same a boorde and so take them and kill all those that were within them which thing for that it did so manifestly appeare to the Captaine General he would not commaund the Shippes to bée brought anye néerer And also for that the same was so appareaunt vnto the others of his men that were with him They gaue him counsaile not to deale therein The Catuall séeing that he would not commaunde those Shippes to bée brought néere the shoare and for that there was no cause to staye him or offer him any wrong and séeing that hée could not kill him did then beginne to request him to bring his Sailes and the Rudder of the Shippes a lande With that the Captaine Generall beganne to laugh sayeng that he would neither doe the one nor yet the other since that the king did giue him frée license to goe without any condition And therefore hée willed him to doe what he would and how that of all the iniuryes which hée had offered him the king shoulde bée made priuie who he knewe woulde doe him iustice but yet for all this both hée and his remayned in some feare of suspect although they did not outwardly shew the same At length the Captaine Generall with the rest feigning themselues to be an hungred and that they were vnprouided of victualls did request him that some of his men might goe to prouide the same and hée woulde remaine alone but for all that the Catuall woulde not agrée therevnto Nowe our men béeing in feare to sée themselues in such a daunger Then came Gonsallo Peres supposing that the Captaine Generall had ben at his liberty and that they were tarrieng for him and the others who tolde him that hée hadde mette with Nicholas Coello and with the others which tarryed for him with theyr Boates a lande This newes being brought to the Captaine Generall hée was afeard least the Catuall should know thereof which if he had knowne indéed he would haue sent Pinnaces and many men in them for to haue taken them Therefore did he procure by all the meanes he could that Gonsallo Peres shoulde secretlye returne from thence vnto their shippes and put themselues in good order And also that he should goe with them and informe them in what case he doth remaine Nicholas Coello hauing receiued this dispatch did forthwith depart and that in hast and immediatly after he was departed the Catuall was aduertised thereof who sent after him sundrie Pinnaces well appointed but yet they could not ouertake him and therefore they returned againe vnto the Catuall Then the Catuall after that they were come did once more request the Captaine Generall to write vnto his brother to bring the shippes néere to the lande but he could not perswade the Captaine Generall so to doe saieng that if he should doe it yet his brother would not consent therevnto and although he would yet he knew that the companye would not To this the Catuall did replye that he shoulde not make him beléeue that forsomuch as he did well know that all things should be done as he would commaund Howbeit the Captaine Generall wold write no such letter for that he was afeard of the bringing of the ships so néere the shoare for the causes aboue mentioned ¶ How the Catuall was contented that the Captaine Generall should goe to his ships after that what chaunced cap. 21. AFter this sorte they spent that day in the which our men remained in great feare forsomuch as in the night they were put in a great yarde that was vnderfoote layed with Brick and compassed about with walls also had to kéepe them far more men then they had in the day Then the Captaine Generall perceiued by the countenance of his men y ◠they feared least they shuld be departed y e one from y e other y t next day after as he himselfe suspected the lyke although he gaue no outward shew thereof but rather had a confidence that as soone as the king of Calicut had knowledge after what sorte they were stayed would commaunde them to be released for that he did neuer vse with him double dealing it was thought that the Catuall did staye the Captaine Generall after this order because he should giue him some reward And for that he would giue as it were no outwarde shew that he was offended he would néeds come to supper to him that night at the which they hadde both Rice and Hens which he commaunded to be bought the day before The Catuall did much meruaile to sée how little they did passe for their close kéeping after that sort and of the great constancie of the Captaine Generall that he woulde not commaund those shippes to be brought néere to the shoare nor yet condescended to any of the other his request And for that hée thought that it was but a follye to kéepe him prisoner thereby the rather to constraine him to doe it it was Gods pleasure to put him in the head to sette him at lybertie for feare least that the king shoulde knowe thereof for that he gaue him frée lybertie to goe to his shippes The next day which was Saterday the second of Iune hée then tolde him that since he had certified the king that he would bring his Merchandise a land he should command the same to be brought For it was a custome that whatsoeuer Merchants did come to Calicut he should immediatly vpon the same command his Merchandise to be brought a land and his men also and they not to returne vnto their ships vntill such time that they had solde the same notwithstanding as soone as the Merchandise were come he would then let him go aboord his ships And although his wordes were with the Captaine Generall of small credite to send vnto his brother a certeine dispatch for them yet he did not lette to tell him that immediatly he would sende for them if so be that they wold giue him Almadias or pinnaces in the which the same might be brought for that his brother woulde not consent that his boates should come a lande vntill such time that hée were there himself with this the Catuall was content for that he thought to make himself possessour of the Merchandise hauing a speciall hope that they were of a great value as the Captaine Generall had tolde him Then he dispatched two of his men with a letter vnto his brother in the which he had made relation after what sorte hée did remaine And that he had no other iniury offered him but that he kept his lodging And for any thing else hée was very well willing him that hée should sende him part of the Merchaundise to content the Catuall withall that he might let him depart And after that hée had receiued the same if then hée would not let him go he would then beléeue that hée did kéepe him prisoner by the King of Calicuts commaundement who hée knew would not commaund the same except it
with the executing of my office with great trouble not onely of the body but also of the spirite made an end of this Booke with others the which I doe humbly offer vnto your Highnes whome God after manye and most fortunate yeares remayning in your place the Prince take and receiue you from the senurie of the earth vnto the ioyes of heauen Your Highnes most humble Orator Hernan Lopes de Castaneda ⧠How the King Don Joan the second of that name did send to seeke out by sea and by land the East India and of the newes that was brought him of the same Cap. 1. THIS King Don Ioan the second of that name of the Kings of Portingale the thirtéenth perceiuing that all the Spices Drugs Stones and other riches which came to Venice were brought out of a certaine Prouince of the East parte And as he was a Personage of an hautie stomacke and valiaunt minde so was he desirous to inlarge his Kingdome and increase the Christian faith and therefore he determined to discouer by Sea the Country from whence so great plentie of riches came that thereby his Subiects might be inriched and his Kingdome of Portingale enioy all such commodities as came from thence to Venice Moreouer to discouer the same Countrey he was the rather animated and enclined for that he was giuen to vnderstand that in the East India where Christians which were gouerned by a King of great power called Praesbiter Ioan with whom Don Ioan thought good to haue acquaintaunce and to know him by his Ambassadors and the rather for that he was reported to be a Christian Prince And therefore consulting with the Cosmographers of that time he gaue them in charge to procéede and goe forwarde by example of others which had sayled along the Coast of Guynee which Coast was before that time discouered by commaundement of the Prince his Vnckle Master of the Order of Christ who had sent for that purpose one Bartholome Dyas one of the Officers of his Storehouse in Lyshborne who did discouer that great monstrous Cape not knowen of our Auncestours which is now called the Cape of Buena esperansa And finding there matter of great terrour and daungers he passed beyond the same one hundred and fortie leagues where comming to a Riuer which he named Rio del infante from thence he retourned to Portingale In this voyage he gaue to the Ports Herbours and Riuers where he tooke in fresh water theyr names which at this present they doe retaine Likewise he erected there certaine markes with Crosses and with the roiall Armes of Portingale and the last that he erected was in a Rocke the which they named El pennol de la crus which standeth fiftéene leagues on this side the foresayde Riuer And from thence he retourned without hearing any newes or yet hauing any further intelligence of that India by reason all the Inhabitaunts along those Coasts bée almost a sauage and a wilde kinde of people and of coulour blacke This voyage and intelligence being intimated and reuealed to the King Don Ioan he foorthwith minded to 〈◊〉 couer that India by land albeit before that time he 〈…〉 and sent for the same discouerie intended 〈…〉 of the order of Saint Fraunces called Fryer 〈…〉 Lixbona by land in the company of a 〈…〉 two persons for want of the Arabian 〈…〉 trauaile those parts so that they went 〈…〉 Ierusalem from whence without 〈…〉 of that iourney they returned into Portingale The King neuerthelesse continuing to prosecute to effect his determination for discouerye of that India by lande did therevppon choose two of his owne seruauntes men of good knowledge and dilygent in whatsoeuer they were to be imployed the one called Pedro de Couillian borne in the saide Village and the other called Alonso de Payua borne in the Towne of Castil Blanco which did verye well vnderstande the language of Arabia to whome he tolde how that he had made choyce of them as of persons apt to execute his pretence which was to discouer by lande as well the Countrey of Presbiter Ioan as also that from whence the Drugges and Spices come to Venice Giuing them in charge and that earnestlye to make dilygent enquirye and gather certaine knowledge whether that from the Cape of Buena Esperansa forwarde there were anye Nauigation to the East India and that they shoulde set downe all thinges they founde necessarye to bée knowen or that they coulde by anye possible meane learne or gather of the same for certaintye Commaunding also a Sea Carde to bée giuen them which was taken out of a Maâ—pe of the whole worlde by a Maister of Arte called Calsadilla Bishoppe of Vyseu who was a good Astronomer Moreouer hée gaue them a Letter of credite whereby they might bée succoured and protected from and in daungers of death and in cases of necessitie and want of money in whatsoeuer Kingdomes and Countreyes theyr happe shoulde be to trauayle And for theyr charges hée commaunded to giue them foure hundreth Crownes out of the Chest of the Orcherd of Almeryn Of which summe they tooke as much as they déemed would suffice for theyr expence vntill they came to Valencia in Aragon putting the residue in the Baâ—cke of Bartelme Florentine to be deliuered them there and so he gaue them the blessing of God and his in the presence of the King Don Manuel who at that time was Duke of Vesa After this they departed from the Village of Santaren the seauenth day of May in the yeare of our Lord a thousand foure hundred foure score and seauen and came to Naples vpon Saint Iohns daye the same yeare from whence they were set forward on their way by Cosmo de Medicis sonnes and so went they from thence to the Rhoodes of which Religion wer then none other but Portingales And from the Rhoodes they went to Alexandria from thence to the Cayro as Merchaunts and from thence in the companie of certaine Moores of Feez and Tremencen they came to Toro which is a place that hath his harbour in the Straights of the red Sea in the Coast of Arabia at the foote of the Mountaine Sinay where they vnderstood mainie matters of the Indias and of the trade those places had out of the Straightes to Calicut and therevpon they trauailed to another place in the selfe same Sraightes of the Redde Sea ouer the Coaste of Aethiopia from whence they went to Edin And for that it was out of the waye to the Indies they parted companye and seuered themselues Alonso de Payua remained to go ouer by land to the Emperour of Aethiopia which is he whom we before haue named vpon errour Presbiter Ioan for the certaintie is this is he of whom Marco Paulo maketh mention in his booke who gouerneth all the Indies and whose Countrey ioyneth vnto the great Cam of Catayo where in a battaile betwéene them fought the saide Prester Ioan was vanquished and dyed And so thencefoorth finally ended
araied withall his best apparell carrieng with him twelue of the most principall men of his shippes his brother onely except whom he left with charge of y e same The boates of each part being come néere together and the one making countenance of friendly salutation entertainment to the other the King then said to the Generall that he would speake with him in his owne boat of purpose to sée view him the better whervpon foorthwith he receiued him into his boat the King then giuing to the Generall as great honour curtesie as though he had also ben a King he very earnestly noted beheld him his men as a strange sight and matter to him and his people he required the Generall to tell him the name of his King and being tolde he commaunded the same to be then presently written he also inquired matter perticularly of him of his power whervnto the Generall aunswered and in euerye point satisfied his demaund declaring also for what cause y e king his master had sent him to discouer Calicut which was to haue from thence spices whereof in his dominion countrey was none And after he had thus talked with the King informed him somewhat of the same of the straights of y e red Sea the King then promised to him a Pilot to carry him to Calicut also very earnestly desired him to goe with him into his Citie there to take his pleasure solace himself in his Pallaice saieng it was néedfull necessary after so many troubles in so long a voyage sustained to vse some recreation and take some rest further then promising that if he would so do that afterward he in like manner would go with him to sée his ships make merry in the same whervnto the Generall aunswered that he had no license of the King his Master to go a shore therefore if he shuld varie from his Princes wil commaundement therein he shuld then giue an euill accompt of himselfe to which excuse the King replied saieng that if he shuld go to sée his ships what accompt should he then make to those of his Citie or what might they déeme adiudge of him therein yet notwithstanding he said y t it was a griefe to him y t he refused to go with him to his Citie which was shuld be at y e commandemēt of him of y e king his master to whom he wold send his Embassador or els write if he wold come y t way at his returne from Calicut The General yéelding thanks to the King promised him to returne y ◠way whilest they were thus talking there did send for those Moores which he had taken captiues and gaue them to the King saieng that if he could do him any further pleasure he would gladly doe the same with which gift the King was so content that he said he did more estéeme of the same then if he had giuen him such another Citie as that of Mylynde was Now hauing ended their talke and confirmed the friendship betwéene them the King then rowing amongst our ships and behelde the same with great pleasure and admiration out of which great store of shot of Ordinaunce passed wherewith they were greatlye delyghted all which time our Generall went with him to whom he declared that he neuer saw any men of whom he tooke so great pleasure as he did of those of Portingall whereof he woulde gladye haue some with him to helpe him in his warres which he hath sometime with his enimies for it well appeared they were men apt to offend their enimie and to abide and suffer any trauell or paine that should happen vnto them To which his speaches the Generall aunswered that if hée had experience of their doings he woulde then a great deale better lyke of them and further that they would helpe him if the King his Master would sende his ships of warre to Calicut as he doubted not but he would if it wer Gods good pleasure to permit the same to be discouered After the King had in this sort solaced himself he then desired the General that since he would not go with him to his Citie he shuld then let him haue two of his men to go and sée his Pallaice and for pledge of the same he would giue him his sonne and one of his chiefe Chaplaines the which they call Cacis wherevnto the Generall yéelded and appointed two of our men to go with the King who at his departure requested the Generall that the next day he would goe along in his boate hard by the shore where he shuld sée his horsmen running so they departed for that time the next day being Thursday the Captaine generall Nicholas Coello went in their boates armed along the shore the one somewhat distant from the other betwéene whom vpon the shore were many men on horsebacke skirmishing as our boats approched néere the shore there came certaine footemen downe certaine stayres of stone from the Kings house which was in sight where they tooke the King vp in a chaire and caried him verye néere to the Boate of the Generall to whom he spake verye louing wordes and once more requested him to enter vpon land and go to his Citie for that his father being a lame man was desirous to sée him and that whilest he should remaine on shoare both he and his children would enter and abide in his ships But our Generall fearing least vnder such sugred speach some bitter baite might lie couered did therfore still excuse himself for going on land alleadging hée must obey his Prince who gaue him no license or commission so to do at anie time And so taking his leaue of the king hée went a while hard by the ships of the Indias shooting off much Ordinaunce who when they sawe vs passe by lifted vp their hands saieng Christe Christe and that night with the kings license our men made them a great feast with much pastime also of Squibs Gunne shot and great and lowde cryes The Fléet thus lyeng in y e harbour there came vpon y e sundaie béeing the. 21. day of Aprill from the king a man that was in great credit with him to visite the Captaine Generall who at that instant was very sad and heauie for that it was then two daies since any man came to the Fléet from the Citie by reason whereof he feared least that the king were offended with him as taking occasion of offence for that he refused to go on shoare supposing also that he wold therevppon breake the peace and league made betwéene them for which he was sorrowfull especially since as yet he had no Pilots And when he sawe that he which was so great with the king did bring him no Pilots he then began to haue some iealousie and suspition of the king who being informed therof and knowing the Generall remained there for that cause did therefore forthwith send him
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
