas went so high to all theyr iudgements they thought it vnpossible for the shippes to escape for ouer and besides that by the working of them it was thought that sometime they did hoyse vp theyr shippes aboue the Element and other times when the shippes began to descend they fell as it were downe a monstrous hill that they feared they should be all swallowed vp in the Intralles of the Earth In the daye the water was of the colour of pitch and in the night of fire The tackling with the other furniture of the Shippes with the great force of the winde made such a terrible noyse and was so fearefull to heare that the same is incredible to be beléeued but by those onelye that endured and passed the same with the force of this the Fléete was separated into sundry places The Captaine Generall bare vp with Symon de Myranda and Pedro de Tayde whether the winde would carry them all the others went at Gods mercie Of the meeting of the King of Quiloa the Captaine generall at which time there was set downe a Trade and Factorie and how the King repented himselfe of the same afterward Cap. 30. AFter that the Captaine Generall had past with parte of his Fléete these great stormes didde finde himselfe to haue doubled the Cape without anye sight of the same hauing in his company no more then two Shippes which bare alwayes vp with him And the Lorde hauing vsed alwaies towardes them his wonderfull great mercie he came within sight of the lande the sixtéenth day of Iuly towarde the which he
commaunded to beare howbeit the Pilots did not knowe the same notwithstanding they found that it stoode in the altitude of xxvii degrées they were so néere vnto lande that the Shippes laye with their beake heads close to the same But the Captaine generall would not consent that anye of his men shoulde goe a lande yet from their shippes they might easilye perceiue that the same was well inhabited for the great number of people they did sée there and yet of all those there came none to the water side to sée what we were After that he sawe that there was no hope to haue anye refreshing from thence hée did afterwarde procure the same from the Sea where there was great plentie of fish where our men was driuen to fish for it Afterwarde the Captaine generall commaunded to weye their Ankors and to followe his course so néere vnto the shore that he might well sée great numbers and store of sundrye beastes which fed along the Riuer that entred into the Sea and also they sawe many people Now going on that sort the Captaine generall did passe vnto Sofala with the which as yet the Pilot was not acquainted and being néere to the same he sawe two Ilandes and right ouer against one of them there was riding at an Ankor two Shippes which as soone as they had discouered our Fléete did beginne to flye awaye towarde the shore And for that the Captaine generall sawe that they fiedde he commaunded to followe them which was done in such sort that our men did ouertake them and tooke some of them prisoners for that they did not defende themselues and concerning the chiefest person that was in these Shippes the Captaine Generall was aduertised that he was the King of Mylyndes néere kinsman and was going from Sofala laden with Golde to Mylynde Who confessed that when they had descryed our Ships they receiued such a feare as though they shoulde bée taken and that therefore they did throwe the most part of theyr Golde into the Sea and they themselues ranne a lande After that all this was done y e Captaine general told him that he was very sory for theyr so great mischance losse in especially for so much as the King of Mylynde was in so great a credite with the King of Portingale his Master which is the occasion that all Portingales are and shall bée alwayes at his commaundement And hauing shewed vnto him great courtesie he commaunded the Shippes to be retourned with all the golde they hadde founde in the same The Moore asked of him whether he had brought with him any Witches that they might with words of inchantment fetch vp such golde as was throwen into the Sea To whom the Captaine generall made aunswere that the Christians doe beléeue in the true God who hath and doth defende them so that they doe not vse nor beléeue in witchcraft and therefore they do not vse the same Of this Moore the Captaine generall was aduertised that he hadde somewhat ouer runne Sofala and for that he would not returne backe he did at this time leaue it and hauing dispatched the Moore followed his course and on the xx of Iuly arriued at Monsanbique where he tooke in his water and a Pilot to carry him to the Ilande of Quiloa toward the which he directed his course running along the Coast In this his voyage he saw sundry profitable Ilands which were belonging to the King of Quiloa which as I haue declared is a great Prince and is Lord from the Cape De las correntes almost vnto Mombassa y e which is welnéere foure hundred leagues of Coast in the which there doe enter the two Ilands that I haue spoken of before ouer and besides Sofala and other sundry Townes vnto Monsanbique and from thence as many more vnto Mombassa with an infinit number of Ilandes that doth yéeld him great rents Notwithstanding as touching his estate it is but small for he is not able to make many men of warre his abode is alwayes in Quiloa in a certaine Ilande which is a hundred leagues beyonde Monsanbique in the Coast of Aethiopia néere to the firme lande the which is verye fertill of Orchardes and Woodes that beare sundry sorts of fruites there are excellent good waters and also they doe ripe great store of Miso and other seedes which they doe sow and there is bred vp in the same great store of small Cattell In those Seas there is great plentie of Fish and that verye good So that what with the victualls that they haue in the lande and what there commeth from other places of the firme land the Citie is plentifully prouided which citie is compassed about with faire gardens on the one side with the sea on the other which causeth the same to shew very pleasant it standeth in ix degrées to the South is also greate and full of people Their houses are made of lime stone in the which there are goodly chambers Their king is a Moore and so are the inhabitants the naturall people of the Countrie are a kinde of blacke people and those that are strangers are white their common language is Algarauia They doe apparell themselues very richly in especiall the women for they carry alwaies vpon them great store of iewels of gold They are great Merchants for their trade is of the gold that commeth from Sofala and from this citie it is dispearsed to all the Countrie of Arabia Felix other places and therfore there resort thether many merchaunts frō other places Ther are alwaies in this port many ships which lyeth alwayes a ground when they haue no néed of thē These ships haue no nailes but are sowed together w t ropes made of Cairo pitched ouer with wildincense for because as in all y t countrie there is no other kind of pitch The winter in this countrie doth begin in Aprill maketh an end in September The Captaine Generall béeing come to the harbour of this Citie and hauing obteined of the king a safe conduct that hée might send him a messenger did send vnto him Alonso Hurtado who went accompanied with seauen of the principals of their ships and that they might shew themselues in more countenaunce authoritie they went in their best apparell Béeing come before the king he represented vnto him the message which the Captaine Generall gaue him which was to signifie vnto him y t he was come thether with y e king of Portingale his Maisters fléete to settle a trade in y e citie to the same end had brought with him great store of merchandise y ◠were conuenient to be spent in y ◠country therfore he was desirous to talk with him therin howbeit y e king his maister did countermand him y t in any wise he shuld not leap a land but make the agréement a sea boord forasmuch as that is the auncient custome which the Captaines doe alwaies obserue in his coūtry
because y t if so be ther shuld chance any misfortūe to their general which is their head immediatly are cast away the rest that are vnder his gouernment To this the king made answere with a good countenance y t he was also desirous to see the Captaine Generall and to speak with him a sea boord since there was no other remedie Alonso Hurtado hauing receiued this answere made y e Captaine Generall priuie therof who y e next day after tarryed for y e king in his boat which was couered ouer set out with flags There did attend vpon him al the rest of y e Captaines in their boates at this present arriued there Sancho de Toar with other two ships The king thus being looked for at the length he came in an Almadia béeing well accompanied with sundrie Gentlemen in other boats lykewise furnished which also were set out with flags and had in them those that sounded vpon trumpets cornets Sagbuts which made a wonderfull great noise Now the king being come where the Captaine Generall was tarrieng for him all his ordinance went of in such sort with such a force that it made the sea to tremble wherwith the king and all his traine forsomuch as they were not accustomed vnto the same were greatly afeard As soone as the ordinaunce went of the king the Captaine General met that with great pleasure And after that the king of Portingales letter was read which was for y ◠setling of a trade in his citie he answered that he was contented therewith did agrée that the next day he should send Alonso Hurtado a land to tell him the sorts of the merchaundise that he had brought with him he wold giue him gold for y e same Vpon this agréement Alonso Hurtado was sent a land the next day following howbeit he found the king far from y e which was agréed vpō with y e captain general y e day before yelding therfore sundry excuses why he could not accōplish his promise in especial for y t he han no néed of his merchandise also for y t he beléeued that y e Captaine generall came thether to take his country from him This sodeine chance was for this cause forsomuch as he was a Moore and wée were christians it gréeued him to haue any conuersation or trade with vs. This being come to y e Captaine generalls knowledge he did as yet tarrye thrée or foure dayes to sée whether y ◠the king wold change any thing of his determination or not howbeit he did nothing alter his mind but rather had our men in iealousie fearing least that he shuld be driuen to do y ◠by force which he was loth to do therfore did fortifie himselfe with many men in a readinesse As soone as the Captaine Generall heard of his dealing he would spend no more time there but departed toward Milinde kéeping alwaies along the coast How the king of Milinde and the Captaine Generall met together and how hee departed afterwards toward Calicut Chap. 31. ON the second day of August he came to an ankor in the port of Mylinde where hée found riding at an ankor thrée ships of y e Moores y e which wer of y t Merchannts of the kingdome of Cambaya but he would not meddle with them although they were laden w t great riches because of y e king of Milinde Being come with al his fléet to an ankor he saluted y e citie w t all his ordinance The king with this sent to visit him sending also vnto him for a present both shéep ducks hens wtout all number besides sundrie sorts of fruits Then y ◠Captain general sent likewise to kisse his hands by one of his fléet also to signifie vnto him y t thether he was come by his Master y e king of Portingales cōmandement to know whether he had any need of this fléet to do him seruice wtall also to certifie him y ◠he had to deliuer vnto him a rich present with a letter the which y e King his master had likewise sent vnto him which he wold send whēsoeuer he wold cōmand y e same with this message y e king shewed himself to be wel pleased cōmanded the messenger to remaine with him that night with whom he talked and spent most part thereof in matters of Portingale And as soone as it was day the king sent by two principall Moores word vnto the Captaine Generall that he was very glad of his comming and also to knowe whether he had néede of anye thing in his countrie which he might commaund as his owne and make as much account thereof while he was there as if he were in Portingale considering the greate good will which hée doth owe vnto the king of Portingale and that in all his affaires he shuld make as much reckoning as of his owne home The Captaine Generall hauing well vnderstood the kings message vpon the same determined to send him the kings letter which hée had brought and also the present which was all the furniture of a Iennet horse which was also both rich gallant And hauing taken his counsel vpon y e same it was agréed vpon to send it and that Aries Correa should haue the cariage thereof forsomuch as hée was the factor of the whole Fleete and also for that hée went for Factor to the king of Calicut and that he should so goe accompanyed with the principalls of the Fléet besides the trumpetors that should goe alwaies sounding before him which was so done The king being informed of y e cōming of Aries Correa sent of the nobles of his Court to receiue him which might the more easilye bée done for that the kings pallaice was hard by the water side and going altogether there were certeine women which by the kings commaundement were tarryeng for their comming with perfuming pans in their hands out of the which there came so excellent a perfume that it did replenish the whole earth therewith And passing after this sorte by these women hée came to the kings pallaice who was sitting in his chaire of estate and accompanyed with many noble mē Gentlemen who also receiued Aries Correa with great honour and pleasure and also the present Afterward he gaue him the letter which was written on both sides on the one side was Portingale the other in the Arabian tongue which the king commanded forthwith to be read which both he and all the nobilitie were very gladde to heare And all they together with a lowde voice gaue God and Mahoma great thanks that they had permitted them to haue friendship w t so great a Prince as y e king of Portingale And also being very wel pleased with the furniture of the Ienet he requested Aries Correa to stay with him whilest the Fléete did there remaine which with the Captaine Generalls license he did during the three daies that he was with
