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
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
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
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.
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
those Moores that were aboorde the ten great ships and then commanded them to be set a fire also of the great destruction which he brought vpon the citie in reuenge of the death of those that were slaine therein Cap. 37. AFter that these newes were brought to the Captaine generall he was not onely very sorrowfull for the death of those that were slaine but also to sée how little preuailed the present which he gaue vnto the King of Calicut as also the taking of the ship in the which was the Elephant now thrée moneths were past that he had bene there and yet had laden no more then two ships nor yet could tell when to lade the rest fearing also least in Coching he shoulde not be well accepted for taking of the ship in the which was the Elephant And further waying with himselfe how little or none occasion at all there was giuen to vse such treason against our men he did therefore determine to reuenge himselfe vpon y e King of Calycut if so be that he did not vse some excuse for that which was past wherevnto if he would willingly yéelde then would he be content so that he might ther haue his lading But the King of Calycut was farre off from the matter for he was very glad of that which y e Moores had done and commaunded all such Merchaundize to be taken as were within the Factorie the which wer well worth foure thousand duckets also take all such of ours as wer found aliue for captiues although they were hurt of the which there were foure that died After all this the Captaine generall séeing that in all that daye the King of Calicut sent no messenger to excuse himselfe of the fact he put the matter in question wheras it was determined that he forthwith shuld reuenge those iniuries that were past for feare leastif he should delay so to doe that then the King might haue time to arme his Fléete which would not then be so easelye done This being determined our men put themselues in a readinesse to lay aboord x. great ships which lay in y ◠harbor full of Moores these at the first would haue defended themselues yet for all y t our men did ioyne with them fought with them so valyantly that they brake their order killing many of them and of those that remained some leaped into the water and were drowned others hid themselues in their ships and other were taken aliue whom the Captaine generall commaunded to prison that they might afterwarde serue for Mariners in the Fléet The ships being thus come into our mens possession they found within the same some Spices and other Merchaundize which were hidden within them also they found thrée Elephants which the Captaine generall commaunded to be killed and salted for their victualls he commaunded also those Moores that were slaine to be told and there was found of them 600. The ships being discharged of all that they had they wer set a fire before all the Citie in the sight of many that came to the water side to succor them whom being Moores as they were comming in their Almadias our men encountered and fought with them but they durst not goe forward for feare of the ordinaunce This was a wonder to those of the Citie to sée ten ships burnt together The King also was sory therefore for that he could not send to succour them But if that which was done this day was a wonder to the enimies to behold then y e next day was much more to be meruailed at for the Captaine generall not being contented with the burning of these ships commaunded his ships in the night to be brought as néere the shore as he could the one somewhat separated from the other They had also their boats before them that they might reach the most part of the Citie As soone as the morning began to appeare immediately all the great Ordinaunce went off amongst their houses which after that the enimies had séene and how néere our ships lay to the shore they began to shoote at thē with smal péeces which they had without hurting any of our men howbeit of our ordinance for that the enimies came running in flockes there was no péece that mist and by that meanes there were manye that fell and the others that drew towards the Citie where our ordinaunce also had made a great destruction as well in the Temples of their Gods as in their dwelling houses The feare was so great amongst the Citizens that the King of Calycut himselfe was driuen to leaue his Pallaice and to goe out of the Citie for that our men went thether to séeke him out with their pellets so that hard at his héeles they killed a Nayre which was a noble man and ouerthrewe part of the Kings Pallaice This destruction dured no more but this daye and whilest it was a doing there appeared two ships y t wer comming to the harbor which as soone as they had discried vs went their way therefore this fight ceased The Captain generall made after thē w t al his fléet to Panderane which is a Port not far off where there was other seuen néere to the land ready to succour them in which there came a multitude of Moores to defend them and for that our ships could not come néere vnto the shore they lefte them And the Captaine generall contenting himselfe with that which he had done in Calycut for that it was verye late to make his voyage toward Portingal went toward Coching ther concluded a peace to sée whether he might lade ther for y t he well knew it that ther was more Pepper then in Calicut ¶ How the Captaine generall arriued at the harbour adioyning to the citie of Coching ther he concluded a peace betweene him the King afterward began to lade his ships Cap. 37. GOing vnder saile along by this citie y e Captaine generall tooke two ships of y ◠Moores which after that they had discried our ships bare as néere the shore as they coulde for feare of our ships but our men tooke them and when they were discharged of certayne Rice which they carried the Generall caused them to be set a fire and so following his course he ariued at Coching the xx of December which standeth in the Prouince of Malabar xix leagues from that parte of Calycut going into the South and being in ix degrées toward the North. The scituation therof is along the riuer in the which the Sea doth enter by meanes whereof the Citie standeth as it were in an Ilande and that verye strong for that there is no comming to it but by certaine wayes It hath belonging vnto it a goodly great and a sure Port which lyeth before the mouth of this riuer The land round about is watry and low and made into Ilands they haue smal store of victuals but for all that those which they haue is
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
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