returne all that daye for that they were enimies to the Captaine generall by reason of the Moores who were his enimies also and had receiued newes what he had done in Monsambicke and of the taking of the Sambuco in Mylynde and that we were Christians and that our comming was to discouer Calicut Bontaybo also told the Moores that Spices were estéemed in Portingale very much and that as he iudged they wer not come to discouer Calycut but to settle there a trade and to carrie Spices into their Countrey in the which there is of all sorts of Merchaunts that come to Calycut by the way of the straights and great store of golde and siluer and hauing the Trade setled there woulde redowne vnto the King great profite thereby To the which words the Moores gaue great eare and made their reckoning vpon Bontaybos speach and allowed the same That we being Christians and once come to settle a Trade in Calycut their commoditie then would fall of the price they were at and so would abate the most part of their gaine About this they layed their heads together to worke all meanes they could possible with the king to take the Captaine generall prisoner and to commaunde his ships to be taken also and to kill all our men and this the rather for that in no wise they should retourne to Portingale to carry newes of Calicut And héerevpon they ioyned those that were in credit with the King and went vnto him and one in the name of them all said vnto the king That he shoulde not deceiue himselfe with our men for that the Captaine Generall was no Embassadour but a théefe that went to rob which they knew for most certaine by their Factors which had certified them that assoone as we were come to Monsambicke wher the Xeque went to visite the Captaine generall aboord his shippe and sent him presents and established with him friendship and also giuing him a Pilot to carrie him to Calicut whether he said that he would goe He after this shot his Ordinaunce at the towne with the which he killed of his Subiects and tooke certaine Sambucos laden with Merchaunts and handeled both him and his like vnto Enimies And being departed from thence to Mombassa likewise vnder y e color of friendship saieng that he was bound towarde Calicut the King therevpon tooke occasion to send to visite the Captaine generall aboord his ship requesting him to enter into his harbour who being determined so to doe whether that it was for that he saw within the same many ships or y t he thought he could not make his partie good did flye away so fast that he left one of his Ankors behinde him and from thence also the Pilot ran away which he caried from Monsambicle for the ill lyfe which he lead with him with whipping of him and putting of him vnto other punishment And being departed from Mombassa and come néere vnto Mylynde did take perforce a Sambuco laden with Moores of y e which there were some that dyed in the battaile others that are yet aliue remaining captiues And for that those that were captiues willed him to carry them to Mylynde saieng that there they woulde giue him a newe Pilot to carrye him to Calycut by that meanes onely he came thether And hauing there by the King of Mylynde bene receiued very well yet the Captaine generall would no more come a lande fearing the hurts which he had done and taking the Moore prisoner which the King had sent to visit him and would not delyuer him vntill such time that he had a Pilot sent him Wher by it might well be considered that if so be that he were an Embassadour and were come to maintaine peace he would neuer haue vsed those disorders but wold haue brought the King a present with him Of this his demeanour we giue thée to vnderstand as our dutie bindeth vs that now thou maist doe as thou shalt thinke good therein With this newes the king remained amazed and told the Moores that he would determine himselfe what shall be thought most conuenient they séeing this thought the same not to be the waye to cause the King to doe as they would haue him and did afterward tell the Catuall thereof who was in great credite with the King requesting him to perswade with the King not to receiue any such Embassage as that was and the cause thereof the rather was that he tooke this present for so small a valew With this the Catuall went immediately to the King who told him what the Moores had said to whom the Catuall gaue counsaile to doe as the Moores had requested him immediately the King began to change his countenaunce against the Captaine generall but not so much as the same might be perceiued But as soone as the Moores had knowledge by the Catuall concerning the present that the Captaine generall would haue sent to y e King and that he would not consent therevnto the Moores tooke occasion to go to y e Generalls lodging with a fained friendship offering themselues to instruct him what he should best doe and talking with him they sayd that in that Country it was accustomed that those the which came from other places about businesse with the King shoulde bring him a Present and therefore it were good that hée did sende him one The Captaine Generall béeing offended with that iniurye they hadde offered him and that the Catuall and the Kings Factour would not consent therevnto did vpon the same take occasion to shew them those péeces the which he was minded for to send who hauing séene the same they saide to the Generall that the Catuall and the Factor had great reason to be offended thereat for that the same was not a present for to be sent to a King neyther would they wish him to send it for that it would be iudged that by the sending thereof he did mocke the King All this they tolde him and as they said as friends in shewing him their minde Bontaybo told him also in the same manner meruailing what was the cause he brought no other things since there was plentie of all things in Portingale◠But the Captaine generall excused himselfe saieng that he was not certaine that he should come to Calycut ¶ How the Captaine generall returning spake with the King of Calycut how he gaue him license to returne vnto his ships Chap. 19. ALL this daye the Captaine generall was greatly offended for that the Catuall the Factor were not returned so that he was once determined to goe to the Court with out them yet he thought best to tarry till the next daye on which in the afternoone they came with whome he shewed himselfe to be offended for their long tarrieng But they did aunswere him touching that matter nothing at all but talked of other things and so went with him to the Court. And for that the King was somewhat chaunged as I haue said against the
were to take his shippes which hée would not doe but hauing time to arme his owne Fléet so to set vppon them wherefore hée aduertised them that if so bée were not set at liberty immediatly after y â— the Merchandise were landed that then they should not remaine there any longer but goe their wayes toward Portingale informe the king his Maister what had chaunced vnto him and also what hee had done that there might not bée lost a Countrie of so greate a profite for Portingale as that was and also to tell him after what sort that hée did remaine there and what confidence hée hadde in his highnesse that he would send him such a Fléete of ships and men that by the same hée doth hope to be sette at lybertie béeing assured that as nowe they woulde not kill him He that carried these letters béeing come to Paulo de la Gama did deliuer them vnto him giuing vnto him large instructions of all that which they had past since they did departe Nowe Paulo de la Gama hauing séene this Letter which was sent him from the Captaine General did send immediatlye the merchaundise with an aunswere to this Letter in the whsch hée sayde that GOD would not permit him to retourne to Portingale without his companye And if so bée that their enimyes would not sette him at lyberty that then hée did hope in GOD that hée woulde strengthen those fewe that remained in the Fléet with whome and with the Ordinance that they haue hée woulde come and set him at lyberty and of this hée might make full accompt and of no other thing The Merchaundise béeing landed the Captaine General did deliuer the same vnto the Catual and also to Diego Dyas whome he lefte for Factour of the same and to Aluora de Braga the Scriuenor who remained in a house which the Catuall had sought out for them In this space the Captaine Generall made himselfe in a readynesse to goe aboorde his shippes but first the Catuall did reforme and make himselfe friendes with him After that hée was a boorde hée would send no more Merchaundise a lande vntill such time hée heard newes the same were solde neyther yet would goe anye more a lande because hée would runne in no such daunger with this the Moores were grieuously offended for that they thought that if so be that he would come a land that there they might doe him more hurte then a Seaboorde And for that they woulde the rather so do they beganne to make a mocke at the merchandise which he had left a land Also they wrought all the means they could to hinder their sales therof saieng y t they wer litle or nothing worth Of al this y e Captain general was informed for y â— as he thought the king knew nothing of all these things neither yet what discurtesie the Catuall had offered him for that he should vnderstand the cause why the Captaine Generall did not returne a land neither yet wold send any more merchandise he did therfore send him word within fiue dayes after hy his Factour of all that they hadde done vnto him and also what iniurye the Moores hadde shewed him touching their Merchants promising notwithstanding that he would not let to be at his commaundement with all the whole Fléet Then the king seemed to be very greatly offended for that which they had done to y e Captaine general insomuch as he had sent him vnto his shippes But for all that the Catuall went vnpunished although he sent the Captaine Generall worde that he would punish those that had so vsed him which out of doubt were naughtie christians so that it did well appeare that it grieued him verye much to heare thereof And as touching the Merchaundise he promised to sende thether such as shoulde buye the same as hée did indéede seauen or eyght Merchauntes which are Gentiles Gusarates and with his Factour hée sent a Nayre which was a principall honest man to the intent hée might remaine in the Factorye with the Factour to whome hée gaue commaundement diligentlye to beware that there shoulde not come any Moores to kill him But for because that this was done but vnder couloure that the Moores shoulde not séeme to subborne the Merchauntes they bought nothing but rather did abate the price of the which the Moores were verye gladde and said that nowe it did well appeare that they were not alone that woulde not buye of theyr Merchaundise yet for all that ther durst come no Moore to the Factorie they once hauing notice that there was placed a Nayre by the kinges commaundement And if so be that before they did not abide or loue vs they ten times worse loued vs afterwarde so that whensoeuer any of our men should come a land they receiued the same as an iniurie done vnto them spitting on the ground saieng Portingale Portingale But our men which vnderstoode their meaning did laugh thereat to the ende thereby they might sée howe little they did estéeme their doinges for so the Captaine Generall commaunded them to doe Nowe perceiuing that there was none that would buy of the Merchants he supposed the cause to be for that they lay in a place where there were no Merchaunts And therfore supposing that if so be that they were in Calicut where other Merchants are he should sell the better did therfore â—â—ue y e King of Calicut by a messenger for license to send the same which he gaue immediately and commanded the Catuall to sée the same brought forthwith to such as should carrie them to sée them paid at his owne costes and charges for that he would not that any thing of y e king of Portingales shuld be at any charges in his Country and so it was done but for all this the Captaine generall wold neuer come more a lande for that which the Catuall hadde done vnto him and for that Bontaybo which came to sée him manye times did giue him counsaile so to doe for that the King was moueable and therefore it was possible that the Moores would alter his minde for the great credite that they were of with him But the Captaine general was very warie and because that he was a Moore he would not much trust him neither yet woulde giue him account what he was minded to doe yet for that he would séeme to haue him in some reputation that he should bring him alwayes newes of that which did passe on shoare he departed with him both money and other rewards ¶ How the Captaine generall being desirous to retourne toward Portingale sent to demaunde lycense of the King to haue a Factor and a Scriuener with such Merchaunts as he thought good how the King caused the messenger with one other that was found a shoare to be craried to prison Chap. 22. THe Merchaunts being brought to Calicut the Captaine generall therewith gaue all his men license to goe and sée the Citie of Calycut
had brought in the which wer these péeces a Bason of siluer and gylt wrought a fountaine to the same a Cuppe with his couer gylt of the same worke two Masses of siluer foure Cushions two of them of cloath of golde and other two of Crimson Veluet vnshorne a Cloath of Estate of Golde being welted and garded with the selfe same Golde and of Crimson veluet a verye fine Carpet two clothes of Arras the which were very rich the one with figures and the other with gréene workes Of this present and of the Embassage which the Captaine generall had done vnto him as it appered the King was very glad and tolde the Captaine generall that he might goe to his lodging to rest himselfe or els to his ships as he would himselfe for that he thought necessary to send for his Pledges which are Gentlemen and daintely brought vp and could not awaye with the Sea to tarry there longer And whilest they were ther he was assured that they would neither eate nor drinke for such was their custome And if fo be that the Captaine generall wold goe to his ships and come the next day againe to make full agréement and consent about the order of the trade in Calicut he would then send those Pledges againe The Captaine generall hauing good confidence in those his wordes went to his ships leauing behinde him with his stuffe Alonso Hurtado with other seauen And being at the water side ready to departe a seruaunt of one of those Pleadges went before aboord in a small Pinnace and tolde them that the Captaine generall did retourne aboorde this messenger was sent by the commaundement of the Clearke and Controller of the Kings house as who shoulde saye to giue them counsayle to come their waye which they did as soone as they heard what the slaue had tolde them in their language and with that they leapt into the Sea thinking to take that Pinace in the which the slaue went As soone as Aries Correa saw this he leapt into his owne boate which was harde by the ships side with certaine of his Marriners and rowing with force tooke two of the Pledges and also thrée or foure of those that wore in the Pinace the other fled and carried the Catuall with them which was also one of the Pledges This being concluded the Captaine generall came aboord who after that he had knowen what had passed because that those Pledges the which he had in his custodie should not returne and 〈◊〉 their waye he commaunded them to be put vnder the hatches of his ship and afterward sent to complain to the King of that which they had done laieng all the fault vpon the Clarke Controller Also he sent worde after what sort they remained in his ship promising that if so be y t he wold send him his stuffe such of his men as remained a land he would immediatly sende those Pleadges which he had and for that it was night there was no more at that time done The next daye following the King came to the water side accompanyed 〈◊〉 xii thousand men and sent with the Captaine Generalâ— stuffe and men to the number of thirtie Almadias for that they might returne with those Pledges that did remaine aboord howbeit for all that they were so many yet there durst none of them come néere the ships for the feare they stoode in of our men which remained in the Fléete least they wold take them and so they returned with the same againe to land The Captaine Generall séeing the feare that they stood in of his Fléete sent the next daye in certaine of his owne boates those Pledges that he had in custodie commaunding that they should goe and sée them deliuered somwhat aloofe of from the fléet that brought him his men and stuffe And while they were deliuering the same Araxamenoca which was the eldest of the Pledges leaped into the water vppon a sodaine with intent to runne away but for all that he could not escape forsomuch as our men caught handefast of him The other that remained whilest our men were thus busied fled lykewise The lyke did Alonfo Hurtado practise with fiue of those that wer with him The Captaine generall meruailed to see how little honestie or truth they vsed did therefore commaund Araxamenoâ—a to be well looked vnto And being thrée dayes past and yet the King not sending for him he had pittie to see him that in so many dayes he had eaten nothing and thervpon he sent him to the King also he sent sundry weapons which were taken of his mens and requested him to send the other two of his men that were yet a land which the King did sende béeing moued therevnto more for shame then otherwise for that he had broken his word promise Now being thrée dayes past and there came no kinde of aunswere vnto the Captaine generall thereby he had sufficient tryall or vnderstanding how variable he was and therefore he woulde tarrye no longer for his aunswere but sent vnto him to knowe whether he wold make an end of the agréement y t was begun betwéene them and for the conclusion of the same hée would sende Aries Correa which came with him for Factor Howbeit for the better assuraunce therof he willed him to send him certaine Pledges This message was sent 〈◊〉 King by a certaine Gentleman called Francisco Correa which did offer himself to carry the same when all the rest of the Fléete was afeard least that the King woulde take him prisoner or command him to be slaine To this message y e king made answere y t he was well pleased to agrée to haue the Trade setled and that he shoulde sende vnto him Aries Correa about the same or whom els he should thinke good But first of all he tolde him that he woulde sende two Nephewes of one Gosarate which is a great rich Merchaunt for pledges which indéed was so done After that those pledges were entred immediately departed toward the land Aries Correa to whom the King commaunded to be giuen a faire house to lye and rest himselfe and to lay his Merchandize in which he brought with him which house belonged to Gosarate who was Grandfather to those two Pledges that the king had sent But he commanded that forasmuch as Aries Correa was yet not well knowen in the Countrey nor acquainted with their orders prices how he might sel his Merchandize nor yet what the buyer shuld giue to instruct him therein But he did not so but rather cleane contrarye forasmuch as he was a friend to y e Moores of Meca which were great enimies vnto our men not onelye for that they were Christians but for feare least that for our cause they shuld loose part of ther credit which they had in Calicut by meanes wherof they tooke their Merchandize for what price so euer they would themselues And also for the feare they conceiued of them many times the Gentiles durst not
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
who was desirous to haue landed Howbeit for that they did not know the land he commaunded them to cast about a sea boord and so they passed along by the same vntill tewsdaie following at what time they came to perfect viewe and sight of the land perceiuing the same to lye lowe and that there was a great bay which as it was a conuenient place for the ships so he commanded them to fall to an anker there of purpose to take in water And afterward they named it the Iland of Sancta Haelena The people of the countrie within the said Iland as our men afterward found the same bée lyttle men ill fauoured in the face and of colour blacke and when they did speake it was in such manner as though they did alwayes sigh theyr apparell is of beastes skinnes made after the manner of the French Cloakes they truste vp and hide theyr members in certeine Cases made of woode verye well wrought They haue for armes or weapons certaine staues of an Oke trée bathed or toasted with fire at the endes whereof are hornes of beasts somwhat burnt or hardened with fire also seruing them for swoords and wherewith they do hurt their enimie These people doe mainteine themselues with rootes of hearbes with Sea Woulfes and Whale fish of which the countrie there hath great plentie and likewise of sea crowes and sea mewes Also they doe eate of beastes which they call Gazelas and of doues and other beasts and birds which they haue in the land They kéepe also dogs as those ben of Portingale barking after the same manner The Generall thus lyeng at Anker commaunded to goe rounde about the Ilande to sée if there were anie riuer of swéete water and finding none he then sent Nicholas Coello in his boate along the coast to séeke out water which he found fowre leagues of from thence the which he named Sancty Ago from whence the whole Fléete prouided themselues of fresh water The next day the Generall and the other Captaines and some of their companie went a shore intending to sée and view what manner of people they were that inhabited that countrie or land and whether they coulde informe him how farre from thence the Cape of Buena Esperansa was which he knew not neither was the head or chiefe Pilot of that voyage of any certeintie which it was for that in the voyage wherein hée went before with Bartholome Dyas he departed in the morning from the Cape into the Sea and past the same in the night with a fore-winde and at his first going came not néere the Shore By reason wherof he did not know the land notwithstanding hée coniectured and déemed it not aboue thirtie leagues distaunt from thence at the vttermost The Generall being disimbarked and come to land and walking there he ouertooke a man one of the inhabitaunts of the same who was going to gather honny at the foote of a bush where the Bées made the same without anie hiue with this man y e general returned vnto his ship right well contented thinking he had gotten by him an interpreter but it happened not so for ther was not any of that company could vnderstand him The Generall commaunded to giue him meate and he did both eate and drinke of all that was giuen him and when they saw he vnderstood none of their languages nor any of them had any vnderstanding of his he was the next daye set vppon the shore well apparelled from whence he went