Hurtado his request in giuing the pleadges that were demaunded which being come to the Captaine Generalls knowledge he began to make himselfe in a readinesse to goe and speake with the king and to remaine a land thrée or foure daies apointing in his place Sancho de Toar to whom he gaue commaundement that there shuld be made for those pleadges at their comming aboord good enterteinment and to looke well vnto them and not to deliuer them to any that should come to demaunde them although they came in his name On the xxviii daye of December the Captaine Generall put himselfe in his best apparell and carryed with him thirtie of the principall men of his Fléete which shoulde remaine with him a lande with others that were the kings seruauntes which shoulde attende vppon him as vpon the kings own person Hée commanded also to bée carryed with him all the furniture for his Chamber and Kitchin with his Cupboorde of Plate in the which there were many rich péeces of siluer gilted Nowe béeing with all these thinges in a readynesse to depart there came from the Citie sundry principall Nayres which were commaunded by the king to attende vppon the Captaine Generall accompanyed with manye men besides others that came sounding vppon Trumpets other vppon Sackbuts and other instrumentes The Captaine generall being informed that the King was tarrieng for him in a certaine Galerie which onelye for to receiue him in he had commaunded to be made harde by the water side tooke his boate and went toward the shore beeing accompanied with all the other boats of y e Fléete which went all in good order and set out with manye flagges and trumpets which being ioyned together as wel these as those that came from the Citie made a wonderfull noyse With this came those pledges aboord the Generalls ship into the which they were loath to enter vntill such time that y e Captaine generall did disimbarke himselfe a lande giuing therby to vnderstand that they wer afeard that they being once aboord he would returne againe into the Fléete and so take them for captiues They did stand so much vpon the same that Aries Correa was faine to tell them that without any suspition they might enter into the shippe forsomuch as the Captaine generall was not come thether for to deceiue the King but onely for to get his good will with this they were contented to goe aboorde yet it was with some feare that he would take them captiues In the meane while that we were about this the Captaine generall landed where there was tarrieng for him sundry Caymales and Pymacales and other principall Nayres being accompanied with many others And before that the Captaine generall coulde set his féete on the grounde he was taken vp and put in an Andor or chaire in the which he was carried to the Serame accompanied with the multitude aboue saide Being come to this place he entered into a certaine house where the King was whome he founde in this order The house was hanged ouer with Carpets or as they call them Alcatifas at the ende whereof there was a certaine place where the King was sitting made much lyke vnto a lyttle Chappell and ouer the Kings head did hang the cloth of Estate of vnshorne Crimson veluet and vnder him and about him were twentie cushions of silke The King himselfe was all naked sauing that about his middle he had a cloth made of Cotten which was white as snowe and wrought ouer with golde On his head he had a night cap of cloath of golde which was made of the fashion of an head péece or skull On his eares he had hanging certaine Iewelles of Diamonds Saphyres and Pearles of the which ther was two bigger then Walnuts On his armes from the elbow to the hande he had sundrye Bracelettes of Golde in the which there were precious Sones and that without number and of a wonderfull valewe Moreouer on his legs from the knées downward and on the fingers of his handes and the toes of his feete and especially on his great toe there was a ring in the which there was a Rubie so great and fine that it gaue such a light as was wonderfull amongst al which stones ther was a Diamond bigger then a great Beane But all this was nothing in comparison of his girdell which was made of Golde and Stone that the same was aboue all price and out of it there came such a resplendour or brightnes that it blinded mens eyes to looke vpon it There stoode harde by him a Chaire of Estate of golde and siluer wrought in the best manner full of precious stone and of the selfe same sort was the Andor in the which he was brought from his Pallaice which also stood there Also there were twentie Trumpets whereof seauentéene were of siluer and the other thrée of golde the mouthes whereof were finely wrought and set with stone Also ther was a Bason of golde in the which he did spit and certaine perfuming pans of siluer out of the which ther came an excellent smell And for estate sake ther wer lightned certain Lampes of Oyle which were after the Moores order the which were also made of siluer Sixe paces from the King stood his two brethren which were heires vnto the Kingdome after him and somewhat further off stood many Noble men they all standing vpright vppon theyr féete ¶ Of the meeting of the Captaine generall and the King of Calycut and how there was deliuered vnto him the Kings present which he brought and afterward what hapned Chap. 23. THe Captaine generall béeing entered into this place and viewing the Kings estate wold haue gone to kisse the Kings handes as it is commonly vsed amongst vs but for that he was enformed by those that stoode by that it was not the vse and custome amongst them he did it not Howbeit ther was a Chaire appointed him that was hard by the Princes seate in y ◠which the Captaine generall did sit that from thence he might declare his minde to the King which was the greatest honor that he could giue him Being set downe he deliuered his letter of credite which he brought from the King of Portingale written in the Arabian tongue which béeing read by the King y e Captaine generall also told his message the effect wherof was this That y e King of Portingale was desirous of his friendship to settle a Factorie in Calycut in the which there shoulde be sufficient of all kinde of Merchandize that should be spent there in trucke of the same or for ready mony he requested that he would let him haue sufficient lading of spices for those ships there The King shewed himselfe to be content with this Embassage aunswered the Captaine generall that he wold yéeld the King of Portingale out of his Citie all that he shoulde haue néede of While they two were in this talke came thether the present which the Captaine generall
had brought in the which wer these péeces a Bason of siluer and gylt wrought a fountaine to the same a Cuppe with his couer gylt of the same worke two Masses of siluer foure Cushions two of them of cloath of golde and other two of Crimson Veluet vnshorne a Cloath of Estate of Golde being welted and garded with the selfe same Golde and of Crimson veluet a verye fine Carpet two clothes of Arras the which were very rich the one with figures and the other with gréene workes Of this present and of the Embassage which the Captaine generall had done vnto him as it appered the King was very glad and tolde the Captaine generall that he might goe to his lodging to rest himselfe or els to his ships as he would himselfe for that he thought necessary to send for his Pledges which are Gentlemen and daintely brought vp and could not awaye with the Sea to tarry there longer And whilest they were ther he was assured that they would neither eate nor drinke for such was their custome And if fo be that the Captaine generall wold goe to his ships and come the next day againe to make full agréement and consent about the order of the trade in Calicut he would then send those Pledges againe The Captaine generall hauing good confidence in those his wordes went to his ships leauing behinde him with his stuffe Alonso Hurtado with other seauen And being at the water side ready to departe a seruaunt of one of those Pleadges went before aboord in a small Pinnace and tolde them that the Captaine generall did retourne aboorde this messenger was sent by the commaundement of the Clearke and Controller of the Kings house as who shoulde saye to giue them counsayle to come their waye which they did as soone as they heard what the slaue had tolde them in their language and with that they leapt into the Sea thinking to take that Pinace in the which the slaue went As soone as Aries Correa saw this he leapt into his owne boate which was harde by the ships side with certaine of his Marriners and rowing with force tooke two of the Pledges and also thrée or foure of those that wore in the Pinace the other fled and carried the Catuall with them which was also one of the Pledges This being concluded the Captaine generall came aboord who after that he had knowen what had passed because that those Pledges the which he had in his custodie should not returne and 〈◊〉 their waye he commaunded them to be put vnder the hatches of his ship and afterward sent to complain to the King of that which they had done laieng all the fault vpon the Clarke Controller Also he sent worde after what sort they remained in his ship promising that if so be y t he wold send him his stuffe such of his men as remained a land he would immediatly sende those Pleadges which he had and for that it was night there was no more at that time done The next daye following the King came to the water side accompanyed 〈◊〉 xii thousand men and sent with the Captaine Generalâ— stuffe and men to the number of thirtie Almadias for that they might returne with those Pledges that did remaine aboord howbeit for all that they were so many yet there durst none of them come néere the ships for the feare they stoode in of our men which remained in the Fléete least they wold take them and so they returned with the same againe to land The Captaine Generall séeing the feare that they stood in of his Fléete sent the next daye in certaine of his owne boates those Pledges that he had in custodie commaunding that they should goe and sée them deliuered somwhat aloofe of from the fléet that brought him his men and stuffe And while they were deliuering the same Araxamenoca which was the eldest of the Pledges leaped into the water vppon a sodaine with intent to runne away but for all that he could not escape forsomuch as our men caught handefast of him The other that remained whilest our men were thus busied fled lykewise The lyke did Alonfo Hurtado practise with fiue of those that wer with him The Captaine generall meruailed to see how little honestie or truth they vsed did therefore commaund Araxamenoâ—a to be well looked vnto And being thrée dayes past and yet the King not sending for him he had pittie to see him that in so many dayes he had eaten nothing and thervpon he sent him to the King also he sent sundry weapons which were taken of his mens and requested him to send the other two of his men that were yet a land which the King did sende béeing moued therevnto more for shame then otherwise for that he had broken his word promise Now being thrée dayes past and there came no kinde of aunswere vnto the Captaine generall thereby he had sufficient tryall or vnderstanding how variable he was and therefore he woulde tarrye no longer for his aunswere but sent vnto him to knowe whether he wold make an end of the agréement y t was begun betwéene them and for the conclusion of the same hée would sende Aries Correa which came with him for Factor Howbeit for the better assuraunce therof he willed him to send him certaine Pledges This message was sent 〈◊〉 King by a certaine Gentleman called Francisco Correa which did offer himself to carry the same when all the rest of the Fléete was afeard least that the King woulde take him prisoner or command him to be slaine To this message y e king made answere y t he was well pleased to agrée to haue the Trade setled and that he shoulde sende vnto him Aries Correa about the same or whom els he should thinke good But first of all he tolde him that he woulde sende two Nephewes of one Gosarate which is a great rich Merchaunt for pledges which indéed was so done After that those pledges were entred immediately departed toward the land Aries Correa to whom the King commaunded to be giuen a faire house to lye and rest himselfe and to lay his Merchandize in which he brought with him which house belonged to Gosarate who was Grandfather to those two Pledges that the king had sent But he commanded that forasmuch as Aries Correa was yet not well knowen in the Countrey nor acquainted with their orders prices how he might sel his Merchandize nor yet what the buyer shuld giue to instruct him therein But he did not so but rather cleane contrarye forasmuch as he was a friend to y e Moores of Meca which were great enimies vnto our men not onelye for that they were Christians but for feare least that for our cause they shuld loose part of ther credit which they had in Calicut by meanes wherof they tooke their Merchandize for what price so euer they would themselues And also for the feare they conceiued of them many times the Gentiles durst not
so be that he minded so to doe it shall be with the King of Calycut for that he had broken the peace he had made with him onely out of that ship he tooke a Pilot for to safeconduct him till he had past the gulfe And he being in the same vnder saile on a certaine night which was the xii of February they lost the ship of Sancho de Toar which in a storme that rose sodainly vpon them being hard by the shore side violentlye they ranne vpon it by meanes whereof there was kindled in the same a great fire so that nothing was saued but onely the men Following their course in this tempest they past by Mylynde onely for that they could not take harbor there nor on any other land but only Monsanbique which he tooke in his waye as well for the want they had of water as also to new rig their ships for y t they went all open In the meane while he sent Sancho de Toar to discouer Sofala and from thence to retourne towarde Portingale with relation thereof The shippes béeing all in a readinesse they returned toward the Cape Buena esperansa and ther by reason of another great storme that ouertooke them there was shot out of a ship a great péece of Ordinaunce which ship was neuer séene after in all that voyage After so many great and cruell stormes and other great daungers which are innumerable to write of he past the foresaid Cape the xxii of May which fell on Whitsundaye and so following their course came to an Ankor at Cabo Verde where he found Diego Dias whose company he had lost before when as he went toward the Indias who was driuen into the red Sea where he did winter and lost his boate and where also dyed the most part of his men and for that his Pilot durst not venture to carry them to the Indias did return toward Portingale And so after that he came out of the red Sea what with hunger thirst and othe diseases all his men were consumed sauing seauen persons wherein God of his great goodnesse shewed a miracle forsomuch as in many dayes before they were not able to gouerne their sailes for that they were so féeble and weake The Captain generall séeing that ther came no more ships departed towards Lishborne wherevnto he came the last daye of Iuly in the yeare of our Lord 1501. And after that he was arriued in came the ship which shot off the péece of Ordinaunce in the storme before that he doubled the Cape Buena esperansa and after him came also Sancho de Toar who went to discouer Sofala and made relation thereof to be a small Iland standing hard to the firme lande and that it was inhabited by blacke men which are called Caâ—res and that out of the firme lande there commeth much golde where as they say there are mynes thereof And for that cause there goe out of the Indias thether many Moores that receiue the same in trucke of Merchandize of small valew Moreouer he brought with him a Moore which was giuen him in pawne of one of his men which he sent into y e firme land for to view the same This Moore gaue large information thereof as héereafter I shall declare With this last ship there did returne vnto Portingale of twelue that went for the Indias onely sixe the other sixe were lost ¶ How Iohn de la Nueuâ— went for Captaine general of the third Fleet that was sent to the Indias what hee did after his arriuall there how from thence he returned toward Portingale Chap. 42. IN this yeare of our Lord 1501. the King of Portingale supposing that all contention and strife in Calycut was finished that y e trade was setled as well there as in Quiloa and Sofala and for that he had sent the selfe same yeare for that purpose one Pedro Aluares therefore he thought best not to send any more then 3. ships a Caruell of y e which two caried Merchandize to Sofala the other two to Calycut Of this Fléete he made Generall one called Ioan de la Nueua born in Galyzia this charge was giuen him for y t he was accoÌ„pted to be a valyant Gentleman moreouer Francisco de Nauoys Diego Barboso Hernando de la pyna war appointed for his captains Ther went in this Fléet no more then lxxx men That which the king had giuen him in commandement to do was this that in his way he should touch at the Ilande of S. Blaze And being come thether if it should to chaunce that he shoulde finde missing any of his ships that then he should there remaine ten dayes and from thence he should depart toward Sofala and being there if so be that ther were setled a Factorie to discharge the Merchandize the which were appointed for that place From the which he might haue recourse vnto the Indias And if so be that he found not all thing so that then he should trauell with all diligence and as much as in him lay to settle the same before he should goe from thence which being finished that then he should leaue for Factor of that place Aluoro de Braga with all such Merchandize as wer appointed which went in the Caruell FroÌ„ thence he shuld go for Quiloa after y t he had bene ther he shuld kéepe his right course toward Calicut And if so bée that he shuld finde ther as yet Pedro Aluares to know whether he stand in any néed of him that he shuld obey him as his general wil him to settle a factory in Sofala if it were not done alredy This general being departed froÌ„ Lishborn he came safely to y e Iland of S. Blaze wherin a branch of a trée was fouÌ„d a shoe in y e same was a letter which made mention y e Pedro de Tayde captain of y e fléet of Pedro Aluares Cabral which was hound to Portingale was past by and so making further relation what had chanced vnto him in Calycut and of the good entertainment they had in Coching where as then did remaine some of our men and also how the King of Cananor shewed himselfe very curteous This as it appeared was written by Pedro de Tayde to aduertise all such Captaines as should passe by to Calycut The Captaine generall with the other Captaines perusing this letter did then determine y t it was not requisit to leaue the Caruell in Sofala for that they had but few men which was not aboue foure score And with this they thought it conuenient to go to Quiloa where they founde a banished man whom Pedro Aluares had left there who likewise informed the Generall what Pedro Aluares had past in Calicut the which he had learned of certaine Moores and also of the ships that he had lost From thence he went to Mylinde where he talked with the King which tolde him as much more as the banished man had done