good and gentle entertainment banketting the same with such Conserues as they had whereof those Moores did well eate willing them not to déeme euill of him for his denyall of theyr enteraunce in manner aforesayde where-vnto they aunswered that theyr comming then was to sée him as a rare and new thing in that their countrie and that he shoulde not meruaile to see them bring theyr weapons since it was the custome vse of the same to carrie them as well in peace as in the time of warre also they further declared vnto the generall that the king of Mombassa did vnderstand of his comming and for that it was so néere night he had not then sent to visit him howbeit the next day he would and that as he was glad of his arriuall there so also would he be more glad to see him yea and to giue him spices to load his ships furthermore they informed him that there were many Christians which liued by themselues in that Iland wherevpon the General was not onely ioyfull but also fullye perswaded that their report thereof was true and vnfeined since the same was agréeable and accorded with the information and talke of the two Pilottes neuerthelesse he carried some sparke of iealousie in his head and for all their faire speaches and sugured talke he wisely imagined y â— those Moores came to sée whether they might by anie traine take one of our ships wherein he gessed vpon the truth for certeinly their comming then was onely for that purpose as afterward it was made apparant For most true it was y â— the king of Mombassa did know and had perfect intelligence that we were Christians and also what we had done in Monsambicke therefore he practised meanes to be reuenged of vs by taking our ships and killing of vs wherefore prosecuting his wicked intent therein the next daie following which was Palme sundaie he sent to our Generall certeine white Moores which declared to him y â— their king was very glad of his comming thether and that if he wold come into his harbour he would liberally giue him all things he stoode in néede off and for assurance of the same he sent him a ring a shéepe and many swéete Orenges Cidrons and Sugar canes giuing also these Moores instructions to tell him further that they were Christians and that in the Iland were many christened people All which they did in such sorte counterfaiâ—e and with so great and déepe dissimulation that our men thought verely they were Christians wherefore the Generall receiued them very well and gaue them certeine giftes sending to the King greate thankes for his gentle and liberall offer saieng further that the next day he woulde come néerer in Hée sent also to the King a braunch of Corall verye fine and for more assuraunce to confirme the same he sent with those Moores two of our men which were banished persons and were carried of purpose to bée aduentured in such like respect of daunger or to be lefte and putte on shore in such places where it shoulde be thought good to vnderstande somewhat and then to returne and be taken in againe when our men and the two Moores were gone and come to the shore there met them a multitude of people to sée them all which went with them and viewed them euen to the kings Pallace where our men béeing entered they passed through thrée doores before they came where the king was at each of which there was a Porter attending hauing euerye one of them a swoorde in his hand They found the King but in small estate neuerthelesse hée receiued them verye well and commaunded that in the selfe same companie of the Moores with whome they came they should be shewed the Citie and carried about the same in going and viewing whereof they sawe in the stréetes many men Prisoners in yrons but because our men vnderstoode not their language nor they had any vnderstanding of ours there was no question demaunded by our two messengers what Prisoners those were howbeit they beléeued the same to bée Christians for that our Generall was informed by the two Pilottes and the Kinges messengers as you haue before hearde that there were in that Ilande such Christians which also had warres with the Moores Moreouer they carryed our men to the Merchauntes house of the Indias which were Christians who hauing information that ours also were people Christened shewed themselues to be ioyfull thereof both imbracing and banketting them shewing them painted in a Paper the figure of the holy Ghost the which they did worshippe and before them made their Prayers vppon theyr knées and that with such a counteuaunce and shew of greate deuotion as though they were such men inwardlye indéede as in appearaunce outwardlye they then pretented and made shewe off Furthermore the Moores then tolde our men by signes that manye other Christians as those were did dwell in another place farre from thence and therefore they would not carrie them thether howbeit they sayde that after our Captaine Generall were come into the Porte or Harbour they shoulde goe and sée them All these thinges those wilie people shewed and imparted to our men of purpose to deceiue them and to allure them to come within that Porte where they were determined to destroy and kill them all After they had séene the Citie they were then brought to the presence of the King who commaunded to shew them Pepper Ginger Cloaues and Wheate giuing them of euerye sorte thereof some portion to be carryed and shewed the Generall and sent him worde by his messenger that of all those commodities he hadde greate store and woulde giue him his loading if that hée woulde Also that he had Golde and Siluer Amber Waxe Iuorye and other riches in so greate plentie that hée shoulde haue and finde there when hée woulde for lesse valour and prises then in anie other place This Message was brought to our Captaine Generall vppon Mundaye who hauing séene the Spices and hearing of the Kinges promise to furnishe him the same and to lade him therewith was meruailous gladde of that offer and so much the rather was hée confirmed in opinion of good lucke for that our two banished men hadde gathered such intelligence and made him so full and good declaration of the People Citie and Lande there and chiefelye of the two Christians they founde in the House of the Merchauntes of the Indias Wherefore he his Captaines immediatly aduised themselues thereof and so entering into counsel for the same it was by them thought good to come within the port and to accept the offer of Spices and afterwarde to goe on theyr voiage to Calicut where if they could not haue the like they would remaine content with that they should haue in this place and thus hauing concluded vppon these pointes they determined to enter into the harbour the next daie in this meane while came certeine Moores to our ships with so great
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
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
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
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
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.
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
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
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