as it appeared amongst others his countrey men for that y ◠next day then following vpon shew of himselfe to them there came about the number of fiftéene of his Countrey men where our ships were At sight of which the Captaine generall went to lande carrieng with him Spice Golde and Pearle to make triall whether those people had any knowledge of the same or of any part thereof but by the lyttle estimation they seemed to make of those things it appeared they had no knowledge of the same Then they gaue them bells little rings of tinne and counters and of these things they wer very glad and from thence forward vnto the next Saterday following very many of them repayred to our Fléete and those people so returning to their Townes one of our men desirous to sée the same and to viewe the order and manner of their liues craued then licence of the Generall to goe with them whose petition albeit he was verye vnwilling to condescend vnto yet vanquished by importunitie he graunted the same Fernan Veloso for so was his name that was licensed then going in their company they tooke a Sea Woulfe which they rosted at the foote of a hill and supped altogethers after which it then appeared that they of that Countrey had armed themselues and practised treason against our men for so soone as they had supped they caused Fernan Veloso to returne to our Fléete againe which was hard by and when he was departed from them they followed and came after him a little and a little the manner whereof Fernan espieng fearing he therefore hasted to the water side and hailed to our ships The Generall then being at supper and hearing that call and looking out to landward sawe those sauage people comming after him and presently imagined they meant him harme and therefore foorthwith he commaunded the whole Fléete to put themselues in battaile araye and he himselfe with certaine others went to landward without anye weapons déeming verely that those blacke men meant him no harme nor would offer anye force and indéede when they sawe our boates comming to the shoreward they began to runne away with a great clamour and outcrie and so did manye others also which lay secretly hidden amongst certeine bushes there which policie they vsed to traine our men the rather to lande for when ours were disimbarked and landed they then returned and furiously set vpon them shooting their darts and vsing their other weapons in such sort as they inforced our men to retire to their boates and imbarke themselues and that in hast taking with them Fernan Veloso which being done the Negroes retourned to theyr townes hauing hurt the Captaine generall thrée others who afterward remaining in that road foure dayes coulde not sée any moe of those people and therefore could not vse any reuenge for the damage they had done them ¶ How the Captaine generall doubled the Cape of Buena esperansa and what hapned vntill they passed the Riuer called El Ryo del Infante Cap. 3. THE Fléete hauing taken in fresh water and flesh which they néeded the Generall and the rest then departed thence vpon the Thursday being the sixtéenth daye of Nouember in the forenoone of the same daye making their waye into the Sea with a South southwest winde and vpon the Saterdaye then next following in the euening he came within sight of the Cape of Buena esperansa and for that the winde was contrarye as being then
Southwest and the Cape lyeng Northeast Southeast hée made his retourne into the Seawarde whilest the daye did indure and when the night came hée cast about towards the shore and so in that order he sayled vntill the Wensdaye following which was the twentith day of Nouember in which time he doubled the Cape And going along the Coast with a fore winde he passed with great pleasure of sundry pastimes and in sounding of the trumpets in all their ships chiefly hauing their whole confidence in God by whose diuine furtherance they hoped to finde out and attaine to that which they sought for So passing in this sort along that Coast they sawe vppon the land great store of Cattell whereof some were large some small but all of them were growen and fat Howbeit ther appeared to them no Townes within this lande by reason that along those Coasts ther are none scituated but further within the same there be Townes and Villages inhabited the houses whereof are all of earth couered with strawe The people are of colour somewhat blacke and be apparailed as those of the Countrey of Sancta Helena speaking the selfe same language and vsing the selfe same sorte of darts with some other weapons also for their defence and anoyaunce of their enimie This Countrey is verye pleasaunt with Trées and Waters and ioyning to this Cape on the South side there is a great Harbour which reacheth into the Lande sixe leagues and at the entering it containeth well as much more The Cape of Buena esperansa béeing thus doubled the Captaine Generall foorthwith vpon the Sundaye after which was Saint Katherins day came to the Watering of Saynt Blaze which is thrée score leagues beyonde the Cape béeing a verie great Baye and passing good for all Windes except onelye the North winde The people héere are somewhat blacke of coulour they couer themselues with skinnes they fight with Dartes of woode tosted or hardened in the fire and vse for Swoordes Hornes and Bones of Beastes and also they vse Stones to defende themselues agaynst theyr Enimies In this Lande bée manye Elephauntes and great also Oxen manye both large of stature and very fat whereof some haue no hornes and vpon the fattest and fairest of the same the people do vse to ride sadling them with pannells stuffed with the strawe of Rye as the manner is in Spayne and vpon the same they put a certaine frame of woode and so vse it as a saddle to ride vppon putting through the noses of such of them as they will sell a péece of woode of that kinde whereof they make their arrowes In this Harbour thrée Crossebow shot from the shore within the Sea lieth a Rocke in the which there be many Sea Woulfes which are as large in bignes as great Beares they be terrible hauing great and long téeth also so wilde and fierce that they do forcible set vpon men their skinnes be so hard that no speare can pearce the same albeit it be forced vpon it with great strength and valure they are like vnto Lions and their little ones crye like young Goates there be so many of them in y â— Rocke that when our men went thether of pleasure one day they saw of them at that instant the number of thrée thousand little and great In this Rocke also be many Stares which are as great as Duckes but they doe not flye by reason they haue no feathers in their wings and they braye lyke vnto an Asse The Captaine Generall being come to this Port or Baye and lieng at Anker there caused the shippes which carried their victualls to be discharged thereof and bestowed the same in the others commaunding those Vessells to be then burned as it was ordained and commaunded by the King in that behalfe In doing whereof other things also which were necessarye and néedfull to be looked vnto and foreséene for their more safetie in the rest of their voyage they remained ten dayes in that place where vpon the Friday next after the Captaine generall and the rest had ariued ther appeared vnto them about the number of foure score and ten men of that Countrey some along vppon the landes and some vpon the top of their Mountaines which when the Generall sawe he and other the Captaines went to the shore ward and all the company of the shippes went armed in their boates carrieng ordinaunce with them as fearing the lyke chaunce y â— happened to them in the Ilande of Sancta Helena the Boates then drawing neere to the shore the Generall threw on lande little belles which the Negroes tooke vp and some of them came so neere vnto him that he gaue them the bells into their owne handes whereat he wonderfully meruailed for that Bartholome Dyas had informed before that when he was there they did run away and wold not be allured to come so néere view The Generall therfore finding perceiuing contrary to his expectation the gentlenesse of those blacke people hée then leapt out on lande with his men making exchaunge of certaine red night caps with the Negroes for Bracelets of Iuory which they had and so for that time departed The Saterday next after came to the number of two hundreth blacke men and more some little some great bringing with them twelue Oxen and foure shéepe and as our men went on shore they began to play vpon foure Flutes accordingly with foure sundry voyces the Musicke whereof sounded very well which the Generall hearing commaunded the trumpets to sound and so they daunced with our men In this pastime and feasting and in buying their Oxen and shéepe that daye passed ouer and in the selfe same sort vpon the Sunday following â—unâ—ry of the same and many moe with them as well men as women came againe bringing with them many Kine and hauing solde one Oxe our men saw certaine little Nigroes which were hidden in certayne bushes who had with them the weapons of the greater sort of men wherein our men coniectured that some treason was ment to them and therfore the Generall commanded our people to retire to another place which was of more securitie and those blacke men went all along the shore directlye against our boates vntill they came to the place where ours disimbarked themselues and went vppon the lande in armour The Nigroes then ioyned themselues as though they intended to fight which the Generall perceiuing and not wilyng to doe them anye harme did then retyre imbarking himselfe and for to feare them commanded two brasse péeces of Ordinaunce to be shot off whereat they were amazed and ranne away without any order leauing their weapons behinde them After this the Captaine generall caused to be carried on the shore a certaine marke or Piller with the King of Portingales Armes and a Crosse which being there set and erected the Nigroes pulled downe the same our men yet being there These dayes thus passed ouer the Captaine generall with the rest of the Fléete departed
Captaine Generall he did not commaund him to come into his presence in thrée houres after his comming to the Coursie and then commaundement was giuen ther should come no more in with the Embassadour but two of his owne men with the which he was offended for y â— he thought the same seperating from his men was not meant well did therfore carry with him Fernan Martines and one Diego Dias she which was his Secretary Being come where the King was he did not receiue him so well as at the first time but said vnto him with a seuere countenaunce that he had tarried for him all the day before and he came not The Captaine generall aunswered that he did deferre his comming for that he found himselfe weary by reson of the long way for he was very loath to tell him the cause why he staid for that he woulde not giue the King occasion to talke of the present that he would haue sent him But it did well appeare that the Catuall and the Factor would not haue hindred the sending of the same vnto the King but for y t they well knew he would haue made small account thereof And also they must of force haue told him that they had seene the same Neuerthelesse it coulde not be excused but that the King spake vnto the Captaine generall thereof immediately saieng how that he had tolde him that he was belonging to a great and rich King and yet he brought no present from him but an Embassage of friendship onelye and therefore he could not tell what friendship he woulde haue with him since that he did send him nothing Vnto this the Captaine generall did aunswere that there was no maruel that he did bring him nothing for that he came not in assuraunce that he should méete with him But now since that he hath séene him he should well perceiue what his King Master will héereafter sende him if so be that God wil giue him leaue to carry newes of this his discouery And if so be that he will giue credite to his Letters which hée did bring with him he shall then sée what the King doeth send him word of The King in stéede of demaunding his Letters asked him whether the King his Master did sende him to discouer stones or men and if so be that he did send him to discouer men how doth it chaunce then that hée sent him no present And since that it is manifest that hée had brought him nothing he sayd as then that it was told him that he had a Sancta Maria in golde requesting of him the same The Captaine generall was partly ashamed to sée the King so altered for that he had not brought him a present And now moreouer to demaund without all honestie that Image To whom he aunswered that the Sancta Maria which they tolde him of was made of woode and gylded ouer and not of Massie golde And although that it were yet would he not depart therewith forsomuch as the same had preserued him in the Sea and had brought the same from his Countrey The King did not reply vpon this answere but demaunded those Letters the which the King had sent him whereof the one was in the Portingale tongue the other in the Arabian language These he tolde him were sent in this order for that the King his Master did not know whether of these two languages was vnderstoode in his Countrey Wherefore he desired that since the Portingale language was not vnderstood in his Countrey but the Arabian and that there were Christians of the Indias that did vnderstand the same one of those might read his Letter and the rather for that the Moores are enimies to the Christians of whom he was afeard least that they should chaunge the sense thereof The King commaunded them so to bée read howbeit there could be founde no Indian that coulde read the same or at the least would shew himselfe that hée could read them The Captaine generall séeing that there was no other remedy but y â— the Moores must néeds read the same was driuen then to request the King that Bontaybo might be one of them This was done for y t as he thought he would speake and vse more truth then the others for the acquaintaunce they had with him The King commaunded the same to be read by other thrée who hauing read y e same first of all to themselues afterward with a loude voyce declared to the King the effect thereof the which was That as soone as the King of Portingale had knowledge y t he was one of the mightiest Princes of all the Indias a Christian he was desirous to haue a trade a friendship with him for that he might haue out of his Countrey Spices the which he hath in great plentie for which there commeth diuers from many places of the world thether to buy y e same And therefore if so be he will giue him license to sende for the same that then he wil send vnto him from his kingdome many things which he hath not in his as his Captaine generall and Embassadour will tell him And if so bée that with those things he were not pleased he will sende him money both of golde and siluer to buy them withall how that as well of his Merchaundize as of the money y t Captaine generall could shew him part The King hearing this as he was desirous that for the increase of his rents there should come many Merchaunts vnto Calycut shewed himself to be wel pleased with this letter also made vnto the Captaine generall a better countenaunce then he did before asked him what Merchaundize ther were in Portingale He named many shewing how that of all he had brought with him part and also of their money requesting him license to goe aboord for the same and in the meane while he wold leaue in his lodging foure or fiue of his men The King giuing more credite to that which he spake then to that the Moores had told him said vnto him y t he might go in a good houre carie his men with him for there was no necessitie that they should remaine a lande that he should bring his Merchandize sell them as well as he could With this lycense he remained well content for as he saw y e King make him at the first an ill countenance so he thought y t he wold not haue giuen him y e same with this license he went first to his lodging being by y e Kings commandement accompanied with the Catuall and forsomuch as that daye was all spent he would not goe aboord that night ¶ How the Captaine generall hauing lâ—cense of the King to go to his ships was staid by the Catuall in Pandarane Chap. 20. THe next daye after which was the last daye of Maye the Catuall sent to the Captaine generall a Horse howbeit without anye furniture to the same vpon which hée might
aboord the Captaine generalls ship in the one whereof came Diego Dias and Aluoro de Braga and in the others there came many others of the countrey howbeit there were none that durst enter within their ships but did put Diego Dias and Aluoro de Braga in his owne boate which they had at their stearne and afterwarde they themselues fell further off tarrieng for the Captaine Generalls aunswere To whom Diego Dias said That as soone as the King of Calicut knew that he was gone he sent for him from his Factors house and shewed himselfe ioyfull as one that knew nothing of his imprisonment and asked him what was the occasion that the Captaine Generall tooke those men which he doth kéepe as prisoners who afterward tolde him the cause wherevpon the King made aunswere that it was well done He asked him also whether that his Factor had demaunded at his hands any thing of gift speaking against his owne Factor which was there present for that he knew wel inough y t it was not long ago since he cōmaunded one other to be killed for taking certain bribes of Merchaunt scraungers After all this he willed him to tell the Captaine generall that he should send him y e stone which he promised him to be set in the Countrey vpon the which there is a Crosse and the royall Armes of Portingale and also to know of him whether he be content to leaue Diego Dias for Factor in Calicut and with the same he sent him a letter for the King of Portingale which was confirmed and signed by the King and written by Diego Dias and with this Letter he sent Aluoro de Braga The Captaine generall tooke this Letter which was written in a certaine Leafe of a Palme Trée vpon the which they doe vse to write matters that shall indure a long time the effect whereof was this Vasco de la Gama a Gentleman of thy house came to my Countrie of whose comming I was very glad In my Countrie there is great store of Cinamon Cloaues and Pepper and precious stones That which I am desirous to haue out of thy Countrie is Siluer Gold Corall Skarlet The Captaine Generall for that he sawe the king to vse no truth woulde not aunswere for all his offers but therewith sent him all such as he hadde stayed that were Nayres and for all the others he sent him word he would not send them vntill such time that he sent him all such merchaundise as he had taken of his Notwithstanding hée sent him the stone he sent for with this answere departed those that brought Diego Dyas aboord The next day there came a boord Bontaybo who tolde the Captaine Generall that he came so sodeinly away from Calicut for that the Catuall by the kings commaundement had taken from him all that he euer had saieng that he was a christian and that his comming to Calicut ouer land was by the king of Portingales commaundement onely to bée his spie Other matters there were which he told him of and that the same came by the Moores procurement the which he knew wel that as they tooke his goods so they meant to do him some shrewd turne in his person if so bée that they coulde haue taken him and therefore he came his way before The Captaine Generall was very glad of his comming and tolde him that hée would carry him to Portingale and that there he shuld recouer all his goods with the double besides other rewards that the king his Maister would giue him He commaunded also that in his ship there should be prepared him a principall good cabine After this about tenne of the clocke there came a boorde the Captaine Generall thrée Pinnaces laden with men and vpon certeine of their seates or benches there was layd certeine Skarfs as who should say there came part of theyr Merchaundise And after these there came other foure one after another And as touching those thrée that brought those Skarfes they tolde the Captaine Generall that there came all theyr Merchandise which they would put in his boate and therefore they willed him to bring thether those Malabars which he had prisoners and that there they woulde fetch them The Captaine Generall perceiuing that this was but a fetche did will them to goe their waye for that hée woulde haue none of theyr Merchaundise but those Malabars to carrye to Portingale as witnesses of his discouerie And if so be that God of his diuine goodnesse doe giue him lyfe hée woulde very shortly retourne to Calicut and then they shoulde well knowe whether that those Christians were théeues or not as the Moores hadde made the king of Calycut beléeue and therefore that was the cause why hée did them so manifest wrong This béeing done hée commaunded to shoote of many péeces of Ordinaunce with the feare thereof they ranne theyr waye And if so hée that the kings shippes had bene in a readynesse and a floate they had sent them against the Captanie Generall but they were haled vp for because of the Winter which was to bée beléeued to haue béene the handye worke of GOD that our Shippes shoulde bée there at this season for that they might escape and carrye newes of the discouerye of this Countrye to restore in the same the holye Catholike Faith otherwise if it had ben Summer he woulde haue hadde his Fléete in a readinesse the which was great and so haue taken vs all and by this meanes there hadde bene none lefte to haue carryed newes to Portingale Of the departure of the Captaine Generall from Calycut towarde Portingale and what further happened vnto him being in the Iland Ansandina Cap. 22. ALthough that the Captaine Generall reioysed very much for that hée had discouered Calicut yet he was not fully satisfied therwith altogether for that the king had conceiued against him great displeasure by this meanes as he iudged the next fléet that the king his maister should send would run in great daunger Howbeit perceiuing that it lay not in his power to do any more he was therfore contented onely with the discouery and to haue knowne the Indias of their nauigation what was commodious for the Countrie and to haue brought with him from thence examples of the spices drugs and precious stones as also of all other thinges that were within the same citie And hauing there no more to doe he departed carrieng with him those Malabars which he had taken for that by them he hoped to haue some agréement made with the king of Calicut at the returne of anye other Fléet The Thursday after his departure being in ralme a league of from Calicut there came towarde him to y e number of lx Tonys full of Souldiers by the which the king of Calicut thought to haue taken them who séeing them comming commaunded his ordinaunce to be shot of at them that oftentimes and if he had not done so they would haue put him in greate daunger