Mylynde where hée staide to take in his water and to sée the king and from thence he kepte his course towarde the Indias and at the mount Dely he met with a ship of the Moores of Meca that was bound to Calycut which was taken by our men for that they did defende themselues verie stoutlye The shippe béeing rendered the Captaine Generall went a boorde the same where he commaunded to come before him the owners thereof and all the principallest Moores that were more there He willed them also to bring with them all such kinde of merchaundise as they had threatening them that if they did it not he woulde cause them to be throwen into the sea They aunswered him that they had nothing for that all theyr goods were in Calycut The Captaine Generall shewed himselfe to bée offended with that aunswere and did therefore commaunde one of them to be throwne into the sea bound hand and foot The others with the feare they had conceiued to sée this punishment did deliuer all that they had which was much and that very good merchaundise which was immediatly commaunded to be deliuered vnto Diego Hernando Correa that went for Factor to Coching and so he gaue order that the same should be carryed a boorde another shippe All the children which were a boorde the sayde shippe were carryed aboorde the Generall for that he had made promise to make them all Friers and to place them in our Ladyes Church of Belem as afterwarde he did The rest of the merchaundise which were of the meaner sorte and of small value hée gaue the spoyle of them to his men The shippe béeing vnladen of the goods commaundement was giuen to Steuen de la Gama to set the same a fire This was done after that the Moores were driuen vnder the Hatches to reuenge the death of those that were slaine in Calycut This shippe béeing sette a fire by the foresayde Steuen de la Gama and other two they leaped then into their Boates leauing the shippe burning The Moores that were within the same after that they perceyued the Shippe to burne did breake open the hatches by meanes whereof they were set at libertie and with the water the ship had within it did quench the fire The Captain Generall séeing this forthwith commaunded Steuen de la Gama to goe once more and laye the same aboorde to the which he went with sundry of his men with their wepons Howbeit the Moores did defende themselues as desperate men not fearing death Some there were of them that tooke firebrands and threw the same into one of the ships with determination to set the same a fire Others y ◠threw the like at their heads And for that the night drew on they left them there because the Captaine Generall was not of that minde they should remaine there in the darke for feare least the Moores should kill some of our men Howbeit he gaue commaundement that the foresaid shippe shoulde be watched that the Moores shoulde not runne to lande which was hard by The Moores all that night did nothing else but crie out to Mahoma to succour and deliuer them from vs. The dawning of the day béeing come the Captaine Generall commaunded once more that Steuen de la Gama with some of the Marriners of his shippe should goe and lay the Moores ship a boord and set the same a fire againe which was so done Now after that he hadde made the Moores to flie and to ioyne themselues in the poope of their ship fighting alwaies with them notwithstanding the which certeine of his Marriners and Gunners would not leaue them vntill such time the ship was halfe burnt When the Moores sawe the fire some there were that leaped into the sea with hatchets in their hands which they carried swimming with determination to kill all those that did pursue them with boats whom lyke wild men desperately bent they did set vppon Yet for all that there were many that were hurt for that they came néere to our boates side Howebeit the most parte of them was slaine and those that remained in the Shippe were drowned within the same for that the ship did sinke There were of them in all thrée hundred whereof there was not one that did escape and of our men there were some that were hurt How the Captaine Generall made peace and friendship with the king of Cananor and afterwarde departed toward Calycut Chap. 45. FRom hence went the Captaine Generall to Cananor and being come thether to an ankor he sent y e Embassador which he brought with him for the king who told him that he was come and that his desire was to speake with him The king héerevpon commaunded to be made a bridge of Timber which entered into the water as farre as it was possible The same was couered ouer with Carpets and other rich clothes and vpon it toward the lande side was framed a house lykewyse made of timber couered ouer as the bridge afore sayd which was made for the méeting of the king and the Captaine Generall The king beeing the first that was come came accompanyed with ten thousand Nayres and with many Trumpets and other instrumentes which went sounding and playeng before him After that the king was entered into this house there were placed the Nayres on the Bridge those that were appointed to receiue the Captaine Generall Who standing there anone came the Generall in his Boate accompanied with all the Boates of the fléete béeing richly couered ouer and set out with theyr Flagges besides that they carryed certeine Ordinaunce in the proer of theyr Boates. Also there were many Drummes and Trumpets with them and with shooting of the Ordinance the Captaine Generall disimbarked himselfe being accompanied with all his Captaines and with sundry of his men which went all armed fléet in his port or harbour by y e which he feared to receiue There were carried before him two great Basons of siluer and gilt which were to wash his hands in couered ouer with fine péeces of Corall and other fine things which they doe greatly estéeme in the Indias the Nayres viewing the same did meruaile to sée the delicatnesse of our men With this the king came as farre forth to receiue the captaine generall as the gate of his place where he imbraced him and afterwarde they returned together to the place from whence the king came forth where the Captaine generall had commaunded to be set a couple of chaires vpon the which although it was not the kings custome to sit yet he did at that time for the Captaine Generalls sake At this present was concluded the friendship betwéene the king of Portingale and him so that immediatly after that the Factorie was setled in Coching minding to doe the lyke in Cananor where as soone as the same was done he wold lade certeine of his shippes and after all this the Captaine Generall departed toward Calycut How the Captaine Generall came to
the port of Calycut and what hee did there Chap. 46. FRom hence the Captaine Generall béeing come to the harbour of Calycut afore they were knowne did take certaine Paraos in the which were to the number of fiftye Malabars that could not escape The Captaine Generall would not at the first comming doe the citie any hurt with his ordinaunce vntill such time he hadde séene whether the king woulde send him any messenger or not And tarrieng for the same there came a boorde him a boate with a Flag in the same in the which there was a Frier of the order of Saint Fraunces whome after that our men had sight of him they iudged to be one of those that were in the company of Aries Correa remained captiue This frier being entred into the ship said Deo gracias by the same he was knowne to be a Moore howbeit to excuse himselfe he said that he came after that sort that they might the rather consent vnto his comming a boorde being sent with a message from the king to the Captaine Generall about the setteling of a trade in Calicut Vnto this the Captaine generall made aunswere commaunding him not to speake thereof vntill such time the king had satisfied him for all that he had taken in the Factory when he consented to the death of Aries Correa and the others that were with him In this matter they spent three daies with messages to fro without anye conclusion for that the Moores did withstande the same The Captaine general perceiuing y t all these delaies were but lies to spend the time he sent him then word that hée minded not to tarrie for answere any longer then noone the same to be with effect and to complie with him or else he would make him most cruell warre with fire swoord and that forthwith he wold begin it vpon such his subiects as he had taken prisoners And because the king should not thinke them to be words onely he commaunded to bring him a running glasse of an houre and therevppon he tolde the Moore that went with the message that of those Glasses there should runne so many and as soone as they were ended without any further delay he would commaund all that to be done which he had sent him word off But all this could not moue the king to performe anye thing that he had promised he was so inconstant and giuen to change with euerye vaine saieng of the Moores and the outward shew that hée made of peace was but feigned by reason of the feare hée had conceiued in himselfe to sée so greate a fléet in his port or harbour by the which he feared to receiue great losse whereof the Moores did assure him the contrarye which was the occasion that he kepte no promise Vpon this the Captaine generall as soone as the time was come commaunded to bée shotte off a péece which was the signe he gaue to the other Captaines to commaund those Malabars to bée hanged which were departed amongst the Fléete After that they were executed he commaunded their féete and handes to bée out off which were throwne into a Parao and sent a shoare with two Boates well armed and a Letter for the king of Calycut written in the Arabian tongue in y e which hée signified vnto him y t in such manner he would paye him for all his faigned lyes which he had spoken vnto this present And as for his kinges goods which he did deteine in his hands he woulde recouer them a hundred folde After all this he gaue commandement that in the night there shuld be brought thrée ships as néere to the shoare as they could that the next day without ceasing there should be shot all the great Ordinaunce that they had at the Citie with the which there was great hurt done besides the kings house which was ouerthrown therewith and sundrie other houses of the principall inhabitaunts This being done he departed towarde Coching leauing to kéepe that Coast sixe shippes which were well appointed of the which was named for Captaine Generall one called Vincente Sodre to remaine with them in the Indias that therewith he might goe and discouer the straights of Meca and the coast of Cambaia How the Captaine Generall came to Coching and what he did there also how the king of Calycut sent to traine him thether for that there hee would traiterously haue taken him and last of all he wrote a Letter to the king of Coching Chap. 47. THe Captaine generall béeing come to the Port or Harbour of Coching when y ◠king had notice thereof hée sent him before hee came a land certaine Pleadges to remaine in the ship for his assurance And afterward he came in person and met him In this visitation the King did delyuer vnto him Steuen Gyl with all the others that remained in his Countrey and in recompence of that the Captaine generall deliuered him a letter which the King of Portingale had sent him rendring vnto him most hartie thankes for the good will he alwaies shewed to Pedro Aluares Cabral and that he was well pleased and contented to haue a Factory setteled in Coching Also there was deliuered vnto him a Present which y e King his Master had sent him which was a rich Crowne of gold full of Iewells a Cholar of golde all inameld two Fountaines of siluer wrought two Arras clothes of Imagery worke a costly Pauilion a péece of crimson Satten and another of Sendall all which y e King did receiue with great pleasure And for y t he vnderstood not wherefore euery of these things serued he requested to be informed of the same And therefore the Captaine generall commaunded the Pauilion or Tent to be armed in the which was concluded a further peace Also he gaue him a house to settle therein the Factorie Moreouer the price was agréed vpon how he would deliuer the Spices Drugs that were gathered in his country of all these things ther was a contract made set down which was confirmed by the King And for a further assurance therof the King of Coching sent to the King of Portingale a Present which was two Bracelets of golde set with stones a towell which the Moores doe vse of cloath of siluer which was two yeards a halfe of length two great péeces of linnen Cloth which they doe call Bengala made of Cotten wooll which was excellent fine a stone of the bignes of a walnut which they doe take out of the head of a beast they call the same in the Indias Bulgoldolf of the which there are but few found and these are good against all poyson The house in the which they determined to settle their Factorie being graunted possession thereof was immediately taken by Diego Hernandus and other two which were Notaries the one was called Lorenso Moreno the other Aluoro vas with others Whiles the Captaine generalls ship was taking in of his lading there came a
newlye rigged they departed And within seauen dayes after there fell a great leake in the ship y t Lewis Cotine was in for that it was in such a place that they could not come by it they were therefore driuen with all the Fléete to retourne to Monsanbique to new rigge the same Now the winde was scant they were faine to remaine in a certeine créeke vntill she was finished and afterwarde they retourned to their voyage and at the Cape of the Correntes they were so ouertaken with stormes which came sodeinly and with such a force vpon them and that against them that they were forced to stay there with all the Fléete The ship that Steuen de la Gama went in did beare vp onely with her fore saile and his sprit Saile all to torne by reason wherof he lost the companie of the whole Fléete and was no more séene And within sixe dayes after that the Captaine Generall arriued at Lishborne shée came in also with her Mast broken This storme being past from this Cape of the Currents the Captaine Generall followed his course toward Lishborne where he arriued the first day of September All the noble men of the Court went as farre as Cascaes to receiue and accompanie him till he came to the king He had going before him his Page which carryed a Bason of siluer within the same was layde all the tribute which the king of Quiloa had paide Béeing come where the king was his grace honourably receiued him according as he did deserue who had done him so great seruice as it was to discouer the Indias and to leaue setled Factoryes in Coching and in Cananor which things must néeds redound vnto the king to most certeine gaine and profit besides the great fame and honour which he got therby in being the first king that had sent to discouer the East partes whereof he might make conquest if so be that it pleased him So in satisfaction the king made him Admerall of the Indias and also gaue him the title of Lord of Vydeguero which was his owne Of the newes that were giuen out in Coching how the king of Calycut put himselfe in a readinesse for the warres and how Vincente Sodre wold not succour him but went to the cape of Quardafum Chap. 50. AS soone as the king had knowledge that y e Captaine general was departed toward Portingale he immediatly determined to put his warres in execution which he had signified to y e king of Coching before And so he marched toward the village of Panane where he beganne to ioyne his power which was immediatly knowne vnto all those of Coching for that it was not far of Wherfore the dwellers there were wonderfully afeard saieng that they had cause so to be for that the king of Coching did all things contrarie to iustice and equitie And since he did the same vnto those that are of his sect and all most naturally borne with him why should he not doe the like vnto the christians which are our enimies And for that God doth well perceiue the iust quarrell the king of Calycut hath to make him warres that he will therefore aide and succour him therein vpon the charges of those that are innocents thereof This they did not onelye tell our men but also in euery place they railed at them and endeauoured to procure as much hurt as they coulde against them Some of them also that were in credite with the king and ought vs no great good will did openlye saye that if so bée that the king of Calycut did come with a greater power then they hadde they would immediatlye deliuer our men vnto him since the warres were begunne in respect of vs and for our sakes they did put in hazarde the losse of their kingdome The king meruailing much of the boldnesse of his subiects aunswered them with louing wordes saieng that they had offended him verie sore with theyr vaine speach assuring them that if so bee that the king of Calycut woulde come and séeke him out yet hée woulde notwithstanding defende himselfe onely for that hée well knoweth that God will fauour him for his iust dealing in defending those christians as he had taken vppon him to doe But for all this his subiects coulde not bée well pacified whereof some were desirous to set vppon our men but yet they durst not for that the king had allowed them a gard to attend vppon them and also appointed a strong place for their lodging Vpon this there came newes that Vincente Sodre was come to Coching who had left greate hurt done along the coast of Calicut both by water and by land Of whose comming all our men were very glad for that they were before in great daunger But the Factor perceiuing that they came not a land sent the Captaine generall word by Laurenco Moreno the certeintie they heard of the warres which the king of Calycut was minded to make vppon the king of Coching and where hée was at that present in a readinesse for the same Requesting him on his behalfe and requiring him in the name of the king of Portingale that he woulde forthwith disimbarke himselfe for that with his béeing in Coching they were certein they should remaine conquerours yéelding sufficient reason for the same otherwise that they were in greate daunger The Generall aunswered that he was appointed for Captaine Generall of the Sea and not of the lande and did therefore remaine in the Indias onelye to kéepe the seas Neuerthelesse if so bée that the king of Calycut had prepared his warres against the king of Coching by sea he would haue defended him but since it was by lande he had nothing to doe withall but to suffer the king to defend himselfe for that he would depart to discouer the redde Sea The Factor vpon this determinate answere did once more send vnto him requiring him on Gods behalfe and the king of Portingales that he would not leaue them so for that the king of Cochings power was but small to defend himselfe withall in these warres against the king of Calicut who had begun the same onely and for none other cause but to destroy our Factorie And therfore he as Captaine Generall of the king of Portingale was bound for to defend him and that this was the principall cause why he remained in the Indias But for all this the General would not tarrie and so he departed with the rest of his Fléet toward the Cape de Quardafum where he did well knowe that he shoulde take sundrye rich prises This was that which he did better remember then to stay and defend the king of Coching or the king of Portingales Factorie How the king of Calicut signified vnto his noble men all such as did assist him the causes why he made this warre against the king of Coching And how the Prince Nabeadarni was hee that onely spake against the same chap. 50. AFter that the king of Calycut
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
thing with such shame as thou demaundest And if so be that thou hast vsed to accustome thy selfe to such deceiptes so it is I did neuer vse the same nether yet will I accustome my selfe so to doe Touching the Christians or any part of their goods make thou no reckoning for that I doe minde to defende the same Therefore to bée short sende me no more messengers With this aunswere was the King of Calycut so offended that he sware he woulde destroye all and reuenge himselfe vppon the King of Coching And therefore foorthwith hée departed from Repelyn the last daye of March and entered into the Lande of the King of Coching in the which he did no hurt for that the Lordes of that soyle were all in his fauour And on the seconde daye of Aprill beeing come néere vnto this Foorde where Naramuhin was intrenched some of the King of Calycuts Captaynes had great hope through the multitude of theyr men which they had with them to giue the onset with determination to passe the Foorde but it was so manfullye defended that they retired with the losse of many Whervpon the King of Calycut tooke this for an ill beginning but for all that after that hée had pitched his Campe he sent the next daye the Lorde of Repelyn with as manye more men as there was the daye before and sundrye Paraos by water supposing that then he woulde passe ouer this Foorde But it chaunced farre otherwise and they mist at that time of theyr purpose for that Naramuhin as yet did valyauntlye defende the same with a stout courage At this present were with him Laurenso Moreno with other more our men which shewed themselues lyke valyaunt Gentlemen as before time they hadde done in diuers other Battayles which the aforesayde Prince Naramuhin hadde with his Enimies in the which hée had alwayes the victorye with the losse of many of their men When the King of Calycut perceiued his losse and béeing now as hée euer was inconstant and fearefull hée euen repented himselfe that euer hée did beginne these warres For he thought that immediately vpon his comming to this Foord he should haue passed the same Wherefore he sent againe another messenger to the King of Coching that hée foorthwith should send vnto him those Christians who answered that since he would not delyuer them before time when as he had occasion somwhat to feare his power what shall he thinke he would doe now when he hath the aduantage But he aduertised him to looke well vnto himselfe for that now he would not be contented onely with defending his Countrey but hoped to giue him y e ouerthrow which indéed had taken effect if so be that his vntrue subiects had not forsaken him With this aunswere the King of Calycut remained in some feare and indéed without any hope of victory if so be that it had not bene for his owne souldiers which gaue him councell to send to ouerun certaine townes of Coching which lay hard thereabouts he would haue left the warres Which had the sooner bene finished if Naramuhin had not bene driuen to send to succour those Townes with some of his men The king thought y e by this meanes remaining there but with the fewer his strength shoulde be thereby diminished But this pollicie was preuented by Naramuhin who had a meruailous forecast to foresée such innouations And for all this he furnished all places where it was requisite in such sort as though himselfe had bene there present And notwithstanding all this the King of Calycut lost manye of his men How Naramuhin Prince of Coching was slaine by treason which the King of Calycut practised and also how the King of Coching receiued the ouerthrowe and was driuen to go to Vaypin for succour and caried with him all our men Chap. 54. THE king of Calicut séeing that his Captains could not passe through that forde to encounter with Naramuhyn he forthwith practised how he might passe the same by some pollicie For the which intent he secretly vsed conference with the paye maister of those Nayres which Naramuhyn had in his campe and agreed vpon this that there should be no paiment sent to the Campe as before he was wont to send daily but that they should go to Coching to receiue the same there And for his reward that he should consent thervnto he sent him a great present By this meanes therefore Naramuhyn remaining alone and vnfurnished his enimyes might passe the sayd ford the better This being agréed vpon the payemaister according to his promise sent worde to the Captaine that all such Nayres as were in wages with the king of Coching should come and fetch their wages for that hée could not send it them as before time The Nayres hauing license of Naramuhym he charged them to retourne afore day who promised him so to doe howbeit they coulde not come for that their paiment was delaied till it was broad day and thus whilest they were in Coching the king of Calicut entered the ford with his whole power both by lande and by sea and with much ordinance and the whilest that Naramuhim remained thus alone the king of Calicuts power grew to be greater then euer it was before Then gaue he the onset at the which Naramuhin was driuen to retire vnto certeine Palme trées where ioyned vnto him all his men that he had left he cast them into one squadron which being as they were but few did oftentimes break the aray of their enimies with the which there were many slaine But as Naramuhins power was but small so they were compassed round about And after that he had done manye notable acts he was ouerthrowne both he and two cousins of his which ther also very valiant gentlemen with sundry others Thus was he and all his slaine which remained in the field The king of Calycut would not followe the chase of those that ranne awaie for that it was night for so long the battaile indured Ther were many of the enimies slaine also This newes béeing brought to the king of Coching hée was therewith a while as it were beside himselfe and almost of euery man taken for dead in especial of our men that were present Those Nayres that were our mens kéepers made no account of them for that they had inough to doe to succour the king When this ouerthrow was spread abroade partly for the ill will which they ought our men they sayde that they were the cause of Naramuhins death and the others that the king was not able to deliuer them from death With this the king returned to himselfe and began to wéepe and spake sundry wordes which our men did not vnderstand for that his remembrance was as it were taken from him so that being hard by him hée sawe vs not but at length he asked for vs with that our men drew néere toward him who made vs also to wéepe onely to sée him in that agonie And being
fully come vnto himselfe he willed them in anye case not to feare neither yet to doubt that this mischance should haue any such power as to make him chaunge from that which he hadde alwayes promised For which words they would haue kissed his hands but he would not consent therevnto and hearing the sturre that his men made against ours he sayd vnto them NOw that Fortune doth shew her selfe froward against me I had thought that as true friends and louing subiects ye wold haue trauelled to giue me héerein some comfort But ye are desirous to followe and serue the king of Calycut which as often as I doe remember it doubleth my paine for the death of the Prince my brother and my Cousins and since you also are against the Christians whome I haue so oftentimes in commended vnto you you doe well knowe that it will bée much more griefe vnto mée that they at your handes shoulde receiue anye hurt then I haue alreadie receiued for the death of my kinsmen since they lyke true subiectes dyed in my defence and you are desirous to persecute those whome I haue receiued vnder my protection and such as remaine with mée for my comfort It were a harde matter for me to perswade my selfe that this ouerthrowe happened vnto mée for dooing vnto these men as I ought to doe Doe you not iudge so for I will not beléeue that they were the cause neither yet for that I doe fauour them therefore God doth fauour the king of Calycut against mée It is not so but for that I haue offended him otherwise I am very glad that there hath béene this occasion giuen that I might receiue condigne punishment and that the King of Calicut might bée the onelye executor of his iustice And that also for all other offences that I haue done I might bée punished by him in séeking my destruction the rather for that I doe kéepe my promise with these Christians in especiall béeing as wée bée so much bounde vnto them Therefore weie well this cause and let it not sinke into your mindes that for vsings clemencie to these Christians and for defending them I receiue this punishment neither yet that the King of Calycut hath power to ouerthrowe my power which I canne make and destroye me altogether although that nowe hée driueth mée out of Coching The Fléete of the Christians will not tarrye long and then the Generall will restore vnto mée againe my Kingdome In the meane space lette vs goe to the Ilande of Vaypin which is strong and for that the Winter is at hande I trust in God wée shall escape the King of Calicut And since my losse is farre more then yours I comfort my selfe with this requesting you to doe the lyke not to be an occasion to renue my troubles with this your mutinie They séeing the greate constancie of theyr King meruailed much thereat and immediatlye did quiet themselues and promised him that they would do that which hée had commaunded and so they did The constancie of y e king was so great that whereas once more the king of Calycut sent him word that if so be that he would deliuer our men vnto him he would presently leaue the warres yet he wold not consent therevnto but sent him word againe that since that he had gotten the victorie more by treason then by valiantnesse for if so be that valure had bene vsed his brother and cousins had not died but they were betraied by those that faine would kill him also He did not passe for Coching it selfe but hoped that those Christians which he looked for euery day who restore him vnto it again likewise reuēge his quarrell This aunswere being come to the king of Calycut he commaunded to destroye the whole countrie with fire and swoord which commaundement being once known the feare was so great amongst the inhabitants of Coching that the most part of them ranne away with them went two Milanesis which were Lapidaries that remained with the Factor which vpon the King of Portingale commaundement were brought thether by Vasco de la Gama the one of these was called Ioan Marya and the other Pedro Antonio Those did discouer vnto the king of Calycut the feare that the dwellers of Coching were in of him how that dayly they came awaie They also did offer the king to make him ordinance and afterward they made him some as it shall appeare in the sequeale of the historie The king of Calycut made verie much of this Milanesis gaue them greate rewards to the ende therby he might winne them to make him more ordinance and hauing certein knowledge how few people were left in Coching what feare those that remained were in and how few men the king had to defend himselfe he put his men in a readinesse to take the same The king of Coching carrieng some of our men in his companie went to méet with the king of Calycut wheras that daie he behaued himselfe that it was wonder to sée Neuerthelesse for all that the enimies being verye many and the king somewhat hurt he was faine to retire and for that he durst not tarrie another battaile he therefore repaired vnto another Iland called Vaypin which is right ouer against Coching and is verie strong to the which he carried with him all our men and all the Factorie so that there was nothing lost The Citie béeing thus disinhabited the king of Calycut commaunded the same to be setts a fire After this he sent his men to enter the Ilande of Vaypin which for that our men and others did defend it with greate valour and for that the Winter was at hand and stormes of foule weather did beginne the king of Calycut was driuen of force to giue ouer and to leaue the warres and so went to Grangalor with determination to returne vpon the same Ilande at the spring For the which cause he commaunded to be made manye trenches about Coching and left many of his men to kéepe the same How Vincente Sodre and Blas Sodre were cast awaie at Curia Muria and what the other Captaines did afterward chap. 55. VIncente Sodre with his Fléete béeing departed from the harbour of Coching without hauing any respect to succour the king or those that remained in the Factorie but woulde needes goe towarde the kingdome of Cambaia to take such rich ships of the Moores as come from y e red sea to Calycut Vpon the same coast he tooke by y ◠helpe of other Captains fiue ships in the which onely in ready money there was found two hundred thousand Perdaos The most part of the Moores wer slaine in the battaile and their ships burnt From thence he kept his course toward certein Ilands called Curia Muria which stood a seaboord the Cape of Quardafum where hée thought good to bring his ships a ground which were all open He arriued there the twentéeth of Aprill in the yere of our Lord.