25. AFter that the Captaine Generall was thus informed he would tarrie there no longer but immediatlye came to an Ankor at the Ilande of Ansandina the which was distaunt from thence as it were two Gunne shotte where it was tolde him there was excellent swéete water This Iland is but little and but a league of from the firme land There are in the same many woods and also two conduit heads made of frée stone of excellent sweete water the which are springs and do rise ther wherof one is sixe foote déepe Also in the sea about the sayde Iland is great store of fish Before that the Moores did vse to traficke to the Indias the same was inhabited by Gentiles in the which there were goodly buildings in especiall their Pagodes was a goodly thing And after that the Moores which came from the red sea began to saile that way they resorted thether alwayes to take in their water and wood and did so abuse the inhabitants that they could not wel abide the same so that they left their dwellings ther but before their going away they plucked downe almost all their Pagods so that they left nothing standing but the verye Chappell the lyke they did to all other their buildings yet for all that these Gentiles that wer of the firme land which belong to the king of Narsingas had to this Pagode such deuotion that from thence they would goe sundry times to make in the same their praiers vnto thrée black stones that were lieng in the middest of the said Chappell The Iland is called Ansandina which in the Malabars language is called the â—iue Ilandes for that rounde about the same there lye the other foure The Captaine Generall hauing come to an Ankor sent Nicholas Coello with his companye to discouer the same who founde it according as afore is declared and a goodlye place or grounde where they might newe graue their ships And for that the Captaine Generall had a great course to run and also for that he knew not when to finde so conuenient a place he consulted with the other Captaines to bring their shippes there a ground The first ship that they brought there a grounde was the Shippe the which they called Berâ—â—o And whilest they were thus occupyed there came many people to sell them victualls At which time there came two small Brickentines that hadde out theyr Standerds and Flagges in the toppes of theyr Mastes and within them theyr Trumpettes and Drumnies wherevppon they came playeng at theyr pleasure In these Brickentines there came manye men and they all at the Oare and along the shoare side there were other fiue which came to succour them if they shoulde haue anye néede The Captaine Generall after that hée hadde fight of them had warning giuen him by the Malabars to beware of them for that they were rouers and vnder a couloure of peace did robbe all that they coulde take And after that hée was entered into his shippe hée perceiued that hée might haue taken them if so bée that hée woulde haue consented to lette them to come aboorde him but hée woulde not agrée to the same And therefore as soone as they came within Gunne shotte commaunded all theyr Ordinaunce to be shot at them from those two shippes that were a floate They fearing this shotte gaue out a lowde voice crieng Tambarane Tambarane for so they doe call God and with this often shooting they fledde theyr way Nicholas Coello béeing as then in his Boate went after them alwayes shooting his Ordinaunce who pursued them so farre that the Captaine Generall was driuen to put vp his Flagge for a signe hée shoulde retourne and so he did The next daye after the Captaine Generall with all his men béeing a land working vpon the ship called Berrio there came in two litle Paraos to the number of twelue men of the Countrie the which in their apparel séemed to bée of some countenaunce who brought for a present a bundell of Sugar Canes and immediately as soone as they had deliuered the same they asked license to goe aboord and to sée the ships for that they neuer saw any before The Captaine generall was greatly offended with this their request for by that he feared least that they were spies and whilest they were in this talke there came thether other two Paraos with as many more men Those that came first séeing that the Captaine generall was somewhat growen in cholar did will those that came afterward not to come a lande but to returne againe The ship Berrio being made in a redinesse afterward that the Generalls ship was brought a ground to be new rigged and hauing a lande about hir all the other Captaines there came a man in a little Parao who séemed to be of the age of fortie yeares and not of that Countrey for that he had vpon him a Sabaco of fine Cotten which reached downe to his héeles and about his head a toocke or towell which also couered part of his face and at his gyrdell a Fawâ—â—in or Skeyne And assoone as he leapt a lande he went immediately to imbrace the Captaine generall as one that had séene him or knowen him before and after the selfe same sort he vsed the other Captaines telling them that he was a Christian and borne in Italy and that hée was brought into that Countrey of a childe and that his dwelling was with a Noble man that was a Moore called Sabayo the which was Lord of a certaine Iland called Goa lieng about twelue leagues from thence and had forty thousand horsemen within the sayd Iland And for that his habitation was amongst the Moores he obserued their lawe howbeit it was but for an outward shew but inwardly in his soule he was a Christian and being in Sabayos house it was tolde him that there was come by Sea to Calycut certaine men in ships whereof there was neuer séene y e like in the Indias and that there were none that vnderstoode their language and also that their bodies were couered ouer with cloathes And when he had vnderstanding of the same he immediatelye iudged them to be Frangnes for so they do call those that are Christians in that Countrey and for that he was desirous to sée them had therefore asked lycense of Sabayo saieng that if so be that he woulde not giue him license to goe and sée them that he knewe verye well that he should dye with very thought and anger by reason whereof he gaue him license by whome hée sent them word that if so be that there were in his Countrey anye thing y t they had néede of they shuld haue the same in especiall shippes and victualles And moreouer if they woulde come and dwell in his Countrey he would be very gladde thereof and would giue both them and theirs sufficient lyuing with the which they should liue very honourably After that he had ended thus his talke the Captaine generall asked him perticularly for
be deliuered by order And going in this necessitie and also with fowle weather the people began to fall sicke a disease in their gums as they did in the riuer De buenas Sennalâ—s when as they went to Calicut also their armes and legs did swell besides other swellings which did rise in their bodyes by reason of a pestilent stinking humour which did cast them into a laske and of this new infirmitie there dyed to the number of thirtie persons And after that they began once to die and had continued this kinde of weather vppon the Seas ther arose such a feare amongst those that did remain aliue that they fared in the same as it were men amazed and beléeued verely that they should neuer goe from thence for that as they thought this kinde of weather was alwayes durable there and that the same was the cause that it indured so long The Masters and Pilots of the Fléete were of the lyke opinion which made the rest beléeue it the sooner that by this meanes the crye of all those that were there as well of them that were sicke as of the other was great saieng that since the weather would not serue them to goe from thence yet they requested him not to be an occasion of their death but rather consent to retourne vnto Calycut or els to some other place in the Indias and béeing ther to receiue what God shuld appoint them rather then to dye in those seas of to terrible diseases for which ther was no likelihoode of any remedie in especiall hauing lacke of all other things as of victuals and water which as then they began to want by reason that by their long continuaunce in the said place was all spent The Captaine generall séeing the great feare that his men were in and for to animate them the more sayd vnto them all on this sorte requesting them to be content and not to beléeue that such weather as was there coursed by them on that sorte was alwayes lyke to continue for if so bée that it were so then there woulde be no Nauigation from the Goulph to the Strayghtes of Meca nor to Mylynde nor yet from anye other place by the which they shoulde passe And that it was not vnpossible but that they might somewhat digresse from their right course and therefore they met with these calmes and windes which they indured yet those he saide should haue an ende and with the same their troubles will lykewise ende But for all this the Marriners woulde not beléeue him for that in this trouble they had continued foure monethes and also that there were dead of theyr fellowes thirtie persons so that there were so fewe of them remayning that there was not to euery ship sixtéene persons left to gouerne the same and of them there were some that were verye sicke of the disease aboue sayde By this meanes they fell into such a desperation by reason that they thought they shoulde goe no further and as they doe affirme that Paulo de la Gama and Nicholas Coello béeing both of them Captaines made agréement each of them in theyr Shippes to the other that if so bée that there woulde come anye Winde by the which they might retourne into the Indias that then they woulde surelye doe so Béeing thus determined vppon a sodayne there came a fresh gale of Winde with the which the Fléete might goe forwarde and with the same in sixteene dayes they came within sight of lande béeing on a Wednesday the seconde of Februarye at the which the Marriners reioyced in such sort that by meanes of the same they had forgotten theyr troubles and daungers that they were past and gaue vnto God great thankes for all his gracious benefites And when that they hadde sight of the Lande they founde themselues so néere vnto it that the Captaine generall gaue commaundement to cast about into the Sea so much as might bée thought sufficient for to staye vntill the morning the which béeing come they went foorthwith for to reknowledge the Lande and for to sée where they were for that as now there was none that knewe the same although that one of the Moores sayde that they hadde then taken theyr Course directlye towardes Monsanbique which standeth betwéene certaine Ilandes standing ouer against them thrée hundred leagues of the shore whereas the people of the same Countrey are continually sicke of the same disease that our men were The morning being come he went to reknowledge the land and came before a goodly great Citie which was walled round about and within the same very faire and high houses and in the midst of the same there was a great Pallaice which stood very high and séemed to be of a goodly building all this they saw very well out of their ships This Citie is called Magadoxo which standeth at the ende of the said goulfe in the Coast of Aethiopia a hundred thirtéene leagues from Mylynde the scituation whereof I shall declare héereafter And for that the Captaine generall knew the same to bée a Citie of Moores when as hée went along the Coast hée commaunded to shoote of manye péeces of Ordinaunce and also for that he coulde not tell how farre hée was from Mylynde from thence forward he stayed in the night because he would not passe the same Foorthwith on Saturday being the fifth of Februarie lieng ouer against a village of the Moores which they call Pate being a hundred and thrée leagues from Magadoxo there came from thence eight Terradas which is a certaine kinde of Boates of that Countrey being all full of Souldiours and made theyr waye straight towarde our Fléete fromwhence we shot so many péeces of Ordinaunce that they thought themselues happy to haue escaped by running awaye Howbeit our men did not followe them for lacke of winde The next Mundaye following the Generall arriued at Mylynde and béeing there the King sent to visite the Captaine Generall with sundrye fresh victualls sending him word also how glad hée was of his comming The Generall aunswered him againe by Fernan Martines by whome hée sent him a Present and for because of those that were sicke whome hée was desirous to haue cured hée tarryed there fiue dayes in the which time there died of them many At this present by the kings license he caused to be set a land a marke in token of friendship And after that he had prouided himselfe of victuals he departed on a wednesday in the morning béeing the xvii of Februarie with an Embassadour whome the king did sende to the king of Portingale for a perpetuall confirmation of friendshippe betwéene them Of the death of the Captaine Generalls brother and of the burning of one of the ships called Saint Raphael also how he arriued in Portingale and of the honour the king gaue him at their meeting cap. 27. NOw for that the Captaine Generall had not men inough to gouerne the whole Fléete he thought good and
béeing come to the kings presence his highnesse gaue him so great an honour as such a one deserued who by the discouerie of the Indias did giue so great a glorie vnto the eternall God and honour and profit to the crowne and kingdome of Portingale and a perpetuall fame to all the world Afterward he made him knight to him and to his heires for euer he gaue for armes the royal armes of Portingal also to set at the foote of the Scutchin two Does the which they call Gamas Also he gaue him towarde this his liuing thrée hundred thousand Ceis a yeare the which may be worth of our money 200. pound a yeare and this to be paied out of the tiths of the fish in the village of Sinis Moreouer hée promised him to make him Lord of the said village forsomuch as he was borne there And vntill such time that he could giue him y e same he allowed him a thousand crowns a yeare the which he did well perfourme from that time forwarde and after that he had receiued the possession therof he did passe it ouer vnto the house appointed for the contraction of the Indias Moreouer he graunted him that after the trade of the Indias was setteled or established that then he might lade for his own account to the sum of 200. Duckats in spices that without paieng for the same any custome at all Also he gaue him other possessions rents and a bill of remembraunce to make him Lorde As for Nicholas Coello he made him a Gentleman of his house and gaue him possessions and did allowe him some recompence toward his charges The king himselfe with this new discouerie did increase his titles with a newe and a famous stile of Lorde of the conquest and nauigation of Aethiopia Arabia Persia and of the Indias How the king of Portingale did nominate A Pedro al Verez Cabral for Captaine Generall of a Fleete towarde Calicut for to settle there a factorie and of his departure from Lishborne Chap. 28. BEing certainlye knowne to the king of Portingale that from his kingdome there is a nauigation to the Indias and also of the innumerable riches that there are in those parts among the Gentiles sundrye Christians did therfore determine to prosecute and followe the discouerye of the same giuing all praise and lande vnto the eternall God for his great benefits that he hath bestowed vpon him to let him be the first that hath discouered this new worlde the which hath alwayes beene so close vpon the Sea that there hath béene none in all Europe that durst aduenture that waye But hée not remembring the trouble of his spirite neyther yet the spending of his treasure nor the daunger of his subiects woulde neuerthelesse take this most famous enterprise in hande for that there might bée in the Indias publyshed the Euangelicall lawe to the ende that those kinde of lost people might receiue the same as also for the increasing not onelye of his owne treasure but generallye the benefite of all his subiects And that the same might take the better effect hée determined to giue the attempt if it were possible to settle a Factorye in Calycut by gentlenesse for as hée once vnderstoode that the dwellers in the same were inclined to trade he thought that after this sort there wold grow betweene them and vs conuersation and so a friendshippe the which might bée an occasion that they woulde incline themselues to heare the worde of God preached And béeing thus fullye determined hée commaunded to bée in a readinesse against the next yeare following a Fléete of ten shippes and two Caruells which shoulde goe well laden with all such thinges as Vasco de la Gama shoulde informe him to bée spent in Calycut Also there went others towarde Sofala and Quyloa where also hée commaunded certeine Factoryes to bée setteled not onelye for the golde which they haue there but also that theyr shippes might alwayes touch there And concerning such as shoulde bée appointed for Calycut he named for Captaine Generall of this Fléet a Gentleman called Pedro Aluares Cabral who came of an honourable house of the Cabralls and for his pettie Captaine a Gentleman called Sancho de Toar The names of the other Captaines as manye as I knewe were these Nicholas Coello Don Luis continuo Simon de Myseranda Simon Leyton Bartholome Dyas who discouered the Cape Buâ—na Esperansa Dyego Dyas his brother y t which went before for purser with Vasco de la Gama Those that wer Captaines of y e Caruels were one Pedro de Taide and Vasco de la Siluera and for Factor of the whole Fléete was one Aries Correa who lykewyse should remaine for Factor in Calycut and for his clarkes there were appointed one named Gonsalo Gyl Barbasa Pedro vas Caninon Of this Fléete there shoulde remaine and staie with the Merchants and Merchaundise in Sofala two ships and with the same shoulde contineu for Factor one called Loriso Hurdato In this Fléet ther went 1500. men The Articles which the Captaine Generall carryed in his instructions besides those of the setling of the Factory was y t if so he y t the king of Calycut would not quietly conseÌ„t or giue sufficient lading for those ships which he caried nor consent to haue the factorie setled there That then he should make him most cruell war for the iniury which he shewed vnto Vasco de la Gama And if so bée that the Factorie might be quietly settled then he should request the king in secret that he doe not consent in Calycut or in anye other of his harbours belonging to his kingdome any of the Moores of Meca to remaine ther forsomuch as hée would send him from hence forth all such Merchaundise as they doe bring and that farre better cheap then they doe sell the same Moreouer that in theyr waye they doe touch at Milinde to set ther a land the Embassador which Vasco de la Gama brought from thence and to sende the king a present Also the king did send with the Fléete fiue Friers of the order of Saint Fraunces of whome went for Vicar a Frier called Fraij Henrique the which was afterward Bishop of Siebta and he to remaine in the Factorie to preach the Catholike faith vnto the Malabars The Fléet beeing dispatched the king in person on Sunday being the .viii. of March went to heare Masse at the Monasterie of Belem going thether in Procession hauing the Captaine Generall the which heard Masse with him within the curten for on that sort he ment to giue honour to such as did serue him in such daungerous affaires as this was The Masse was said after the Portingale order and at the same there was a Sermon made by Don Diego Ortis who was then Bishoppe of Vyseâ— who gaue great praise vnto the Captaine Generall for accepting the saide voiage at the kings hands since that therby he did not onely serue the king who is his