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
Portingale Portingale and all those that were with him did the lyke Our men also out of their boates did aunswere after the selfe same manner saieng Coching Coching in despite of the King of Calycut As Francisco de Albuquerque did leape a land the King of Coching was there ready and tooke him in his armes with the teares in his eyes for excéeding ioye saying that his desire was to lyue no longer but to see himselfe restored to Coching that his Subiectes might well perceiue how much he was bound to passe so great troubles as hée had past all for to serue the King of Portingale In whose name the Captaine generall gaue him great thankes with promise to reuenge his quarrell vpon his enimies And for his part he gaue him ten thousand crownes to spend during the time that he did not receiue his rents and this money was taken out of the Coffer he carried which gift y e king of Coching estéemed very much for that he was very poore Also his subiects iudged this to be done right liberally as it was noted amongst them all and from thencefoorth they thought all to be well bestowed that the King had done for our men Foorthwith they carried the King to Coching where he entered with great glorye besides the reioycing which his subiects made and from thenceforth all our men were amongst them well estéemed Now it was not long after that the newes how that the King was retourned to Coching was brought to the King of Calycuts cares and of the money that the Captaine generall had giuen him who seeing that there was likelyhood of wars sent certain Caymales into his Countrey to defend the same for that it ioyned vnto the kingdome of Coching How Francisco de Alburquerque began the warres against all those that were enimies to the king of Coching and how the Caymall of the Ilande of Charanaypin was slaine Chap. 57. THe King of Coching being put in his possesion Francisco de Albuerquerque tooke his leaue of him His entent was that yet afore night he would partly reuenge himselfe vpon his enimies And so he went to the Iland which is ouer against Coching Now as the inhabitants thereof were somewhat forgetful and thought not that as that daye he woulde retourne so therefore did our men set vppon them before they were aware and that vpon such a sodaine that there were slaine of them a great number and sundry of their Townes set a fire and afterward they imbarked themselues without receiuing any harme And Francisco de Alburquerque going toward his Fléete met with the King and tolde him what he had done The next day after he returned to the same Iland to destroy it altogether He caried with him to y â— number of sixe hundred men for so many he had with those that he found in the other two ships and there went with him al his Captaines The Caymall of that Ilande was tarrieng for him along the water side with two thousand Nayres wherof the most part were bow men y â— others had speares swords and targets They did all they coulde to kéepe our men from landing which they did without receiuing anye hurt and they being galled sore with our Crossebowes were driuen away Our men followed them vnto the other side of the Ilande with so stout a stomacke that they had no other remedie but to take the water leauing behinde them many of their companye slaine and hurte And our men not hauing with whom to fight did set fire to all the Townes y â— were in the Ilande so that the whole Iland was destroyed The next day following Erancisco de Alburquerque went to another Iland called Charanaipin which was belonging to a Caymall subiect to the king of Coching who serued in al these warres with the King of Calycut Concerning whom by certaine spyes that the King of Coching had in that Iland he vnderstood that he had made himselfe in a readines to defend himselfe against the Captaine generall hauing redie in armes thrée thousand Nayres of the which were seauen 〈…〉 and fortie with shot besides all their houses 〈◊〉 with sundry trenches round about Also he had by 〈◊〉 certeine Paraos with Ordinance in the same which the king of Calycut had giuen him These wer aâ—â—oat in a certaine harbor where our men pretended to disimbarke themselues which were there placed that they shoulde resist our comming into that place if that it were possible About this place there was great store of boates all furnished with Ordinance but the enimies at the length were driuen to runne away so that our men remained quietly in the harbour where there stood in the water yea euen vp to their girdles a great number alwaies 〈◊〉 our landing throwing at vs both stones and spâ—â—res and shooting off their arrowes in great plentie But as one as our Ordinaunce began to go off then they desperatâ—ly began to run away and giue place Howbeit they 〈…〉 did so ioyne themselues together that in such sort they gaue our men inough to do to disimbarke themselues for that the same was so valiantly by them resisted And for all that our men could doe they woulde reuer leaue their olde altogether but by a â—wordfâ— and a lyttle they retired themselues to their Palme trée or to haue amongst them succour and there what with the hinderance that our men found by those trées they defended themselues a small time But afterward they ranne awaye and that without order so that our men followed them to the vttermost in especiall the Constable of Francisco de Alburquerque whom they call Pedro de lares who found himselfe alone with thrée Nayres which came toward him The one of these shot an arrow which strake him in the breast and for that he wore a breast plate it did him no harme And as the Nayre loosed off his arrow went off lykewise his shot and strake the Nayre in the breast so that he ouerthrewe him and afterward shot off another péece vpon one of the others that remained and killed him also By the third he himselfe was hurte in the legge with a certaine weapon which they doe call a Gomya and with the same hée that hurt him would haue run awaye but at length this Pedro lares killed him with his sword Thus all the enimies béeing put to flight Francisco de Alburquerque did then determine to march toward the Caymalls house wher he had gathered together all his force which was somewhat strong by reaâ—on of certaine trenches that he had made about the same The Captaines were diuided on both sides of the Iland and each of them had their men with them and in the middes of the Iland were placed those of Coching In this order they went all burning and spoylyng such Townes as there were and that without any resistaunce Going in this order there came certaine Paraos from Calycut on that side of the Ilande which Edwarte Pachecho had the
charge off who for y t they were many in number did leape a land encounter with y e foresaid Edwarte Pachecho had giuen him the ouerthrowe if Francisco de Alburquerque had not bene who came thether with those that he had in charge And for that he found greater resistaunce in his Enimyes then he looked for and also being somewhat afearde least the Caymall would haue come thether to succour the rest which if he had so done would haue put him in daunger he therefore commanded Nicholas Coello to take with him Antonio del Campo and Pedro de Tayde and to set vpon the Caymals house who was there slaine in defending himselfe valyantly At that time manye more of his companye were both slaine and hurt the house was lykewise spoyled and ransakt of our men were hurt eightéene and one onely slaine In the meane while that this was a doing Francisco de Alburquerque and Edwarto Pacheco did put to flight those of the fléete of Calycut many of them lieng along the water side sorely hurt and slaine the others hadde inough to doe to imbarke themselues in their Paraos in the which afterward they fled away And in remembraunce of so great a victory as this was Francisco de Alburquerque made certaine Knights for that through their manhood the victory was obtained for of thrée thousand Nayres the Caymall had the least part escaped and the Iland was all destroyed with fire and sword and thus after this sorte was the King of Coching well reuenged ouer his enimies ¶ Of the warres which Francisco de Alburquerque began to make against the Lord of Repelyn and how by the King of Cochings license a Castle was begun to be made called Manuel Chap. 58. ALl this being ended then determined Francisco de Alburquerque to make wars against the Lord of Repelyn And to begin the same he departed with his other Captaines in the night toward a towne of his which is foure leagues from Coching whether he came the next day about eight of the clocke To receiue him there were placed along y e water side welny two thousand Nayres of the which ther were fiue hundred bowmen Our men being come within a Base shot of the land began to shoote off in such sort that the enimies were driuen to giue place and retire vnto their Palme trées who being there did tarie the comming of Francisco de Alburquerque He being disimbarked with the rest of his company did giue the onset vpon the enimies hauing Nicholas Coello with his men in the forward and after him marched the rest of the Captaines At the first meeting were some of our men hurt with them 〈◊〉 which they shot standing behinde their Palme trees which to them were a very good bulwarke Our men séeing that as they were and hauing those trees for their defence they could not make them to remoue did then remoue themselues and got on the one side of them shooting at them with their Crossebowes and Caléeuers with the which there were some slaine and the rest fled away vnto their Townes after whom our men followed so eagerly that there was made a great slaughter yea farre greater then in the fieldes for that there they were sperpeled héere they tooke them altogether in their stréets where they might the better deale with them The Towne being left alone was immediately set a fire the spoyle therof was giuen to those Nayres of Coching which went with him this rewarde Francisco de Alburquerque gaue vnto them that they shoulde not thinke his comming into the Indias was to robbe any man but rather to reuenge such iniuries as were shewed to the King of Coching Now at his returne with this victory he was ioyfullye receiued at the Kings handes who requested him not to trouble himselfe any farther for that he iudged himselfe to be well reuenged But he aunswered him that although his highnes was satisfied yet he was not satisfied but requested him to giue him yet for her license for y t he accounted it not any pains to fight in his seruice Howbeit he séeing y t the king was contented did then aske him license to buyld a Fort of timber forasmuch as after that he wer gone for Portingale there might remaine the Kinges Factorâ—esure and without feare and all such as shoulde be lefte in the same And this he declared to be the greatest seruice he coulde doe to the King his Master to consent therevnto To this request the King aunswered that his desire was to serue the King of Portingale with a greater matter then that was for that he must needes confesse that by his meanes he was restored vnto his Kingdome of Coching againe And therefore he willed him to make the same and what els he would and if that néede were he woulde commaund it for to bée made at his owne cost and charge This license being graunted with the consent of the other Captaines it was thought good the same to be made harde by the riuer of Coching right ouer against the Citie within the lande for that there it was thought most surest and from thence they might best resist the comming of the King of Calicuts Fléete And for that they had neither lime stone sande nor anye other necessaries therevnto hee was driuen to make the Castle of timber which the King commaunded to be cut in great plentie as well Palme trées as of other timber He sent also many of his men for the furtherance of the worke saieng that he would not haue anye of our men to labour for that as yet the troubles were sufficient that they had sustained in the warres past But for all that the Captaine generall wold not let but cause them to worke The Captaynes were deâ—â—ded with theyr men and beganne theyr worke the sixe and twentith of September in the selfe same yeare 150â— It was a great pleasure to sée with what diligence our men did labour insomuch that it was sayde there that there were no such men in the worlde againe as ours were for that they serued for all assâ—yes ¶ How the Fort of Coching was made an ende off and how Francisco de Alburquerque and Alonso de Alburquerque retourned againe vppon the Lord of Repelyn Chap. 59. FOure dayes after that the Forte was begun came thether Alonso de Alburquerque who by meanes of the great stormes other foule weather coulde not come sooner notwithstanding he brought all his men with him in health of the which Francisco de Alburquerque was very glad and immediately departed a péece of the Fort to be made by his men and hy this his comming the Fort was made an ende off in a short time which being as it was made of timber was as strong faire as though it had bene made of lyme and stone It was builded square and within the walls from the one side to the other it was square euery way nine fathome The walls were made of
two orders of Palme trées and other strong timber firmely set into the ground and yoked together with hoopes of yron and nayled with great nayles Betwéene the two orders of trées they were rampered vp with much earth sande and at the ende of each of these Corners wer builded bulwarks which were replenished with Ordinaunce Also there was cast about the same a Caue or Ditch which alwaies was full of water The next daye after that this Fort was ended there was made a solemne Procession in the which went the Vicar of this Forte who rarried in his hande a Crucifix vnder a Canapie which the Captaine 's caried ouer him sounding before the same their Trumpets with great ioye With this solemnitie they entred into y e Castle which the Vicar did blesse And by commaundement of the Captaines they caused the same to be called Manuel in perpetuall memory of the King Don Manuel vnto whom all those that made the same were subiects The Fort being blessed ther was a Masse sang at y e which ther was also a Sermon made by Frier Gaston wherein was made mention how much they were bound to giue God great thankes y t would permit and condescend that from so small a kingdome as that is of Portingale and lieng on the cape of the Occident there should goe Portingales to a land so farre of as are the Indias and to make there a fort amongst such a multitude of enimyes vnto the Catholike faith And that by the clemencie of God this should be but a beginning of many others Also he made mention how greatly bound they wer to y â— king of Coching for y e good seruice y â— héerin he had done to the king theyr souereigne which words béeing brought to y e king of Coching he reioyced therat very much gaue y e generals thanks for y e same After all this they returned followed their warres against all such as were enimies to the king of Coching and beset certeine townes which wer along the coast fiue leagues from Coching the rather for that they were aduertised by their spies that those Nayres that should kéepe the same were but few in number They carried with them for that place seauen hundred men and departed two houres before day notwithstanding it was nine of the clocke before they came thether in the which townes there were more then sixe thousand soules ouer besides children and such Naires as were there in garison which were thrée hundred and those all bowmen Alonso de Alburquerque with other of the Captaines leapt a land hard by the first towne Francisco de Alburquerque w t the others into the other towns which were a Fawlcon shot off In the first they tooke the enimies vpon a sodeme with the feare thereof they made them runne awaie for that immediatly as soone as they landed they set fire vnto them all Our men seeing the enimies to runne awaie went after them and in ouertaking them there were many slaine of them and after that they were wery of following them they destroied the countrie In the meane while the larome was raised and for that this Ilande was well inhabited there was assembled together well nigh sixe thousande Nayres which did set vpon our men at theyr imbarking so that they were in greate daunger in especiall Edwarto Pacheco which found not his boat wher he had left the famâ— They followed him so narrowlye that with their Bowes and arrowes there were of his men hurt to the number of eight although they defended themselues valiauntly and killed many of their enimies But for that the enimyes were so many in number they had beene worse handled if so bâ— those Captaines Generalls which were inbarked had not disimbarked themselues and â—â—â—coured them The enymies séeing this and hauing lost their hope to reuenge their iniuries more then that they had done did runne awaye leauing behinde them the 〈◊〉 well couered ouer with dead men which fell with their bowes and hand guns in theyr hands The enimies 〈◊〉 gone after this force our men did set a fire fiftéene Paraos which were a ground and tooke other seauen which were a floate and so departed going their way alwaies hallowing and crieng as who shuld say they 〈◊〉 them which thing gréeued the Lord of Repelyn whose Ilande that was considering howe all they found the same prouided And they fearing least our men would 〈◊〉 vpon another towne which stoode a league from the same vp the riuer he sent certeine Naires thether immediatly How the Captaines Generall returned to Repelyn and afterward went to 〈…〉 what Edwarte Pacheco did in those two 〈◊〉 Chap. 60. THe Captaines generall hauing knowledge of these townes to the end ther shuld remaine nothing of the Lords of Repelyn y â— were not destroied they determined so follow them victory And therfore y t selfe same night they departed but before they would so do they rested themselues till it was midnight hard by y e castle y t they might by the dawning of the day come to the town whether they minded to 〈◊〉 And for at y â— it was dark yet they departed at y â— time although y e one of them could not see the other And Alonso de Alburquerque being 〈◊〉 to remaine behinde he commanded his men row a apacâ— by y t meanes he was the first that came to the towne that a great deale before day And being weary with staieng for the rest of his companye he commaunded to set fire to the towne with intent to burne the same for that the enimies were vnprouided for his coÌ„ming he supposed he might therfore doe the same the better and so he did The enimies séeing the fire arose forthwith to quench the same which our men perceiuing did set vpon them slew some the others ranne their wayes Thus they did for that they were of a base kinde of people and poore and without weapons The Naires knowing that it was our men that had set y e fire came thether all such of them as were in garison within y e towne which were more then two thousand who being together did set vpon our men very desperatly insomuch that Alonso de Alburquerque with his men was driuen to retire for that they were no more then fortie of y e which ther was one slaine of the others there were some hurt with their arrowes They had all of them hardly escaped if so be that they had not retired which was done not without great trouble And yet he could not haue done so much if the boys of the ships which remained in their boats had not set fire to a Fawlcon for feare of the which as soone as the same was shot of the enimies aparted themselues By this time it was day light at the which came thether Francisco de Alburquerque who wheÌ„ he had knowledge what had past commaunded to be shot of all the ordinance
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
the Ordinaunce with the which the enimyes were receiued At this instaunt those Nayres that were of Coching did all runne awaye onely Grandagora and Frangora remained for that they were in the Caruell otherwise they woulde haue gone as the others did which had bene no matter but that they should sée how valiantly our men defended themselues in the battell into the which they went in a great heate The Ordinaunce went off so often and lykewise the small shot that there was none that coulde see one another for the smoake of the same The Caruell and the Boates did so flame in fire and did so cruelly handle the enimyes at the first entering that there were torne in péeces some of their Paraos and manye of their men slaine and hurt without any of ours hurt or standing in any daunger therof at all By this time the enimyes were come within the throwe of a Dart. Howbeit as they were many and that without order the one did hurt and hinder the other so that they could not fight Yet notwithstanding the xxv Paraos that went before did trouble our men very much with theyr Ordinaunce which they had for that they went cheined together Our men being wearied and hurt and the battaile hauing endured a good while the Captaine Generall commaunded a Saker to bee shotte at them the which till that time had not béene shot at the enimies And after that the same was twice discharged they all fledde and for that they laye very thicke together it did immediatlye sinke foure of them and with that they were all ouercome and so they ran theyr waye The residue of the Paraos which did continue in the battaile were eightéene sunke and thirtéene fledde awaye the residue gaue place in the which there were of the enimyes greate numbers slaine and hurt After all this came the Vize Admerall called the Lord of Repelyn with another squadron and gaue a proud onset so did the king of Calycut giue the lyke vpon the land This battaile was farre more vehement then the first in the which were manye more of the enimyes slaine then before as appeared by the water which was of the coulour of bloud Yet for all this the Lorde of Repelyn made lowde outeryes commaunding them to laye the Caruell aboorde but for all that they durst not venture to doe it but rather were desirous to goe theyr waye as they also that were a land did the like It was now at this present past Euensong from the time the battell did first beginne in the which were of the enymies slaine not onely by land but also by water 350. men which were knowne besides others the which were aboue a thousand and of our men there were some hurt but none slaine And although theyr pellets were made of cast yron yet they did no more hurt then a stone béeing throwne Howbeit our defences were all torne in péeces and one of our boates also neuerthelesse not in such sorte but that it might bée new rigged before that it was night How the king of Calicut seeing the ill successe that hee had in the warres did enter into councell to leaue the same Chap. 68. THose kings and noble men which came to succour and aide the king of Calicut perceiuing that he was thus ouerthrowne and that with great losse both of his men vessells although his power were great and ours but very smal that the captain Generall neuer made any reckoning of the king of Calicut nor of his force but for al that did ouerrun the Countrie destroyed it some there were of them that made a greate wonder thereat sayd that our God did fight for vs whervpon they lost all the hope they had for euer to giue vs the ouerthrowe and from thence forth they had themselues in no reputation but rather were very sorie that it was their euill hap to come in the aide of the king of Calycut Those that did most repent themselues of their comming wer subiects to the king of Coching for that their countries were scituated along the riuers which did put them in the more feare of the Captaine Generall that he wold set fire to their townes houses or otherwise destroie them And for that cause they determined to leaue the king of Calycut wold make no more wars against our men more thē that which was past alreadie And vpon this condition they returned to the king of Coching with whom they reconcyled themselues and those that did thus were one called Marugata Muta Caymal and his brother and Cousins who immediatly after the battaile did so secretly depart from the kinge of Calicuts Campe from whence they went to the Iland of Vaypin to stay there till they might see their time as I haue sayd But when the king of Calicut had knowledge that they were gone and also vnderstoode where they were become he was very sory therefore which also was the occasion that he renewed all his griefe that hee had conceyued for his ouerthrow which he had receyued at our mens hands that were so few Wherupon he tooke occasion to rebuke his captaines saying that they were good for nothing and that through their defaulte our men continued and kept these passages And if so he that they had had any shame they would or this time haue dryuen them from thence in especially hauing geuen so often the enterprise to passe the same Then those two Italians that were presente did replie vnto the king that although our men had done most valiantly yet that which they did was like vnto the dedes of desperate men Notwithstanding that they were not able to defende themselues long from such a power as his was in especially not hoping to haue any succour And therefore they willed him to set vpon them often times for by that meanes it was possible to take them Some also of those kinges and noble men that came to succoure the king and that were desirous of warres did confirme that which the Italians had saide before addinge moreouer that God doth permitte his enemies sometime to haue the victorie for a more greater losse vnto them and therefore it were good saide they that he followed his friends counsell and prooued their stedfastnesse And although it were so that he had not the victorie immediatelye yet hee should not therefore dispaire The king finding himselfe somewhat vexed in minde with those wordes aunswered them saying Although that eche of you is so valiant that it appeareth vnto you a small matter to ouercome those Christians yet I am not so obstinate to thinke the same Howbeit I suppose yet that you doe sée in me no such a feare that thereby you might iudge it néedefull to strengthen me with those words For what can you tell me in this case that you may satisfie me withall For if so bee that you will consider as much as I doe you would soone know how great an acte this is that
in the battel of our men that the enimies could ouercome The Supper being done they went to rest themselues till midnight and being confessed and absolued by the Vicar the Captaine generall said vnto them MAsters and my friends I am very merie glad that you doe remember the principall thing which is your soules for that I doe well knowe that with this remembrance God will haue vs in his high glorious memorie to giue vs the victory against our enimies not onely for the satisfaction of our troubles but also for the increasing of his holy and Catholike faith and that the King of Coching and his people might vnderstand that our God is a true God and mightie aboue all mighties and that hée doeth not fayle those which doe put theyr confidence and trust in his name As for the King of Coching you did well sée him yesterdaye howe sadde and heauie and without hope he went away 〈◊〉 in the victory which God I doubt not hath promised vs making sure account that we were all lost and vtterly cast awaye perswading me withall that I shuld in time prouide for mine owne safetie Surely I did neuer finde in him so much feare nor yet so great cowardnesse the occasion therof was that they heard that the power of the king of Calicut was much greater then it was before And although it were so great as they doe thinke yet farre greater without al comparison is our God and that haue you well seene in the helps past that he hath sent vs and euen so now do I hope that he will likewise helpe vs and send vs the victory And with this hope let vs assuredly trust to ouercome the enimyes for he will maintaine the honour that wée haue gotten and from hence forth will so encrease the same that we should remaine in this worlde for lightes of valiaunt men and for the same be so feared in the Indias that neither the king of Calicut nor any else will dare set vpon vs and the honour being gotten we shall be assured of rest for the troubles we haue had As he had ended they sayd all that without the victorye they would not liue And at this time which was two houres after midnight some of the Ordinaunce of the fléete of the king of Calycut beganne to discharge making theyr way towards the Captaine Generall and the king himselfe went by land being accompanied with more then thirtie thousand men with his field péeces as his vse was and with great hope y e he should giue vs the ouerthrow with this double pride much more then he euer had he came forward The Lord of Repelyn marched before with certeine men that should make rampyres of earth in the point of Arrâ—â—l for a defence for our enimyes in the battell He brought with him great noises cries with great pleasure and dauncing the which the Captaine generall didde heare and went verie secretly a lande and placed himselfe in the very point where the enimies shuld come the which he did defend that the enimies should not make there any rampyers about the which our men killed some of them This being knowne to the king of Calicut that the Captaine Generall came thether to méete with him hée commaunded his souldiers with a stout stomacke to set vppon him and take him aliue the better to reuenge himselfe on him at his pleasure About this there was a great skirmish and many of the enimies were slaine without taking of the Captaine Generall neither yet could they make theyr rampiers As the morning came on which was the Ascention day the other Fléete did appeare y â— which was not far off and by this the Captaine generall was retired vnto his boates but it was with great trouble because of the great multitude of the enimies which came vpon him howbeit he imbarked both himselfe and his men