with the which they make fethered hats night caps which are very gallant Some of our men y t went to sée their townes do declare y e the same is a goodly country fertill of woods w t great store of goodly waters plentie of fruits that ther is gathered in y e same gret quantitie of cotten And for y t this country is y t which we cal Brasil which to all men is common I will not speake of y â— same further but only y t in viii daies that y â— Captaine generall staid ther was séene a fish which y e sea did cast a land y t was greater then any Tonel of y e bredth of two of theÌ„ howbeit he was round y â— head eyes were much like vnto a hogs his cares like vnto an Elephants he had no téeth but vnder his belly he had two issues his taile was thrée quarters of a yard in breadth as much in length his skinne was lyke vnto a Hogges skinne which was a finger thicke In this Ilande the Captaine generall commaunded to be erected a high Crosse of stone and therfore he gaue the same to name La tierra de Santa Crus From hence he sent a Caruell which he brought foorth with him for the same purpose with letters vnto the King his Lorde of all that which had chaunced him vnto this place and how that he had left there two bannished men of those twentie the which he carried with him to the ende they might better enforme themselues what Countrey that same was and whether it were a firme lande as it did appeare vnto them all by the great distance of the Coast that they had found and because of the great voyage which he had taken in hande to make he could not send to know perfectly With this Caruel he sent a man of that Countrey for a shew by what kinde of people the same was inhabited This Caruell being departed the next day after being the second day of May the Captain generall departed with all his Fléete bearing his course toward the Cape Buena espeâ—ansa the which was from thence almost 1200. leagues which is a great and fearfull gulph to passe by reason of the great windes which doe course in those partes most of the time And being vnder sayle in the same on the xii of Maye there appeared in the Element a great Comet with hir beames the which came out of the Orient and for the space of x. dayes did alwayes appeare as well in the night as in the daye alwayes inlarging his beames On Saterday being the xxiii of May there came amongst all the Fléete such a storme from the Northeast that all the Fléete was faine to take in their sayles hauing the Seas very high mingled with pretie showers of raine And for that the same storme was afterwarde somewhat abated they brought themselues vnder their forefailes againe and at night the winde being altogether calme such ships as wer left behind did spred out also their sprit saile to ouertake those y t went before And going by after windes following their course by the South the Sunday being the xxiiii of May the winde beganne to increase which was the occasion that the Captaine generall commanded their sailes to be taken in and to fardle vp their sprits sailes the which being done the like did all the other Captaines and going on this sort on Sunday betwéene x. and xi of the clocke of the day did begin to ariue in the Northwest a spowte with the which the winde calmed in such sorte that the sailes did beate against the Mast and the Pilots being not as yet acquainted with the secret signification of a spowte for that they had not trauayled those Seas thought the same to bée a signe of faire weather and of great calmes by reason whereof they neuer made any kinde of alteration in anye thing appertaining to their sayles Vpon this on a Sundaye there came such a winde and so furious that then they had no time to amayne and take in theyr sayles by reason whereof there were foure Shippes sunke without escaping one person of them all and of one of these was Captayne one Bartholomew Dias The other seauen remayned halfe full of water which they had taken in which lykewise had sunke if so be that parte of theyr sayles had not bene torne And after that the winde verred to the Southwest they bare with the same the which was so great that they were driuen to roue all that daye and the next night following without sailes so that the one could not sée the other howsoeuer as yet the returne of any other wind was not come they were driuen to such daunger that they thought thereby they should loose their liues forsomuch as the rest of the Fléete was so cast away before their eyes wherewith they were stroken into a very great pensiuenesse The next day the winde being somewhat incalmed with the same the Fléete did ioyne themselues together againe and immediatly after the winde came to the East and Northeast which was so great that it made the Seas to goe higher then euer they did before and so the same endured the space of xx dayes and all this time the shippes laye a hull although they proued fiue times to hoyse vp their sayles as aforesaid Now the Seas went so high to all theyr iudgements they thought it vnpossible for the shippes to escape for ouer and besides that by the working of them it was thought that sometime they did hoyse vp theyr shippes aboue the Element and other times when the shippes began to descend they fell as it were downe a monstrous hill that they feared they should be all swallowed vp in the Intralles of the Earth In the daye the water was of the colour of pitch and in the night of fire The tackling with the other furniture of the Shippes with the great force of the winde made such a terrible noyse and was so fearefull to heare that the same is incredible to be beléeued but by those onelye that endured and passed the same with the force of this the Fléete was separated into sundry places The Captaine Generall bare vp with Symon de Myranda and Pedro de Tayde whether the winde would carry them all the others went at Gods mercie Of the meeting of the King of Quiloa the Captaine generall at which time there was set downe a Trade and Factorie and how the King repented himselfe of the same afterward Cap. 30. AFter that the Captaine Generall had past with parte of his Fléete these great stormes didde finde himselfe to haue doubled the Cape without anye sight of the same hauing in his company no more then two Shippes which bare alwayes vp with him And the Lorde hauing vsed alwaies towardes them his wonderfull great mercie he came within sight of the lande the sixtéenth day of Iuly towarde the which he
commaunded to beare howbeit the Pilots did not knowe the same notwithstanding they found that it stoode in the altitude of xxvii degrées they were so néere vnto lande that the Shippes laye with their beake heads close to the same But the Captaine generall would not consent that anye of his men shoulde goe a lande yet from their shippes they might easilye perceiue that the same was well inhabited for the great number of people they did sée there and yet of all those there came none to the water side to sée what we were After that he sawe that there was no hope to haue anye refreshing from thence hée did afterwarde procure the same from the Sea where there was great plentie of fish where our men was driuen to fish for it Afterwarde the Captaine generall commaunded to weye their Ankors and to followe his course so néere vnto the shore that he might well sée great numbers and store of sundrye beastes which fed along the Riuer that entred into the Sea and also they sawe many people Now going on that sort the Captaine generall did passe vnto Sofala with the which as yet the Pilot was not acquainted and being néere to the same he sawe two Ilandes and right ouer against one of them there was riding at an Ankor two Shippes which as soone as they had discouered our Fléete did beginne to flye awaye towarde the shore And for that the Captaine generall sawe that they fiedde he commaunded to followe them which was done in such sort that our men did ouertake them and tooke some of them prisoners for that they did not defende themselues and concerning the chiefest person that was in these Shippes the Captaine Generall was aduertised that he was the King of Mylyndes néere kinsman and was going from Sofala laden with Golde to Mylynde Who confessed that when they had descryed our Ships they receiued such a feare as though they shoulde bée taken and that therefore they did throwe the most part of theyr Golde into the Sea and they themselues ranne a lande After that all this was done y e Captaine general told him that he was very sory for theyr so great mischance losse in especially for so much as the King of Mylynde was in so great a credite with the King of Portingale his Master which is the occasion that all Portingales are and shall bée alwayes at his commaundement And hauing shewed vnto him great courtesie he commaunded the Shippes to be retourned with all the golde they hadde founde in the same The Moore asked of him whether he had brought with him any Witches that they might with words of inchantment fetch vp such golde as was throwen into the Sea To whom the Captaine generall made aunswere that the Christians doe beléeue in the true God who hath and doth defende them so that they doe not vse nor beléeue in witchcraft and therefore they do not vse the same Of this Moore the Captaine generall was aduertised that he hadde somewhat ouer runne Sofala and for that he would not returne backe he did at this time leaue it and hauing dispatched the Moore followed his course and on the xx of Iuly arriued at Monsanbique where he tooke in his water and a Pilot to carry him to the Ilande of Quiloa toward the which he directed his course running along the Coast In this his voyage he saw sundry profitable Ilands which were belonging to the King of Quiloa which as I haue declared is a great Prince and is Lord from the Cape De las correntes almost vnto Mombassa y e which is welnéere foure hundred leagues of Coast in the which there doe enter the two Ilands that I haue spoken of before ouer and besides Sofala and other sundry Townes vnto Monsanbique and from thence as many more vnto Mombassa with an infinit number of Ilandes that doth yéeld him great rents Notwithstanding as touching his estate it is but small for he is not able to make many men of warre his abode is alwayes in Quiloa in a certaine Ilande which is a hundred leagues beyonde Monsanbique in the Coast of Aethiopia néere to the firme lande the which is verye fertill of Orchardes and Woodes that beare sundry sorts of fruites there are excellent good waters and also they doe ripe great store of Miso and other seedes which they doe sow and there is bred vp in the same great store of small Cattell In those Seas there is great plentie of Fish and that verye good So that what with the victualls that they haue in the lande and what there commeth from other places of the firme land the Citie is plentifully prouided which citie is compassed about with faire gardens on the one side with the sea on the other which causeth the same to shew very pleasant it standeth in ix degrées to the South is also greate and full of people Their houses are made of lime stone in the which there are goodly chambers Their king is a Moore and so are the inhabitants the naturall people of the Countrie are a kinde of blacke people and those that are strangers are white their common language is Algarauia They doe apparell themselues very richly in especiall the women for they carry alwaies vpon them great store of iewels of gold They are great Merchants for their trade is of the gold that commeth from Sofala and from this citie it is dispearsed to all the Countrie of Arabia Felix other places and therfore there resort thether many merchaunts frō other places Ther are alwaies in this port many ships which lyeth alwayes a ground when they haue no néed of thē These ships haue no nailes but are sowed together w t ropes made of Cairo pitched ouer with wildincense for because as in all y t countrie there is no other kind of pitch The winter in this countrie doth begin in Aprill maketh an end in September The Captaine Generall béeing come to the harbour of this Citie and hauing obteined of the king a safe conduct that hée might send him a messenger did send vnto him Alonso Hurtado who went accompanied with seauen of the principals of their ships and that they might shew themselues in more countenaunce authoritie they went in their best apparell Béeing come before the king he represented vnto him the message which the Captaine Generall gaue him which was to signifie vnto him y t he was come thether with y e king of Portingale his Maisters fléete to settle a trade in y e citie to the same end had brought with him great store of merchandise y ◠were conuenient to be spent in y ◠country therfore he was desirous to talk with him therin howbeit y e king his maister did countermand him y t in any wise he shuld not leap a land but make the agréement a sea boord forasmuch as that is the auncient custome which the Captaines doe alwaies obserue in his coūtry
because y t if so be ther shuld chance any misfortūe to their general which is their head immediatly are cast away the rest that are vnder his gouernment To this the king made answere with a good countenance y t he was also desirous to see the Captaine Generall and to speak with him a sea boord since there was no other remedie Alonso Hurtado hauing receiued this answere made y e Captaine Generall priuie therof who y e next day after tarryed for y e king in his boat which was couered ouer set out with flags There did attend vpon him al the rest of y e Captaines in their boates at this present arriued there Sancho de Toar with other two ships The king thus being looked for at the length he came in an Almadia béeing well accompanied with sundrie Gentlemen in other boats lykewise furnished which also were set out with flags and had in them those that sounded vpon trumpets cornets Sagbuts which made a wonderfull great noise Now the king being come where the Captaine Generall was tarrieng for him all his ordinance went of in such sort with such a force that it made the sea to tremble wherwith the king and all his traine forsomuch as they were not accustomed vnto the same were greatly afeard As soone as the ordinaunce went of the king the Captaine General met that with great pleasure And after that the king of Portingales letter was read which was for y ◠setling of a trade in his citie he answered that he was contented therewith did agrée that the next day he should send Alonso Hurtado a land to tell him the sorts of the merchaundise that he had brought with him he wold giue him gold for y e same Vpon this agréement Alonso Hurtado was sent a land the next day following howbeit he found the king far from y e which was agréed vpō with y e captain general y e day before yelding therfore sundry excuses why he could not accōplish his promise in especial for y t he han no néed of his merchandise also for y t he beléeued that y e Captaine generall came thether to take his country from him This sodeine chance was for this cause forsomuch as he was a Moore and wée were christians it gréeued him to haue any conuersation or trade with vs. This being come to y e Captaine generalls knowledge he did as yet tarrye thrée or foure dayes to sée whether y ◠the king wold change any thing of his determination or not howbeit he did nothing alter his mind but rather had our men in iealousie fearing least that he shuld be driuen to do y ◠by force which he was loth to do therfore did fortifie himselfe with many men in a readinesse As soone as the Captaine Generall heard of his dealing he would spend no more time there but departed toward Milinde kéeping alwaies along the coast How the king of Milinde and the Captaine Generall met together and how hee departed afterwards toward Calicut Chap. 31. ON the second day of August he came to an ankor in the port of Mylinde where hée found riding at an ankor thrée ships of y e Moores y e which wer of y t Merchannts of the kingdome of Cambaya but he would not meddle with them although they were laden w t great riches because of y e king of Milinde Being come with al his fléet to an ankor he saluted y e citie w t all his ordinance The king with this sent to visit him sending also vnto him for a present both shéep ducks hens wtout all number besides sundrie sorts of fruits Then y ◠Captain general sent likewise to kisse his hands by one of his fléet also to signifie vnto him y t thether he was come by his Master y e king of Portingales cōmandement to know whether he had any need of this fléet to do him seruice wtall also to certifie him y ◠he had to deliuer vnto him a rich present with a letter the which y e King his master had likewise sent vnto him which he wold send whēsoeuer he wold cōmand y e same with this message y e king shewed himself to be wel pleased cōmanded the messenger to remaine with him that night with whom he talked and spent most part thereof in matters of Portingale And as soone as it was day the king sent by two principall Moores word vnto the Captaine Generall that he was very glad of his comming and also to knowe whether he had néede of anye thing in his countrie which he might commaund as his owne and make as much account thereof while he was there as if he were in Portingale considering the greate good will which hée doth owe vnto the king of Portingale and that in all his affaires he shuld make as much reckoning as of his owne home The Captaine Generall hauing well vnderstood the kings message vpon the same determined to send him the kings letter which hée had brought and also the present which was all the furniture of a Iennet horse which was also both rich gallant And hauing taken his counsel vpon y e same it was agréed vpon to send it and that Aries Correa should haue the cariage thereof forsomuch as hée was the factor of the whole Fleete and also for that hée went for Factor to the king of Calicut and that he should so goe accompanyed with the principalls of the Fléet besides the trumpetors that should goe alwaies sounding before him which was so done The king being informed of y e cōming of Aries Correa sent of the nobles of his Court to receiue him which might the more easilye bée done for that the kings pallaice was hard by the water side and going altogether there were certeine women which by the kings commaundement were tarryeng for their comming with perfuming pans in their hands out of the which there came so excellent a perfume that it did replenish the whole earth therewith And passing after this sorte by these women hée came to the kings pallaice who was sitting in his chaire of estate and accompanyed with many noble mē Gentlemen who also receiued Aries Correa with great honour and pleasure and also the present Afterward he gaue him the letter which was written on both sides on the one side was Portingale the other in the Arabian tongue which the king commanded forthwith to be read which both he and all the nobilitie were very gladde to heare And all they together with a lowde voice gaue God and Mahoma great thanks that they had permitted them to haue friendship w t so great a Prince as y e king of Portingale And also being very wel pleased with the furniture of the Ienet he requested Aries Correa to stay with him whilest the Fléete did there remaine which with the Captaine Generalls license he did during the three daies that he was with
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