without lacking any of them but there were of the enimies many slaine and hurt The point béeing now cléere vnfurnished the enimies came and placed themselues there and then they began to shoote off their Ordinaunce at vs to the which wée did aunswere with ours dooing them great hurt therewith for that all our shot went amongst the enimies where they lay open and our men were well fenced therefore their ordinaunce could doe vs no hurt The king of Calicut séeing this sent word to his Fléete that they should rowe a pace and come to helpe and deliuer him from the daunger and feare that our men did put him in The Fléete being come it was a fearefull sight to beholde them for that there was driuen before them certeine raffes the which went alwaies burning with intent to set the Caruells on fire and after them an hundred and ten Paraos full of men ordinance many of them cheined together and after them a hundred Catures in the same manner and foure score Tonis de coxia ancha and in each of them thirtie men besides theyr ordinaunce and the eight castles in kéeping of these the which stoode hard by the point for that the ebbe was not as yet altogether entered The enimies came with great clamor making great laromes and cries and plaieng vpon instruments accounting vs as ouercome already and with this they shot off so many péeces of Ordinance as it was wonderfull to see and with their fagots which they brought before them burning they drew very neere to the Canizo which was placed before the Caruells and therefore they could not come to set the Caruels a fire neither any other of all the Fléete Wherefore all those that went before did ioyne with the Canizâ— and therewith did giue vs battaile without all doubt they had closed with vs at this time if this defence had not bene In this sodaine fight which was very great the battel indured a good while vntill such time the ebbe came on and at this time the enimies receiued great hurt not onely in their Fregates that were torne in péeces and sunke but also many of their men that were slaine and hurte The Ebbe being come the Paraos with their Castles did put off from the poynt and to the ende they should goe the swifter they were rowed with boats These came right towards the Caruells and in the greatest of them all went fortie fighting men and in the other of the middle sort in each of them fine and thirtie and in the lesser sort thirtie men All these were bowmen shot and besides that they did carrie Ordinaunce and stoode all abroad which did shewe so terrible and monstrous a front as was fearful to be séene the rather being so great a fléet in comparison of our small power to defend them we hauing but two Caruells two boats But this was y e day wherein God did well shew the great regard he had to preserue vs for that neither the sight of so many men and so many sorts of wayes whereby they had compassed
fellowes that remained in Cananor had séene themselues oftentimes in daunger of death The next daye after his comming thether he woulde néedes goe a lande to visite the King of Cananor All the Captaines of the Fléete he carried in his company to attende vppon him with theyr Boates the which were set foorth with theyr Flagges and Ordinaunce to the vttermost and the men apparayled in the best apparayle that they had And as for the Boate in the which the Captayne generall went it was couered ouer and beset with Carpettes in the best manner vppon the which stoode his Chayre the which was made of vnshorne Crimson Veluet and at his féete there were set two very faire Cushions of the same His Dublet was also made of Satten beeing of sundrye coulours the which was wrought Diamond wise And moreouer his hose were made after the same sorte and his Shooes were lykewise made of blacke Veluet which were all beset with Aglets of golde and his Cap couered ouer with Buttons sutable to the same his night gowne was made of blacke Veluet after the French vse laced about with lase of golde his Dagger and Rapyer which his page held were hafted with pure golde and his cheine came thrée times about his necke the links wherof were all enameled and at the same he hadde hanging his Whistle of golde of the lyke worke There went before him his two Lackyes appareled as himself and sixe trumpetters with their Flagges of silke He had also with him certeine wind instruments vpon the which they went plaieng which were carryed in a little Boate hard by him and in the same was carried also a present for the king of Cananor which the king of Portingale sent vnto him This present was sixe beds of fine holand with two great pillowes and pillowbéers to the same all wrought with gold Two Couertors or Carpets of Crimsin Veluet vnshorne which on the vttermost side were all quilted ouer and had vpon the same thrée gards of cloth of golde which in the middest was a spanne in breadth and in the other places of thrée fingers The bedstéede was all guilted ouer the which had Curteines of Crimosin Satten with Fringe made of golde thréed As soone as the Captaine Generall did put of from his shippes all the Fléete began to shoote off Afterwards the Trumpettes did sound and the Drums play After this was ended then the Organs went and neuer ceased till they came to the water side where ther were great multitudes of Moores and Gentiles which came thether onely to sée the Captaine Generall Who as soone as he had disimbarked himselfe entered into a certeine house the which the king had caused to be made for the same purpose hard by the water side in the which the bedstead with the whole furniture apperteining was set vp and hard by the same there was a place appointed for y ◠captain generall to sit down on When the king of Cananor came he brought before him thrée Elephants armed as though they shoulde fight and after them there came a squadron of thrée thousand Naires with their weapons which was swoordes targets and speares Also there came another squadron of two thousand bowe men Last of all came the king himselfe sitting in a chaire the which was verie rich When he was come to this Sarame the ordinance of all the Fléet was shot off The Captaine Generall thereby perceiuing the king to bée at hande went forth as farre as the doore to receiue him And after that they had imbraced each other he presented him with the bed vnto the which the king did go immediatly and lay downe vpon the same The Captaine Generall séeing that sate downe in his place appointed and there they conferred together for the space of two houres In the meane while a graye hounde of the Captaine Generalls would haue set vpon one of the Elephants and because hée was holden he therefore barked and plunged in such sort that there was none that could heare by reason of the noise they made neither yet there was anye able to holde him which was the occasion the king and the Captaine generall were so little time together After this méeting there came vnto the Captaine Generall a Moore from Calycut with whom there was also in companie a Portingale boy which brought a letter from such of our men as remained then captiues from the time of Pedro Aluares Cabrals being there who told him by word of mouth that the king of Calycut was so broken in minde with the warres that hée had with Edwarte Pacheco that with pure heauinesse hée put himselfe into a Torcull sequestring himselfe from all the world And that there were many Moores Merchaunts so earnestly bent to followe theyr trade that they haue left Calicut and are gone to dwell in other places by reason wherof there is in Calycut greate necessitie of victualls And therefore that the King of Calycut the Prince the Aldermen and all the dwellers of Calicut are desirous to make peace and are determined to send vnto him about the same And gaue our men lycense to write thereof to the Captaine Generall the which they so did not onely about their request but also to desire him to release them out of captiuitie The Captaine Generall séeing and perusing this Letter woulde haue aunswered the same but the Boy would not consent therevnto saieng that of force he must néedes returne with the Moore for that they gaue him no further lycense but to bring this Letter vppon condition that if hée did not retourne they woulde cutte off the heades of all those his fellowes that remayned for Captiues in Calycut Wherefore the Captaine Generall sent them answere by worde of mouth that as touching his going to Coching it would be shortlye where hée woulde come to an Ankor as néere as hée coulde to Calycut passing by the same and then they might take an occasion to come theyr waye towarde the Fléete either swimming or in Boates. This theyr going without yrons about the Citie was the occasion that the Captaine Generall gaue them this councell although hée knewe that they were kepte with a gard of Naires and also that they slept in the kings house After all this he departed towarde Calycut whether hée came on Saterdaye the seauenth of September and as soone as hée came to an Ankor there repayred vnto him the Boye which brought him y e letter to Cananor and with him came a Moore Seruaunt to Cosebyquin who brought the Captaine Generall a present from y e Gouernours of the citie of Calicut on whose behalfe they sayd that if so bée hée woulde send vnto Cosebyquin a safe conducte that then hée would come and speake with him and trade for a peace Wherevnto he aunswered that he woulde not accepte theyr present nor anye other thing vntill such time the peace was concluded vpon and as for Cosebyquin he might come vnto him without anye feare as
shore and there remained all that night in the which there ranne away well néere thirtie Moores of the which were twelue taken againe with his Boate. After this hée went vp and downe wauering in the winde tarryeng for the rest of the shippes and séeing that they came not nor yet heard no more newes of them he carryed the foresayde shippe with him to Coulan After that hée had delyuered the ship to the Factor with all such merchandise as he had the which wer many and rich he departed toward Coching where after his comming the ships of the Fléete went to lading And likewise the others béeing come that were a lading in other places then the Captaine generall did enter in councell whether that they thought good that he should set vpon Grangalor or not forasmuch as it held on the king of Calycuts side and was enimie to the king of Coching And now also the king of Calicut was come forth of the Torcull to Calycut and had in the riuers his Captaine generall with foure score Paraos and fiftie shippes and by lande had appointed Nabeadarin with a greate number of men And forasmuch as it was spread abroade that the Captaine Generall did depart towarde Portingale the king of Calycut was minded to returne and renewe the warres Now the Captaine generall béeing determined and aduised by all the Captaines to set vppon Grangalor he departed one night with xv boates the which were armed with paueyses and with fiue and twentie Paraos from Coching replenished with Ordinaunce Also with these there went a Caruell so that in the whole there were welnigh a thousande of our men with whom there went also as manye Nayres of Coching In the morning before it was daye hée came to Palypuerto for hée durst venture no further for that the Boates went verye heauie laden with theyr furniture by reason wherof they could not passe the shoells that were there At this place there came against him the Prince with eight hundred Nayres and after this sort some there were of them that went by lande and some by water Thus they departed toward Grangalor where the king of Calycuts Captaine generall was in two new ships the which were cheined together full of Ordinaunce and men and the most of them bowe men And a stearne these shippes and on both their sides were these Paraos with many men also The Captaine Generall of the enimies had in his company two of his sonnes which wer accounted for to be very valyaunt Gentlemen Our Fléete béeing come the Ordinaunce beganne to goe off on both partes Tristim de la Silua Alonso de la cocta Vasco caruallo Peralonso de Aguylar and Antonio de Sâ—â—dania which went in the Vangarde didde close with the two ships with the which they fought a while These ships being boorded were immediately yéelded béeing first of all slaine the Captaine generall and both his sonnes the which fought very valyantlye and also manye others for that in this place was all the force of the Battaile And as touching the Paraos that the other Captains did set vpon there was but little to doe forsomuch that as soone as they saw their ships boorded they fled their waye Wherevpon commaundement was giuen by the Captain generall that all our men should disimbarke themselues of whom the first fiue Captains were they that gaue the first onset vpon Nambeadarin who offered to resist with certaine Nayres which he had in his retinue with whome our men did fight with so valyant a minde that they made theyr enimies to runne awaye Then our men following the chase did set fire to certeine houses beside all y â— Towne which was dispoiled both by the Moores and Gentiles the which did well know that our men would come vpon theÌ„ as also did Nambeadarin and his men which fled awaye along the water side Edwarte Pacheco and the Factour Diego Hernando Correa with the other Captaines didde disimbarke themselues in another place who immediately began to set a fire the Citie The Captaine generall in the meane while remained along the water side to keepe his men from scattering Then the Christians that dwelt in this Citie and that were hidden amongst the houses when they saw the Towne all in a fire came out from where they were hidden crieng with a loude voyce and requesting them not to kill them for that they were Christians And some of them ther wer y â— sent presently to the Captaine generall to pray him that for Gods sake hée woulde commaund the fire to be quenched for that they shoulde els burne certaine Churches of our Ladie and of the Apostles which were in the Citie as also their poore houses y â— which were mingled with the houses of the Gentiles and Moores Then for their sakes the Generall commaunded the fire immediately to be quenched although that many of theyr houses were burnt which for that they were made of timber did burne quickly The fire being quenched our men fel to ransaking of the houses of the Moores among whom there were many which before time had dwelt in Calicut Moreouer the two shippes with their Paraos that were in the water were likewise burnt besides other thrée y t were a land This conflict yet continuing there came thether the Prince of Coching who told the Captaine Generall that Nambeadaryn was not far off with his power who was determined to returne to the Citie after that he was departed Then the Captaines procured license of the Captaine Generall that he would suffer them to goe séeke him out so they did But as soone as the enimies had sight of them they ran their way as fast as they could The Captaine generall séeing this did returne wold haue set vpon another Towne the which was not farre off but for that the Prince of Coching requested him to the contrary for that the one halfe of the same was his and that it was vnpossible to destroy the one halfe without the other and also for that the King of Calycuts subiects were ready to submit themselues vnto him praying him to defend them Then the Captaine generall entered into the Citie did ther make certain Knights and afterward returned to the Forte to the which the King of Coching came to visit him ¶ How the King of Tanor sent for succour to the Captaine generall which he sent him Cap. 79. AFter two or thrée daies past that the Captaine generall was in the Castle there came thether vnto him an Embassadour from y e King of Tanor who is next neighbour to the King of Calicut who spake vnto him in this order on y â— king his masters behalfe That whereas héerto he had bene a friend to the King of Calicut and did alwaies aid him in all such wars as he had made against Edwarte Pacheco now since he is come out of the Torcull presuming on his great power and hauing encreased or rather doubled his pride doth in recompence of