Mylynde where hée staide to take in his water and to sée the king and from thence he kepte his course towarde the Indias and at the mount Dely he met with a ship of the Moores of Meca that was bound to Calycut which was taken by our men for that they did defende themselues verie stoutlye The shippe béeing rendered the Captaine Generall went a boorde the same where he commaunded to come before him the owners thereof and all the principallest Moores that were more there He willed them also to bring with them all such kinde of merchaundise as they had threatening them that if they did it not he woulde cause them to be throwen into the sea They aunswered him that they had nothing for that all theyr goods were in Calycut The Captaine Generall shewed himselfe to bée offended with that aunswere and did therefore commaunde one of them to be throwne into the sea bound hand and foot The others with the feare they had conceiued to sée this punishment did deliuer all that they had which was much and that very good merchaundise which was immediatly commaunded to be deliuered vnto Diego Hernando Correa that went for Factor to Coching and so he gaue order that the same should be carryed a boorde another shippe All the children which were a boorde the sayde shippe were carryed aboorde the Generall for that he had made promise to make them all Friers and to place them in our Ladyes Church of Belem as afterwarde he did The rest of the merchaundise which were of the meaner sorte and of small value hée gaue the spoyle of them to his men The shippe béeing vnladen of the goods commaundement was giuen to Steuen de la Gama to set the same a fire This was done after that the Moores were driuen vnder the Hatches to reuenge the death of those that were slaine in Calycut This shippe béeing sette a fire by the foresayde Steuen de la Gama and other two they leaped then into their Boates leauing the shippe burning The Moores that were within the same after that they perceyued the Shippe to burne did breake open the hatches by meanes whereof they were set at libertie and with the water the ship had within it did quench the fire The Captain Generall séeing this forthwith commaunded Steuen de la Gama to goe once more and laye the same aboorde to the which he went with sundry of his men with their wepons Howbeit the Moores did defende themselues as desperate men not fearing death Some there were of them that tooke firebrands and threw the same into one of the ships with determination to set the same a fire Others y ◠threw the like at their heads And for that the night drew on they left them there because the Captaine Generall was not of that minde they should remaine there in the darke for feare least the Moores should kill some of our men Howbeit he gaue commaundement that the foresaid shippe shoulde be watched that the Moores shoulde not runne to lande which was hard by The Moores all that night did nothing else but crie out to Mahoma to succour and deliuer them from vs. The dawning of the day béeing come the Captaine Generall commaunded once more that Steuen de la Gama with some of the Marriners of his shippe should goe and lay the Moores ship a boord and set the same a fire againe which was so done Now after that he hadde made the Moores to flie and to ioyne themselues in the poope of their ship fighting alwaies with them notwithstanding the which certeine of his Marriners and Gunners would not leaue them vntill such time the ship was halfe burnt When the Moores sawe the fire some there were that leaped into the sea with hatchets in their hands which they carried swimming with determination to kill all those that did pursue them with boats whom lyke wild men desperately bent they did set vppon Yet for all that there were many that were hurt for that they came néere to our boates side Howebeit the most parte of them was slaine and those that remained in the Shippe were drowned within the same for that the ship did sinke There were of them in all thrée hundred whereof there was not one that did escape and of our men there were some that were hurt How the Captaine Generall made peace and friendship with the king of Cananor and afterwarde departed toward Calycut Chap. 45. FRom hence went the Captaine Generall to Cananor and being come thether to an ankor he sent y e Embassador which he brought with him for the king who told him that he was come and that his desire was to speake with him The king héerevpon commaunded to be made a bridge of Timber which entered into the water as farre as it was possible The same was couered ouer with Carpets and other rich clothes and vpon it toward the lande side was framed a house lykewyse made of timber couered ouer as the bridge afore sayd which was made for the méeting of the king and the Captaine Generall The king beeing the first that was come came accompanyed with ten thousand Nayres and with many Trumpets and other instrumentes which went sounding and playeng before him After that the king was entered into this house there were placed the Nayres on the Bridge those that were appointed to receiue the Captaine Generall Who standing there anone came the Generall in his Boate accompanied with all the Boates of the fléete béeing richly couered ouer and set out with theyr Flagges besides that they carryed certeine Ordinaunce in the proer of theyr Boates. Also there were many Drummes and Trumpets with them and with shooting of the Ordinance the Captaine Generall disimbarked himselfe being accompanied with all his Captaines and with sundry of his men which went all armed fléet in his port or harbour by y e which he feared to receiue There were carried before him two great Basons of siluer and gilt which were to wash his hands in couered ouer with fine péeces of Corall and other fine things which they doe greatly estéeme in the Indias the Nayres viewing the same did meruaile to sée the delicatnesse of our men With this the king came as farre forth to receiue the captaine generall as the gate of his place where he imbraced him and afterwarde they returned together to the place from whence the king came forth where the Captaine generall had commaunded to be set a couple of chaires vpon the which although it was not the kings custome to sit yet he did at that time for the Captaine Generalls sake At this present was concluded the friendship betwéene the king of Portingale and him so that immediatly after that the Factorie was setled in Coching minding to doe the lyke in Cananor where as soone as the same was done he wold lade certeine of his shippes and after all this the Captaine Generall departed toward Calycut How the Captaine Generall came to
the port of Calycut and what hee did there Chap. 46. FRom hence the Captaine Generall béeing come to the harbour of Calycut afore they were knowne did take certaine Paraos in the which were to the number of fiftye Malabars that could not escape The Captaine Generall would not at the first comming doe the citie any hurt with his ordinaunce vntill such time he hadde séene whether the king woulde send him any messenger or not And tarrieng for the same there came a boorde him a boate with a Flag in the same in the which there was a Frier of the order of Saint Fraunces whome after that our men had sight of him they iudged to be one of those that were in the company of Aries Correa remained captiue This frier being entred into the ship said Deo gracias by the same he was knowne to be a Moore howbeit to excuse himselfe he said that he came after that sort that they might the rather consent vnto his comming a boorde being sent with a message from the king to the Captaine Generall about the setteling of a trade in Calicut Vnto this the Captaine generall made aunswere commaunding him not to speake thereof vntill such time the king had satisfied him for all that he had taken in the Factory when he consented to the death of Aries Correa and the others that were with him In this matter they spent three daies with messages to fro without anye conclusion for that the Moores did withstande the same The Captaine general perceiuing y t all these delaies were but lies to spend the time he sent him then word that hée minded not to tarrie for answere any longer then noone the same to be with effect and to complie with him or else he would make him most cruell warre with fire swoord and that forthwith he wold begin it vpon such his subiects as he had taken prisoners And because the king should not thinke them to be words onely he commaunded to bring him a running glasse of an houre and therevppon he tolde the Moore that went with the message that of those Glasses there should runne so many and as soone as they were ended without any further delay he would commaund all that to be done which he had sent him word off But all this could not moue the king to performe anye thing that he had promised he was so inconstant and giuen to change with euerye vaine saieng of the Moores and the outward shew that hée made of peace was but feigned by reason of the feare hée had conceiued in himselfe to sée so greate a fléet in his port or harbour by the which he feared to receiue great losse whereof the Moores did assure him the contrarye which was the occasion that he kepte no promise Vpon this the Captaine generall as soone as the time was come commaunded to bée shotte off a péece which was the signe he gaue to the other Captaines to commaund those Malabars to bée hanged which were departed amongst the Fléete After that they were executed he commaunded their féete and handes to bée out off which were throwne into a Parao and sent a shoare with two Boates well armed and a Letter for the king of Calycut written in the Arabian tongue in y e which hée signified vnto him y t in such manner he would paye him for all his faigned lyes which he had spoken vnto this present And as for his kinges goods which he did deteine in his hands he woulde recouer them a hundred folde After all this he gaue commandement that in the night there shuld be brought thrée ships as néere to the shoare as they could that the next day without ceasing there should be shot all the great Ordinaunce that they had at the Citie with the which there was great hurt done besides the kings house which was ouerthrown therewith and sundrie other houses of the principall inhabitaunts This being done he departed towarde Coching leauing to kéepe that Coast sixe shippes which were well appointed of the which was named for Captaine Generall one called Vincente Sodre to remaine with them in the Indias that therewith he might goe and discouer the straights of Meca and the coast of Cambaia How the Captaine Generall came to Coching and what he did there also how the king of Calycut sent to traine him thether for that there hee would traiterously haue taken him and last of all he wrote a Letter to the king of Coching Chap. 47. THe Captaine generall béeing come to the Port or Harbour of Coching when y ◠king had notice thereof hée sent him before hee came a land certaine Pleadges to remaine in the ship for his assurance And afterward he came in person and met him In this visitation the King did delyuer vnto him Steuen Gyl with all the others that remained in his Countrey and in recompence of that the Captaine generall deliuered him a letter which the King of Portingale had sent him rendring vnto him most hartie thankes for the good will he alwaies shewed to Pedro Aluares Cabral and that he was well pleased and contented to haue a Factory setteled in Coching Also there was deliuered vnto him a Present which y e King his Master had sent him which was a rich Crowne of gold full of Iewells a Cholar of golde all inameld two Fountaines of siluer wrought two Arras clothes of Imagery worke a costly Pauilion a péece of crimson Satten and another of Sendall all which y e King did receiue with great pleasure And for y t he vnderstood not wherefore euery of these things serued he requested to be informed of the same And therefore the Captaine generall commaunded the Pauilion or Tent to be armed in the which was concluded a further peace Also he gaue him a house to settle therein the Factorie Moreouer the price was agréed vpon how he would deliuer the Spices Drugs that were gathered in his country of all these things ther was a contract made set down which was confirmed by the King And for a further assurance therof the King of Coching sent to the King of Portingale a Present which was two Bracelets of golde set with stones a towell which the Moores doe vse of cloath of siluer which was two yeards a halfe of length two great péeces of linnen Cloth which they doe call Bengala made of Cotten wooll which was excellent fine a stone of the bignes of a walnut which they doe take out of the head of a beast they call the same in the Indias Bulgoldolf of the which there are but few found and these are good against all poyson The house in the which they determined to settle their Factorie being graunted possession thereof was immediately taken by Diego Hernandus and other two which were Notaries the one was called Lorenso Moreno the other Aluoro vas with others Whiles the Captaine generalls ship was taking in of his lading there came a
newlye rigged they departed And within seauen dayes after there fell a great leake in the ship y t Lewis Cotine was in for that it was in such a place that they could not come by it they were therefore driuen with all the Fléete to retourne to Monsanbique to new rigge the same Now the winde was scant they were faine to remaine in a certeine créeke vntill she was finished and afterwarde they retourned to their voyage and at the Cape of the Correntes they were so ouertaken with stormes which came sodeinly and with such a force vpon them and that against them that they were forced to stay there with all the Fléete The ship that Steuen de la Gama went in did beare vp onely with her fore saile and his sprit Saile all to torne by reason wherof he lost the companie of the whole Fléete and was no more séene And within sixe dayes after that the Captaine Generall arriued at Lishborne shée came in also with her Mast broken This storme being past from this Cape of the Currents the Captaine Generall followed his course toward Lishborne where he arriued the first day of September All the noble men of the Court went as farre as Cascaes to receiue and accompanie him till he came to the king He had going before him his Page which carryed a Bason of siluer within the same was layde all the tribute which the king of Quiloa had paide Béeing come where the king was his grace honourably receiued him according as he did deserue who had done him so great seruice as it was to discouer the Indias and to leaue setled Factoryes in Coching and in Cananor which things must néeds redound vnto the king to most certeine gaine and profit besides the great fame and honour which he got therby in being the first king that had sent to discouer the East partes whereof he might make conquest if so be that it pleased him So in satisfaction the king made him Admerall of the Indias and also gaue him the title of Lord of Vydeguero which was his owne Of the newes that were giuen out in Coching how the king of Calycut put himselfe in a readinesse for the warres and how Vincente Sodre wold not succour him but went to the cape of Quardafum Chap. 50. AS soone as the king had knowledge that y e Captaine general was departed toward Portingale he immediatly determined to put his warres in execution which he had signified to y e king of Coching before And so he marched toward the village of Panane where he beganne to ioyne his power which was immediatly knowne vnto all those of Coching for that it was not far of Wherfore the dwellers there were wonderfully afeard saieng that they had cause so to be for that the king of Coching did all things contrarie to iustice and equitie And since he did the same vnto those that are of his sect and all most naturally borne with him why should he not doe the like vnto the christians which are our enimies And for that God doth well perceiue the iust quarrell the king of Calycut hath to make him warres that he will therefore aide and succour him therein vpon the charges of those that are innocents thereof This they did not onelye tell our men but also in euery place they railed at them and endeauoured to procure as much hurt as they coulde against them Some of them also that were in credite with the king and ought vs no great good will did openlye saye that if so bée that the king of Calycut did come with a greater power then they hadde they would immediatlye deliuer our men vnto him since the warres were begunne in respect of vs and for our sakes they did put in hazarde the losse of their kingdome The king meruailing much of the boldnesse of his subiects aunswered them with louing wordes saieng that they had offended him verie sore with theyr vaine speach assuring them that if so bee that the king of Calycut woulde come and séeke him out yet hée woulde notwithstanding defende himselfe onely for that hée well knoweth that God will fauour him for his iust dealing in defending those christians as he had taken vppon him to doe But for all this his subiects coulde not bée well pacified whereof some were desirous to set vppon our men but yet they durst not for that the king had allowed them a gard to attend vppon them and also appointed a strong place for their lodging Vpon this there came newes that Vincente Sodre was come to Coching who had left greate hurt done along the coast of Calicut both by water and by land Of whose comming all our men were very glad for that they were before in great daunger But the Factor perceiuing that they came not a land sent the Captaine generall word by Laurenco Moreno the certeintie they heard of the warres which the king of Calycut was minded to make vppon the king of Coching and where hée was at that present in a readinesse for the same Requesting him on his behalfe and requiring him in the name of the king of Portingale that he woulde forthwith disimbarke himselfe for that with his béeing in Coching they were certein they should remaine conquerours yéelding sufficient reason for the same otherwise that they were in greate daunger The Generall aunswered that he was appointed for Captaine Generall of the Sea and not of the lande and did therefore remaine in the Indias onelye to kéepe the seas Neuerthelesse if so bée that the king of Calycut had prepared his warres against the king of Coching by sea he would haue defended him but since it was by lande he had nothing to doe withall but to suffer the king to defend himselfe for that he would depart to discouer the redde Sea The Factor vpon this determinate answere did once more send vnto him requiring him on Gods behalfe and the king of Portingales that he would not leaue them so for that the king of Cochings power was but small to defend himselfe withall in these warres against the king of Calicut who had begun the same onely and for none other cause but to destroy our Factorie And therfore he as Captaine Generall of the king of Portingale was bound for to defend him and that this was the principall cause why he remained in the Indias But for all this the General would not tarrie and so he departed with the rest of his Fléet toward the Cape de Quardafum where he did well knowe that he shoulde take sundrye rich prises This was that which he did better remember then to stay and defend the king of Coching or the king of Portingales Factorie How the king of Calicut signified vnto his noble men all such as did assist him the causes why he made this warre against the king of Coching And how the Prince Nabeadarni was hee that onely spake against the same chap. 50. AFter that the king of Calycut
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
Portingale Portingale and all those that were with him did the lyke Our men also out of their boates did aunswere after the selfe same manner saieng Coching Coching in despite of the King of Calycut As Francisco de Albuquerque did leape a land the King of Coching was there ready and tooke him in his armes with the teares in his eyes for excéeding ioye saying that his desire was to lyue no longer but to see himselfe restored to Coching that his Subiectes might well perceiue how much he was bound to passe so great troubles as hée had past all for to serue the King of Portingale In whose name the Captaine generall gaue him great thankes with promise to reuenge his quarrell vpon his enimies And for his part he gaue him ten thousand crownes to spend during the time that he did not receiue his rents and this money was taken out of the Coffer he carried which gift y e king of Coching estéemed very much for that he was very poore Also his subiects iudged this to be done right liberally as it was noted amongst them all and from thencefoorth they thought all to be well bestowed that the King had done for our men Foorthwith they carried the King to Coching where he entered with great glorye besides the reioycing which his subiects made and from thenceforth all our men were amongst them well estéemed Now it was not long after that the newes how that the King was retourned to Coching was brought to the King of Calycuts cares and of the money that the Captaine generall had giuen him who seeing that there was likelyhood of wars sent certain Caymales into his Countrey to defend the same for that it ioyned vnto the kingdome of Coching How Francisco de Alburquerque began the warres against all those that were enimies to the king of Coching and how the Caymall of the Ilande of Charanaypin was slaine Chap. 57. THe King of Coching being put in his possesion Francisco de Albuerquerque tooke his leaue of him His entent was that yet afore night he would partly reuenge himselfe vpon his enimies And so he went to the Iland which is ouer against Coching Now as the inhabitants thereof were somewhat forgetful and thought not that as that daye he woulde retourne so therefore did our men set vppon them before they were aware and that vpon such a sodaine that there were slaine of them a great number and sundry of their Townes set a fire and afterward they imbarked themselues without receiuing any harme And Francisco de Alburquerque going toward his Fléete met with the King and tolde him what he had done The next day after he returned to the same Iland to destroy it altogether He caried with him to y â— number of sixe hundred men for so many he had with those that he found in the other two ships and there went with him al his Captaines The Caymall of that Ilande was tarrieng for him along the water side with two thousand Nayres wherof the most part were bow men y â— others had speares swords and targets They did all they coulde to kéepe our men from landing which they did without receiuing anye hurt and they being galled sore with our Crossebowes were driuen away Our men followed them vnto the other side of the Ilande with so stout a stomacke that they had no other remedie but to take the water leauing behinde them many of their companye slaine and hurte And our men not hauing with whom to fight did set fire to all the Townes y â— were in the Ilande so that the whole Iland was destroyed The next day following Erancisco de Alburquerque went to another Iland called Charanaipin which was belonging to a Caymall subiect to the king of Coching who serued in al these warres with the King of Calycut Concerning whom by certaine spyes that the King of Coching had in that Iland he vnderstood that he had made himselfe in a readines to defend himselfe against the Captaine generall hauing redie in armes thrée thousand Nayres of the which were seauen 〈…〉 and fortie with shot besides all their houses 〈◊〉 with sundry trenches round about Also he had by 〈◊〉 certeine Paraos with Ordinance in the same which the king of Calycut had giuen him These wer aâ—â—oat in a certaine harbor where our men pretended to disimbarke themselues which were there placed that they shoulde resist our comming into that place if that it were possible About this place there was great store of boates all furnished with Ordinance but the enimies at the length were driuen to runne away so that our men remained quietly in the harbour where there stood in the water yea euen vp to their girdles a great number alwaies 〈◊〉 our landing throwing at vs both stones and spâ—â—res and shooting off their arrowes in great plentie But as one as our Ordinaunce began to go off then they desperatâ—ly began to run away and giue place Howbeit they 〈…〉 did so ioyne themselues together that in such sort they gaue our men inough to do to disimbarke themselues for that the same was so valiantly by them resisted And for all that our men could doe they woulde reuer leaue their olde altogether but by a â—wordfâ— and a lyttle they retired themselues to their Palme trée or to haue amongst them succour and there what with the hinderance that our men found by those trées they defended themselues a small time But afterward they ranne awaye and that without order so that our men followed them to the vttermost in especiall the Constable of Francisco de Alburquerque whom they call Pedro de lares who found himselfe alone with thrée Nayres which came toward him The one of these shot an arrow which strake him in the breast and for that he wore a breast plate it did him no harme And as the Nayre loosed off his arrow went off lykewise his shot and strake the Nayre in the breast so that he ouerthrewe him and afterward shot off another péece vpon one of the others that remained and killed him also By the third he himselfe was hurte in the legge with a certaine weapon which they doe call a Gomya and with the same hée that hurt him would haue run awaye but at length this Pedro lares killed him with his sword Thus all the enimies béeing put to flight Francisco de Alburquerque did then determine to march toward the Caymalls house wher he had gathered together all his force which was somewhat strong by reaâ—on of certaine trenches that he had made about the same The Captaines were diuided on both sides of the Iland and each of them had their men with them and in the middes of the Iland were placed those of Coching In this order they went all burning and spoylyng such Townes as there were and that without any resistaunce Going in this order there came certaine Paraos from Calycut on that side of the Ilande which Edwarte Pachecho had the
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
not haue gone so farre forward but in the end I am in the fault and not they and since it is so wée haue therin no right cause neither canne gette any thing by our strength Let vs therfore giue it ouer desire no more to haue Coching for that God doth fauour these men since wel you sée there is no power in the Indias that can offend vs so long we being so strong but these dogs of whom I am afraid y t they will subdue the Indias according to the acts that they haue done and the credit that they haue gotten especially in Malabar And that this mishap may go no further I thinke it shoulde be conuenient to procure theyr friendship also it is time to get vs away for y ◠the winter commeth on the riuers do increase these men do ouerrun all and this is certeine y e if the wars indure they will come hether inforce vs to depart with our losse dishonor Now y ◠first that he asked councell of what was necessary to be done was his brother Nabeadarin who being angry with the king that he wold neuer follow his councel leaue the warres saide that now he knewe to his cost what he had told him of vs since in time he woulde not know it he asked him what it shuld now profit him for his honour and credit since y ◠then when opportunitie serued he refused his councell but now he willed him to do what he shuld thinke good for he could not do amisse The king béeing somwhat broken of his pride calling him brother said that now there was no time to aunswere him after such sort but to tell him his opinion what he thought best The prince answered y ◠we were venterous alwaies remained so assured of the victory vpon our experienced strength and good fortune albeit our power were much lesse so y e he greatly doubted we would none of his friendship And for thée to offer y e same said he to y e king they to refuse it wold be no lesse dishonor vnto thée then the often ouerthrows y ◠thou hast receiued And since by thy profered friendship we cannot get so much as we should loose if they refuse y ◠same it were best therefore not to procure it but to defer it make peace with the Captaine general that commeth y ◠next yere from Portingale who considering howe little the wars will profit him not being assured of good successe therein will be the gladder to make peace with thée therfore that it may not be thought that we run awaye for feare let vs stay not depart vntill such time it shuld be thought that y e necessitie of the winter did inforce vs hence then may we wel talke of peace when possible the Captaine general wil willingly accept the same doubting that his good fortune may chaunge And to prouoke giue occasion the rather to haue his friendship let vs giue him no more battels in the meane time since it serueth to no purpose but to the great losse and confusion of our men This councell of Nabeadarin was reproued by the kings and noble men which were there then assembled especially of the Lord of Repelyn which said that the king ought not to goe away neither for the greatnesse of the winter that should come nor yet for the iosse of his men but rather to continue giuing vs manye battailes vntill such time he did take vs and not onely procured the destruction of vs in Coching but also of those that were in Cananor and Coulan And that immediatly it were expedient they sent men of credit with letters to affirme that they had boorded our Caruells with their Castles and had also slaine vs all and taken our sayd Caruells and therefore that they should kill all those that were there as they had promised To the same effect therefore the king did write immediatly and the Moores also but there was no credite giuen to the same for that there was other newes sent before and therefore the last was taken for false Neuerthelesse for all that by the industry of the Moores the which did dwel in those two towns our men were in great danger and durst not come out of theyr Factoryes and in Coulan there was one slaine but in the other places none for afterward messengers were sent from Calycut to the Gentiles that our men were aliue and what wée had done For which cause the king of Calycut was aunswered that they would not kill our men vntill such time the Captaine Generall was taken and that he had first giuen him the ouerthrowe which béeing done they would conclude with him This béeing come to the knowledge of the Lorde of Repelyn both he and the Moores did perswade the king to fight another battell with the Captaine Generall the which he would willingly not haue done for that he was wearyed in his spirit but he could not withstand them and therefore commaunded the same to bée giuen both by Sea and lande But in it he had lyke successe as before so that more through the importunate desire of the Moores then of his owne will he gaue in his owne person another battell with his Castles with many more men and vessells then in the other before This battell endured longer then the other in which also the enimyes were ouercome and receiued farre greater losse then euer they did before With this victorye that we had gotten the inhabitaunts of Coching remained sure from all their enimies and so likewise did the king whom afterward came to visite the Captaine generall being brought in a chaire with farre greater estate then euer he came before since the first beginning of all the warres This being knowne in the campe of the enimies the kings and noble men that were with the king of Calicut tooke occasion to say vnto him that he shoulde not consent in especially hauing such a greate power as he hadde there present that the king of Coching should haue him in so small reputation as thereby to iudge himselfe frée from him out of his danger To the which the king of Calicut made answere y e the king of Coching had great reson to do that which he had done in especially knowing his greate power and camp and yet perceiuing that he could not giue him the ouerthrowe And since that his euill fortune was such he desired them not to wish him to go forward in these wars for that he knewe well and was fully perswaded that continuing the same he shoulde alwayes receiue the losse and run daily into greater danger as by the feare thereof it was apparaunt And therefore he requested them all to let him alone by himselfe who so béeing did imagine againe what course he might best take to reuenge himselfe And after that he came aboord he called for certeine of his Nayres in whom he had reposed
shore and there remained all that night in the which there ranne away well néere thirtie Moores of the which were twelue taken againe with his Boate. After this hée went vp and downe wauering in the winde tarryeng for the rest of the shippes and séeing that they came not nor yet heard no more newes of them he carryed the foresayde shippe with him to Coulan After that hée had delyuered the ship to the Factor with all such merchandise as he had the which wer many and rich he departed toward Coching where after his comming the ships of the Fléete went to lading And likewise the others béeing come that were a lading in other places then the Captaine generall did enter in councell whether that they thought good that he should set vpon Grangalor or not forasmuch as it held on the king of Calycuts side and was enimie to the king of Coching And now also the king of Calicut was come forth of the Torcull to Calycut and had in the riuers his Captaine generall with foure score Paraos and fiftie shippes and by lande had appointed Nabeadarin with a greate number of men And forasmuch as it was spread abroade that the Captaine Generall did depart towarde Portingale the king of Calycut was minded to returne and renewe the warres Now the Captaine generall béeing determined and aduised by all the Captaines to set vppon Grangalor he departed one night with xv boates the which were armed with paueyses and with fiue and twentie Paraos from Coching replenished with Ordinaunce Also with these there went a Caruell so that in the whole there were welnigh a thousande of our men with whom there went also as manye Nayres of Coching In the morning before it was daye hée came to Palypuerto for hée durst venture no further for that the Boates went verye heauie laden with theyr furniture by reason wherof they could not passe the shoells that were there At this place there came against him the Prince with eight hundred Nayres and after this sort some there were of them that went by lande and some by water Thus they departed toward Grangalor where the king of Calycuts Captaine generall was in two new ships the which were cheined together full of Ordinaunce and men and the most of them bowe men And a stearne these shippes and on both their sides were these Paraos with many men also The Captaine Generall of the enimies had in his company two of his sonnes which wer accounted for to be very valyaunt Gentlemen Our Fléete béeing come the Ordinaunce beganne to goe off on both partes Tristim de la Silua Alonso de la cocta Vasco caruallo Peralonso de Aguylar and Antonio de Sâ—â—dania which went in the Vangarde didde close with the two ships with the which they fought a while These ships being boorded were immediately yéelded béeing first of all slaine the Captaine generall and both his sonnes the which fought very valyantlye and also manye others for that in this place was all the force of the Battaile And as touching the Paraos that the other Captains did set vpon there was but little to doe forsomuch that as soone as they saw their ships boorded they fled their waye Wherevpon commaundement was giuen by the Captain generall that all our men should disimbarke themselues of whom the first fiue Captains were they that gaue the first onset vpon Nambeadarin who offered to resist with certaine Nayres which he had in his retinue with whome our men did fight with so valyant a minde that they made theyr enimies to runne awaye Then our men following the chase did set fire to certeine houses beside all y â— Towne which was dispoiled both by the Moores and Gentiles the which did well know that our men would come vpon theÌ„ as also did Nambeadarin and his men which fled awaye along the water side Edwarte Pacheco and the Factour Diego Hernando Correa with the other Captaines didde disimbarke themselues in another place who immediately began to set a fire the Citie The Captaine generall in the meane while remained along the water side to keepe his men from scattering Then the Christians that dwelt in this Citie and that were hidden amongst the houses when they saw the Towne all in a fire came out from where they were hidden crieng with a loude voyce and requesting them not to kill them for that they were Christians And some of them ther wer y â— sent presently to the Captaine generall to pray him that for Gods sake hée woulde commaund the fire to be quenched for that they shoulde els burne certaine Churches of our Ladie and of the Apostles which were in the Citie as also their poore houses y â— which were mingled with the houses of the Gentiles and Moores Then for their sakes the Generall commaunded the fire immediately to be quenched although that many of theyr houses were burnt which for that they were made of timber did burne quickly The fire being quenched our men fel to ransaking of the houses of the Moores among whom there were many which before time had dwelt in Calicut Moreouer the two shippes with their Paraos that were in the water were likewise burnt besides other thrée y t were a land This conflict yet continuing there came thether the Prince of Coching who told the Captaine Generall that Nambeadaryn was not far off with his power who was determined to returne to the Citie after that he was departed Then the Captaines procured license of the Captaine Generall that he would suffer them to goe séeke him out so they did But as soone as the enimies had sight of them they ran their way as fast as they could The Captaine generall séeing this did returne wold haue set vpon another Towne the which was not farre off but for that the Prince of Coching requested him to the contrary for that the one halfe of the same was his and that it was vnpossible to destroy the one halfe without the other and also for that the King of Calycuts subiects were ready to submit themselues vnto him praying him to defend them Then the Captaine generall entered into the Citie did ther make certain Knights and afterward returned to the Forte to the which the King of Coching came to visit him ¶ How the King of Tanor sent for succour to the Captaine generall which he sent him Cap. 79. AFter two or thrée daies past that the Captaine generall was in the Castle there came thether vnto him an Embassadour from y e King of Tanor who is next neighbour to the King of Calicut who spake vnto him in this order on y â— king his masters behalfe That whereas héerto he had bene a friend to the King of Calicut and did alwaies aid him in all such wars as he had made against Edwarte Pacheco now since he is come out of the Torcull presuming on his great power and hauing encreased or rather doubled his pride doth in recompence of
his good seruice make warres vpon him And therefore hauing knowledge that the King of Calicut was minded to set forwarde and to succour the Citie of Grangalor and that his Captaine generall was marching toward the same he did assemble 4000. Nayres which he placed in certaine straights by the which y e king of Calicut shuld passe at his comming did set vpon his whole campe ouerthrew the same with the death of 2000. of his men which was the cause y t he came not to succour the citie of Grangalor but with this losse returned to Calicut Wherefore hauing done this exployt he remaineth in feare least he wil come and set vpon him And therfore his request is that the Captaine generall will succour him since most hūbly he doth demaund y e same which if he will doe he will promise him to be true subiect to y e king of Portingale To this Embassage y e General aunswered y t he was wel content to accept him for y e kings subiect to send Pedro Raphael with his Caruell in y e which were an 100. men the most whereof were Crossebowmen shot It was a great chance y t the same daye our men came to Tanor thether came also y e king of Calicut by land with his whole camp gaue to y e king of Tanor battell in which through y e valor of our men he was ouerthrowen many of his slaine And for this succor y t the Generall sent thether the king of Tanor remained subiect to y ◠king of Portingale With this ouerthrow y e king of Calicut continued in great feare in lesse credit with y e Moores then he had with y e victories that Edwarte Pacheco had gottē against him because those wars wer made with strangers but this with y e king of Tanor who is his neighbor Which thing was y e cause y r all such Moores as dwelt in Calicut Grangalor conceiued now so great a misliking to trade toward Meca y t they determined to return to their coūtries for this cause they laded xvii great ships in Pandarane fortifieng them to defend thēselues from our men y e better to offend thē if they shuld come Also there were many Paraos and Tones lykewise a lading as fast as they could plye it ¶ How the Captaine generall fought in Pandarane with seuenteene great ships of the Moores and how he ouercame them and burned them Chap. 79. THe Captaine generall perceiuing that of force he must néedes returne with all such ships as were laden by counsaile of the Captaines and for securitie of the King of Coching and of the Fort there did therefore appoint and leaue in Coching a Captaine generall with whom he left a ship and two Caruels the one of Pedro Raphael and the other of Diego Pieres This Captaine was a Gentleman called Manuel telez de Vasconcelos whom the Captaine generall did present to the King of Coching who had a great deale more desire that Edwarte Pacheco should haue remained for his good seruice and affection he bare him as I haue sayd Howbeit notwithstanding he durst not demaund his tarrieng at the Captaine generalls hands forsomuch as he was of a very ill condition Edwarte Pacheco hauing knowledge of his going for Portingale purposed first ere that he departed to speake with the King of Coching the which he so did For whose departure the King remained very sorrowfull requesting him to tarrie if so be it were possible in the Indias and not to leaue him for that as yet he did not think himselfe sure from the King of Calicut and also he tolde him that he remembred that he had promised him sundry times not to goe away vntill such time he had made him King of Calicut and since as yet he had not the possession of the same he desired him not to leaue him Edwarte Pacheco aunswered him that he left him now in a good time hauing his Countrey verye quiet forsomuch as the King of Calycut hath bene and now is abated so greatly of his pride that he néeded not to stande in no feare of him anye more For sufficient proofe whereof was if none other thing that now he sawe the Moores of Meca to go theyr way from Calycut as men desperate for the losse of their trade Also that his going for Portingale was not but to returne and then to serue him for a longer time and more at his pleasure With this aunswere the King was somwhat satisfied and with the teares in his eyes desired him to pardon him for that he did not giue him all that was his desire in recompence of the seruice he had done for him in consideration that he was so poore as he did well knowe Howbeit he intreated him that of his Pepper which hée had he would take what he woulde But Edwarte Pacheco would haue nothing saieng that he did trust in God that when he retourned to Coching hée should finde him very rich in his prosperitie and then he would receiue reward of him And with this he departed the King with all his subiects remaining verye heauie for his departure Moreouer the King wrote vnto the king of Portingale of all Edwarte Pacheco successes in the warres and what he had done for him After this the Captain gerall departed toward Cananor the xxvi of September carieng in his companye those Captaines which shoulde remaine in the Indias His good wil intent was to come to an Ankor in the harbour of Panane and there to visite the King of Tanor But by reason of the ill weather they had and their naughtie Pilots they could not reach y ◠same but were driuen to Calycut and Pandarane And from thence he commaunded Pedro Raphael and Diego Pieres to go before the Fléete and to looke out whether they could see any ships of the Moores Being ariued at Pandarane bearing along the Coast with a small winde there came vpon them x. Paros of the xvii ships that were ther a lading Our men hauing sight of them began forthwith to shoote at them with their ordinaunce The other Captayns being a Sea boord and hearing the sound of the ordinance did returne and bare as close by the winde as they could And hauing sight of the ships of the Moores to be a ground came to Cananor by the Captaine generalls commaundement who immediately entered into counsaile in y e which it was determined by the whole consent of his Captains that they shuld fight with those Moores and that they shuld goe in their boates for that their ships could not come néere vnto them by reason they were within the Barre And for that the enimies were many that therefore they should do what they could to close with the ships the which as soone as they had done they shuld set the same a fire This being appointed the Captaine general with all y e other Captains of the Fléete did imbarke