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
Mores The king quarrelleth vvith the Captaine Generall The effect of y e king of Portingales Letters to the king of Calycut the Mores make a nevv conspiracie Dissimulation in y e Catuall The Catuals purpose opened The Generals vneffectuall excuse Gonsallo Peres sent back to the ships The generals constancye marueled at by the Catuall The effect of y e Generals letters vnto his brother His brothers aply deuises of the Mores to entise theÌ„ aland Their merchandize paide for by y e king him selfe Bontaybo vsed but not trusted The ende of y e vvinter in the Indias The kings aunsvvere vnto Diego Dias Diego Dias kept in prison Boies sent for spyes The king of Calicuts treson towards the Captaine generall Certaine Malabars stayed in exchange Yet 〈◊〉 deuices to slaye the Portingals from departing The effect of y e king of Calicuts letters Bontaibo vvilling to goe to Portingal Cinamon grovving AnsaÌ„dina forsaken of the inhabitants They repaire their ships Sugar Canes grovving there A notable couÌ„terfait discouered A kinde of boates so called A Moore christened Men stifled vvith the Sunne onely The Skurfe A vvofull mortalitie The Citie of Magadoxo The Raphaell burned The I le of Zenziber The preparation vnto y e second voiage The names of the Generalls Captaines Factors Friers sent to the Malabars A ievvell of great price OrnameÌ„ts made of Parrats feathers The couÌ„trey of Brasil discouered A Comet seene in the elemeÌ„t four ships sunke by tempest A vvoÌ„derful storme and great Seas They coÌ„e to Sofala The king of Quiloa a mightie Prince The descriptioÌ„ of the city of Quyloa Shippes vvithout nailes The meeting of y e king y e Captaine Generall A malitious ferfull More The kings message to y e Captaine Generall 〈…〉 The king of Calycuts message to y e Captaine Generall The king of Calicut maketh excuses vvhen he should deliuer pledges Pleadges are sent aboorde vvhich feare to be taken captiue The king of Calycuts state furniture The Captaine generall deliuereth his letters of credite to the king of Calicut The preseÌ„t vvhich y e generall brought with him Humaiâ—â— pity in 〈◊〉 Captaine generall tovvard faithlesse Infidells The pledges sent aboord The Captaine generall had good came to feare and hate the Moores A free house for the factory giueÌ„ to the king of Portingale by deede This ship for one in those coasts very vvel appointed The Moores yeelded vnto our men The Moores Oration against our men Proues that vvee vvere rather pirats then merchants why he requested our men to take the ship of Meca The king accused plainly of doblenes Nothing more acceptable to the Mores theÌ„ to quarell fall out vvith our men The Moores moued a tumult against our men The sauage fircenes of the Moores against our men Succour sent by y e Generall Captaine to the Factorie The king of Calicut vvas farre off from making a mendes Iust reuenge vvrought vpon the iniurious CalicuttaÌ„s The feare that the King of Calicut and the citizens were in Coching standeth in 9. degrees and the scituatioÌ„ therof A Moore baptised called Michael The king of Coching much inferior in vvealth state to y e king of Calycut The discriptioÌ„ state of GraÌ„galor Why the christians of y e Indias hath a Pope The manner of shauing their priests differing froÌ„ ours Negro friers professing chastitie A greate Fleete of enimies He maketh tovvard Portingale The discription of the tovvne of Cananor Drugs for the Pothecaries Euery quintall is 100. vveight A ship of the fleete cast avvay Diego Dias found at Capo Verde his voyage The IlaÌ„d of Sofala discouered The third Fleet that vvent froÌ„ Portingal to the Indias The order that the king gaue him concerning this voyage they take their voyage to the Indias The malitiousnesse of the Moores Euerye Quintall is a 100. vvaight The king of Calicut sent lxxx Paraos to fight with y e captain generall This flag was a sign request of peace they ariue safelye at Portingal The iiii voyage to the Indias 1502. He goeth first to Sofala to regrate their golde A house apointed for the Factory A ship of y e Moores of Meca taken Desperate minds in time of extremitie An embassadour set to y e king of Cananor The meeting of y e king and the Captaine Generall at Cananor 1502. The preseÌ„t vvhich the king of Portingale sent y e king of Cananor The Moores make him keepe no promise vvith the Capteine Generall nor feare his povver The king of Portingales present seÌ„t to the king of Coching The king of Coching present set to the king of Portingale This messeÌ„ger was one of his chief chaplaines The king of Calycuts letter to y e king of Coching The aunsvvere of the king of Coching to the king of Calycuts letter The reply to the king of Cochings letter The king of Cochings ansvvere to the reply Great friendship and constancie in an heatheÌ„ Prince A battaile by sea between our ships and the kings of Calicut A rich price takeÌ„ from the enimie The order that vvas giuen to Vincente Sodre at the departure of the Captaine generall froÌ„ Cananor They vvere dispersed by a tempest Both commons noble meÌ„ repine against theyr king and our men The Captain generall excuseth himselfe for deling on the lande This generall captaine had other matters of more profit in hand The king of Calicut signifieth the cause vvhy hee beginneth to make these vvarres against the king of Coching Heere this enterprise vvas vvell liked of by his noble men others The aunswere vvhich y â— prince made to y â— foresayde Oration The execution of y e pledges defended by the kings brother The Mores ouerthrovv the credit of y e kings brothers Oration The very sight of our men abhorred in Coching The aunsvvere vvhich the king of Coching made to the factor Fevve hauing the right on their side preuayle most times against nuÌ„bers that come in an euill cause The king of Cochings Oration to his noble men It is better to dye vvith honor then to lyue vvith the infamous name of a rude and lieng Prince The kings brother made general of the field and armie The king of Calycuts letter to y e king of Coching The aunsvvere which the king of Coching made to the foresaid letter The Calicutians repulsed froÌ„ passing ouer the Foorde IncoÌ„stancie â—n the king of Calycut noted A stout stomacke of a prince Treason practised against y e prince Naramuhim Prince Naramuhim and his povver ouerthrovvne Comfortable vvords of a prince The kings Oration made vnto his subiects about the losse of his kingdome Ouerthrovvs in vvar sent of God vnto princes for their of fences The inhabitants of Coching flye for feare of the king of Calicut The king of Coching is faine to flye and leaue his citie 1503 The familiaritie securitie of y e inhabitants of the Iland of Curia Muria The effect which the torment vvrought amongest their ships in that coast 1503. The
iiii voiage froÌ„ Portingal to the Indias The king of Coching reioyceth at the comming of the Portingale fleete The king of Coching ioyfully be holdeth the return of y e Portingale Fleete Liberalytie vvinneth the hearts of the most barbarous vnfrieÌ„dly people The Caymal 〈◊〉 povver put to flight by the Portingaleâ— The great valiencye of the Moores in resisting theyr enimies landing The Caymal slaine in defending his house valyauntlye Knights made after a valiant victorie The king of Coching thinketh him selfe sufficiently reuenged of his enimies Heere the king of Coching gâ—ue license to Francisco Alburquerque to build a Fort in Coching A description and comendatioÌ„ of the Forte of Coching They followe the vvars farther for y e king of Cochingâ— reuenge At the alarome souÌ„ded the force of y e Moores increaseth The readinesse and forvvardnes of Alonso de Alburquerque A base minded cowardise kinde of people The enimies tovvne set on fire They returne froÌ„ pursuing theyr enimies The valiant 〈◊〉 of Edvvarte Pacheco An hot valiant skirmish Why the Indias wer most earnest to hunt our men out of their Countrie The discriptioÌ„ of the citie of CoulaÌ„ A gard of vvomen vvith bovves arrovves S. Thomas banished y e country The conditions of the peace made vvith the inhabitaÌ„ts of this Citie The generals coÌ„fortable aunsvvere vnto y e king of Coching Edwarte Pacheco apointed Captaine generall for the Indias 1504 They depart from the Indias and saile tovvardes Portingal A valiant skirmish vvith an hot ship of the Moores What great feare y e king of Coching vvas put into by his traiterous subiects The aunsvvere vvhich the Captaine Generall made to y e king of Coching A fevv valiant men are better theÌ„ many more naked and cowardly The generals Oration to the Mores coÌ„cerning his abode in the Indias Hovv fevv Portingals haue vanquished thousaÌ„ds of therr enimies An hard thretning but polytike and necessary they cal y e Captaine Generall a Diuell The captaine generall his men inforced to retire vnto theyr boates 1504 These words the Captaine Generall speake vnto y e king at his departure to vvards the passage the vvords of y e king of Coching to the captaine generall The annsvvere the captaine generall made to y e king of Coching Heere the battell vvas offered by the king of Calicut vnto the captaine Generall The captaine generals words spoken vnto his meÌ„ The kings and Caimals that assist the king of Calicut against the Portingales The Naires of Coching do all run avvay The enimies vtterly discomfited doe run their vvaye The king of Calicut much blameth his captaines for being ouerthrovvne by so fevv the kings aunsvvere vnto this aduice No doubt but God doeth fight for his seruants God chasticeth meÌ„ sometime for theyr trial somtime for their offences The Princes Oration vnto the King Nobles assembled Amongst other vertues grate fulnes coÌ„mended The Lord of Repeâ—â—ns aunsvvere to the prince in the 〈◊〉 house The dissimulâ—ng vvorfs of y e Moores to y e King A Caluete and vvhat the meaning thereof is The king of Cochings vvords to the Captaine generall The aunsvver that the captain generall made to the King of Coching The Captain generals Oration to his company MeÌ„ make warres to the inteÌ„t to liue in peace The king of Calicut being in danger sendeth for succor to y e rest of his fleete The praier of a distressed minde in the bitternesse of heart The king of Calicuts oration vnto his noble men The counsell that the king of Calicuts brother gaue him touching the making of peace with the captaine generall A subtile deuice by meanes of a lye to haue brought our meÌ„ to destructioÌ„ but it toke no effect An aunsvvere vvhich y e king of Calicut made vnto certein noble meÌ„ The Oration of certeine captains vnto their generall for his better aduise in administration of iustice A false alarome giueÌ„ forth by y e Calicutians to terrifie the Portingals vvith all the kings Oration made to such princes noble meÌ„ as came to aide him in these vvarres A Torcull is as much as vvith vs an hermitage or such lyke pore kind of solitary relgious place The Mothers message to y e King of Calycut being in the Torcull Wher credit is impaired it is better to lurke then to runne abroad vvith dishonour the goodnes of the King of Cochings nature noted in being a meane to procure peace for his enimies The Lord of Repelin is also reconciled vnto the captain generall 1504. The fifte voiage to the Indias made by y e Portingales The Captain generals oration vvhith he made to his captaines masters and Pilots Orders that vvere giuen to euery captain Master and Pilot to keepe the same in their voyage The penalty laid vppon the breach of these coÌ„maundements A great leake giueÌ„ vnto one of y e ships through negligeÌ„ce of the sailers The leak stopped and the daunger thereof past they sayle forvvard Certaine Portingales sent vnto the Captain generall for a present The Captain generall goeth a land to visite the king of Cananor The state which the Captaine generall kept at his going to visite y e king of Cananor The preseÌ„t vvhich y e king of Portingal sent to the king of Cananor The king of Cananors brauery and state at his meting vvith the captaine generall The Mores for sake Calicut goe els vvhere to dvvell He vvold haue theÌ„ to escape froÌ„ their keepers come svvimming vnto him Two tvvo Italian ruÌ„agates iustly required by the Captaine generall to be deliuered A craftye deuise of the Italians to haue the captiues closelye kept for the assurance of theÌ„selues Embassadors are to keepe theyr estates for the honor of theyr Princes that sende them They met vvith spices better cheap nerer haÌ„d then at GraÌ„galor A ship of Calicut taken caried away The king of Calicut is novve come forth of y e Torcul taketh y e gouernement vppon him The Captaine generall of the enimies and his tvvo sons slaine The fire commanded to be quenched for y e pore christians takes that dvvelt there After a valiant exploit the Captaine Generall maketh knights in recoÌ„pence of theyr vertue An embassador sent to the captain generall from the king of Tanor vvho made the Oration folovving The king of Calycuts vvhol povver ouerthrovven at Tanor by y e king therof the Portingales the effect of the vvordes which the King of Coching spake to Edvvarte Pacheco at his departure The aunswere that Edvvarte Pacheco gaue to y â— king of Coching The good vvill of a thankfull minde is much more vvorth theÌ„ many gifts The great prouision of the Moores against so fevv small boates It had ben better to haue called vppon God to haue succoured them in that extremytye The Mores for feare leap into the sea drovvne theÌ„selues Here vvas a great slaughter of the Portingals in respect of other battailes sought The â—â—â—ber of ships and men vvhich vvere left in the Indias vvith Manuel Telez the Captain generall 1525. Indeede this Edvvarte Pacheco vvel deserued great honor coÌ„mendacioÌ„ for his seruice ⧠Imprinted at London by Thomas East dwelling betweene Paules Wharse and Baynards Castle 1582.