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
Mores The king quarrelleth vvith the Captaine Generall The effect of y e king of Portingales Letters to the king of Calycut the Mores make a nevv conspiracie Dissimulation in y e Catuall The Catuals purpose opened The Generals vneffectuall excuse Gonsallo Peres sent back to the ships The generals constancye marueled at by the Catuall The effect of y e Generals letters vnto his brother His brothers aply deuises of the Mores to entise theÌ„ aland Their merchandize paide for by y e king him selfe Bontaybo vsed but not trusted The ende of y e vvinter in the Indias The kings aunsvvere vnto Diego Dias Diego Dias kept in prison Boies sent for spyes The king of Calicuts treson towards the Captaine generall Certaine Malabars stayed in exchange Yet 〈◊〉 deuices to slaye the Portingals from departing The effect of y e king of Calicuts letters Bontaibo vvilling to goe to Portingal Cinamon grovving AnsaÌ„dina forsaken of the inhabitants They repaire their ships Sugar Canes grovving there A notable couÌ„terfait discouered A kinde of boates so called A Moore christened Men stifled vvith the Sunne onely The Skurfe A vvofull mortalitie The Citie of Magadoxo The Raphaell burned The I le of Zenziber The preparation vnto y e second voiage The names of the Generalls Captaines Factors Friers sent to the Malabars A ievvell of great price OrnameÌ„ts made of Parrats feathers The couÌ„trey of Brasil discouered A Comet seene in the elemeÌ„t four ships sunke by tempest A vvoÌ„derful storme and great Seas They coÌ„e to Sofala The king of Quiloa a mightie Prince The descriptioÌ„ of the city of Quyloa Shippes vvithout nailes The meeting of y e king y e Captaine Generall A malitious ferfull More The kings message to y e Captaine Generall 〈…〉 The king of Calycuts message to y e Captaine Generall The king of Calicut maketh excuses vvhen he should deliuer pledges Pleadges are sent aboorde vvhich feare to be taken captiue The king of Calycuts state furniture The Captaine generall deliuereth his letters of credite to the king of Calicut The preseÌ„t vvhich y e generall brought with him Humaiâ—â— pity in 〈◊〉 Captaine generall tovvard faithlesse Infidells The pledges sent aboord The Captaine generall had good came to feare and hate the Moores A free house for the factory giueÌ„ to the king of Portingale by deede This ship for one in those coasts very vvel appointed The Moores yeelded vnto our men The Moores Oration against our men Proues that vvee vvere rather pirats then merchants why he requested our men to take the ship of Meca The king accused plainly of doblenes Nothing more acceptable to the Mores theÌ„ to quarell fall out vvith our men The Moores moued a tumult against our men The sauage fircenes of the Moores against our men Succour sent by y e Generall Captaine to the Factorie The king of Calicut vvas farre off from making a mendes Iust reuenge vvrought vpon the iniurious CalicuttaÌ„s The feare that the King of Calicut and the citizens were in Coching standeth in 9. degrees and the scituatioÌ„ therof A Moore baptised called Michael The king of Coching much inferior in vvealth state to y e king of Calycut The discriptioÌ„ state of GraÌ„galor Why the christians of y e Indias hath a Pope The manner of shauing their priests differing froÌ„ ours Negro friers professing chastitie A greate Fleete of enimies He maketh tovvard Portingale The discription of the tovvne of Cananor Drugs for the Pothecaries Euery quintall is 100. vveight A ship of the fleete cast avvay Diego Dias found at Capo Verde his voyage The IlaÌ„d of Sofala discouered The third Fleet that vvent froÌ„ Portingal to the Indias The order that the king gaue him concerning this voyage they take their voyage to the Indias The malitiousnesse of the Moores Euerye Quintall is a 100. vvaight The king of Calicut sent lxxx Paraos to fight with y e captain generall This flag was a sign request of peace they ariue safelye at Portingal The iiii voyage to the Indias 1502. He goeth first to Sofala to regrate their golde A house apointed for the Factory A ship of y e Moores of Meca taken Desperate minds in time of extremitie An embassadour set to y e king of Cananor The meeting of y e king and the Captaine Generall at Cananor 1502. The preseÌ„t vvhich the king of Portingale sent y e king of Cananor The Moores make him keepe no promise vvith the Capteine Generall nor feare his povver The king of Portingales present seÌ„t to the king of Coching The king of Coching present set to the king of Portingale This messeÌ„ger was one of his chief chaplaines The king of Calycuts letter to y e king of Coching The aunsvvere of the king of Coching to the king of Calycuts letter The reply to the king of Cochings letter The king of Cochings ansvvere to the reply Great friendship and constancie in an heatheÌ„ Prince A battaile by sea between our ships and the kings of Calicut A rich price takeÌ„ from the enimie The order that vvas giuen to Vincente Sodre at the departure of the Captaine generall froÌ„ Cananor They vvere dispersed by a tempest Both commons noble meÌ„ repine against theyr king and our men The Captain generall excuseth himselfe for deling on the lande This generall captaine had other matters of more profit in hand The king of Calicut signifieth the cause vvhy hee beginneth to make these vvarres against the king of Coching Heere this enterprise vvas vvell liked of by his noble men others The aunswere vvhich y â— prince made to y â— foresayde Oration The execution of y e pledges defended by the kings brother The Mores ouerthrovv the credit of y e kings brothers Oration The very sight of our men abhorred in Coching The aunsvvere vvhich the king of Coching made to the factor Fevve hauing the right on their side preuayle most times against nuÌ„bers that come in an euill cause The king of Cochings Oration to his noble men It is better to dye vvith honor then to lyue vvith the infamous name of a rude and lieng Prince The kings brother made general of the field and armie The king of Calycuts letter to y e king of Coching The aunsvvere which the king of Coching made to the foresaid letter The Calicutians repulsed froÌ„ passing ouer the Foorde IncoÌ„stancie â—n the king of Calycut noted A stout stomacke of a prince Treason practised against y e prince Naramuhim Prince Naramuhim and his povver ouerthrovvne Comfortable vvords of a prince The kings Oration made vnto his subiects about the losse of his kingdome Ouerthrovvs in vvar sent of God vnto princes for their of fences The inhabitants of Coching flye for feare of the king of Calicut The king of Coching is faine to flye and leaue his citie 1503 The familiaritie securitie of y e inhabitants of the Iland of Curia Muria The effect which the torment vvrought amongest their ships in that coast 1503. The
left by the late king for Nauigation to those farre countries he then commaunded that Fernan Lorenso Treasurer of the house of the Myna should cause to be made and prepared of the timber which was bought in king Iohns time two shippes wherevnto after they were finished he gaue the names to the one the Angel Gabriel being of an hundred and twentie tunne and to the other Saint Raphael a shippe of one hundred tunne And to goe in the companie of these ships the King then bought of a Pilot that was borne in Lagus called Berrio a Caruell of fiftie tunne which had and bare the selfe name of the Pilot Moreouer he bought a ship of two hundred tunne of one Ayres Correa These Shippes thus made readie and prepared and the king then being in Monte mayor the new with his first wife the Quéene Dōna Izabel in the yeare a thousand foure hundreth nintie seuen he then gaue the chiefe Captaine shippe of this voyage vnto the Indias to Vasco de la Gama his seruaunt who also before was seruaunt to Don Ioan borne in the towne of Synis a harbour towne in the fields of Dorricke The same was a man experimented in matters of the Sea and of Nauigation wherein he had done to this kingdome great seruice And forasmuch as he was a man of greate courage and valure and therefore very apt and likely to atteine and atchieue the end y ◠was by the king desired the king then accordingly in presēce of many noble personages to his great praise and no lesse incouragement commaunded him when he gaue him the charge of that iourney earnestly also requiring him to aunswere and satisfie the expectation and credit he had conceiued of him and reposed in him which if he did he would then very largely reward that his indeauour and trauell and so liberally deale towardes him as he shoulde finde himselfe satisfied for that his dilligence and seruice imployed and for some proofe of those princely and louing speaches he then beganne to make performaunce of parte thereof at that verye instant giuing him an Encommenda with money to put himselfe in a readinesse for that voiage And for to goe with him the king also dispatched one Paulo de la Gama brother to the Captaine Generall and one Nicholas Coello both of them the kings seruants and men méete and apt for whatsoeuer matter of enterprise or cause of valiauntnesse Moreouer he appointed one Bartholome Dyas to goe with them in a Caruell to the Myna And for that in the ships of warre sufficient victualls for the people in the same could not be carried further then to a place called Saint Blaze where they must of course take in fresh water the king gaue commaundement that the shippe of Ayres Correa should goe loaden with victuals vnto that place in the companie of the Fléet and there to take out the same and then to burne the said Ship The Captaine Generall thus informed and dispatched departed with the other Captaines from the Kings court towardes Lishborne where the ships being in a readinesse he imbarked his companie béeing one hundred fortie and eight persons in Belen one league from Lishborne vpon the Saturday being the eight day of Iulye in the yeare of our Lorde God a thousand foure hundred nintie and seauen At which imbarking all the religious men of our Ladie Church in Belen which is a Monestrarie of Saint Hierome went in Procession bare footed and in their cowles with waxe Candles in their hands praieng and the most part of the people of Lishborne with them al of them wéeping and pitieng those that so imbarked themselues supposing they shuld all die in that so aduentrous and daungerous voiage as in déede the p resumption and common opinion thereof was greate and no lesse to be adiudged of The Generall and other his Captaines with their people so imbarked and by the multitude and companie then present commended to God and good fortune they forthwith made saile and departed The Captaine Generall went in the Ship called Saint Gabriel hauing Pilot for y e same one Pedro de Alanquer which was Pilot with Bartholome Dyas when he went to discouer y e riuer called El ryo del ynfante The brother of the Captaine generall went in the ship called S. Raphael Nicholas Coello went in the Caruell Berrio one Gonsalo Gomes seruaunt to the Captaine generall went for Captaine of the ship that carried their victuals Thus being set forward and vnder saile the Captaine generall commaunded that if by any happe whatsoeuer they should bée seuered and loose each other they shuld euery one make and kéepe their roote or course to Cabo Verde where they would ioyne themselues together againe And so following their voiage they came within eight dayes after to the sight of the Ilandes of the Canaries from whence going ouer against the Riuer called Ryo de Oro the night did growe so darke and such great tempest and storme rose as they lost each other and therefore they retourned their course towardes Cabo Verde and Paulo de la Gama Nicholas Coello Bartholome Dyas and Gonsalo Gomes hauing met and after eight daies failing together they came to sight of their Captaine Generall vpon the wednesdaye in the Euening and saluting him with many shot of ordinaunce and with sound of Trumpets they spake vnto him each of them heartely reioysing and thanking God for their safe méeting and good fortune in this their first brunt of daunger and perill The next day béeing the twenteth day of Iuly the Captaine general with all his Fléet attained vnto the Ilands of Sancty Ago wher cōming to anker in y ◠play de Santa Maria they remained there seuen daies taking in such water as they had néed of repairing the yards of their ships and other harmes they had receiued in the storme past Tewsday being the third day of August the Captaine Generall departed thence following his course to the East but first before his departure he tooke his leaue of Bartholome Dyas who returned into Portingale And going towarde the Cape of Buena Esperansa with all the ships of his companie hée entered the goulfe into the Sea and from thence sailed all August September and October in which time they susteined many and great tempests or rather torments of outragious windes and raine so that they expected nothing but present death which still was represented before them by view of the manifolde daungers and perills they presently then sawe and whereof they were forced to abide the euenture Béeing thus perplexed God of his diuine goodnesse recomforted them for vpon the saturdaye being the fourth day of Nouember at nine of the clocke in the fore-noone they sawe land whereat they greatly reioysed and all the Captaines béeing together they then saluted the Generall all of them apparelled in their best araie and hauing decked and garnished their shippes with Flagges accordingly they drew néere the land as the generall had commaunded
his lands possessions and dignities as he thought good and set euery necessary thing in order for establishing his determinate will and pleasure he then imbarked himselfe there wher now Calicut is builded and scituated and for that the King did there imbarke himself to go towards y e house of Meca y e Moores then took such deuotion towards that place that they and all their posteritie euer since that time hitherto would not nor yet will take any lading but out of that Port. And from that time afterward they came no more to the Port of Coulan as vsually they did before by meane and occasion whereof the same grew to ruine and was destroyed especially when Calicut was once builded and that many Moores came and inhabited the same For as they were Merchaunts of great dealings so came they thether and made there the greatest and richest Faire or Marte of all the Indias finding there all the Spices Drugs Nutmegs and all other things that could be wished as all kindes of precious stones pearles séede of pearle Muske Saunders Aguila fine Dishes of earth Laker gylted Coffers and all the fine things of the Chyna Gold Amber Waxe Iuorie fine and couâ—se cotten as well white as dyed in colours much rawe silke silke twisted and all kinde of linnen cloth of silke and golde and cloth of golde and cloth of tissew chamlets graine scarlets carpets of silke Copper Quicksiluer Vermilion Allome coralls Rose waters and all kinde of Conserues so that ther is no kinde of Merchandise of all the world which coulde be demaunded but it should be found there Moreouer it was very quiet for that it was scituated along the Coast the which lieth almost open and very daungerous it is inuironed set round about with many Orchards in which are many sorts of fruits of that lande and many hearbes and excellent waters Also they haue many Palme trées and other sorts of trées In this lande there is but small store of Rice which is ther a principall victuall as amongst vs our Wheate is but there commeth from other places great aboundaunce thereof as in like manner there doeth of other victualls The Citie is great and all the houses be of straw onely the houses of their Idolls Chappels and the Kings houses except which are of lyme and stone and couered with tyle for none but they are permitted by theyr lawes to haue anye other manner of building then with strawe It was inhabited by Gentiles of sundry sects and by Moores which were great Merchaunts and so rich that some of them had fiftie ships There is no such season of Winter but that there may lye in that Harbour sixe hundred shippes They haue there a shore whether they do cary them with small trauaile for that they be made without nailes sowed with ropes of Cayro and pitched vpon they haue no quiell but are flat bottomed ¶ Of what great power the King of Calicut is and of his vse and custome likewise of the other Kings of Malabar and how the Nayres do liue Chapter 14. FOr that this Citie was of so great a trade and also the Countrey round about so inhabited which increased so largelye the Kings rents it came to passe that he grew to be so rich of money and so mightie in power by multitude of people that in one daye he was able to leauie and make in a readinesse thirtie thousand fighting men and in thrée dayes space one hundred thousand They called him Samoryn which in theyr tongue is Emperour for so he was among the Kings of Malabar and there were no more but two beside him that is to say the King of Coulan and the King of Canauor For albeit the others were called Kings yet were they not so This King of Calycut was a Bramene as others his Predecessours also were which amongst the Malabars are Priests and for that it is a custome and auncient order obserued that all the Kings doe dye in one Pagode which is the house of praiers to their Idolls he is elected for that cause for alwayes in the same house there must be and is a King to serue those Idolles and when he that serueth there doeth dye then must the King that then raygneth and gouerneth leaue his Empire and goe serue in that place as the other did and into his place and Kingdome they elect and put an other that shall so succeede him And if anye of them that is in possession of the Kingdome refuse to goe into the Pagode the King that then serueth in the same béeing dead they will then inforce him thereto which so refuseth although it be against his will These Kings of Malabar be browne men and goe naked from the gyrdell vpwarde and from thence downewarde they be couered with cloath of silke and of Cotten sometime they put vppon them shorte gownes which they doe call Basus of silke or cloath of golde and of scarlet with very rich stones and especiallye the King of Calycut excelleth in those attires and Iewells They be shauen leauing vpon the vpper lip as the Turkes vse the hayre vnshauen They be serued but with small estate especiallye at theyr meate whereof they haue but lyttle But the King of Calycut is serued with greater Estate These Kings doe not marrie nor obserue the Lawe of marriage but yet they maye haue a Lemman of the house of the Nayres which amongest the Malabars are Gentlemen and shée hath hir house by hir self neere to the Pallaice They doe allowe hir so lyberallye for hir charges and maintenaunce that she maye haue plentifullye of all thinges to hir contentation vppon that Stypende assigned hyr And when any disliking is had of hir by them they may alwayes leaue hir and such children as they haue by hir be not taken or accompted for theyrs neither doe they inherite the Kingdome nor anye thing of theyrs After they be men they are had in no more estimation then that is incident vnto them from the mothers bloud and parentage Their brothers doe inherite if they haue any if not then their sisters children shall who doe not marry neither yet haue any certaintie of their husbands They bée very frée and at libertie to choose those of whom they lyke and be such as are best estéemed of They haue verye great rents allowed them and when anye of them come to the age of ten yeares for at that time they are to be knowen of men their kinred then doe sende forth out of this kingdome for a young man Nayre and presenting him with gifts earnestly request the same to take hir virginitie who then receiueth hir with great ioy and after she is thus vsed doth tye about hir necke a Iewell which she doth carry and weare alwayes during hir life as a thing in great estimation for a token of the libertie giuen hir by that act to do with hir bodie afterward for euer what she will for without this manner of