While
Here, Seven Large Ships Belonging To Cambaya, Which Were Bound For The
Red Sea, Appeared Off The Anchoring Ground, And Seemed At First Disposed
To Attack Our Ships; But Being Afraid Of The Portuguese Ordnance, They
Continued Their Voyage.
From Anchediva Nueva proceeded for Cananor, where
he had an audience of the rajah, from whom he received particular notice
of all that had happened in Calicut to Cabral, and of the offer which the
rajah had made to load all his ships at Cananor.
The rajah assured him of
his earnest desire of doing every thing in his power to serve the king of
Portugal, and pressed him to take in his loading at that port; but Nueva
declined this offer for the present, until he had consulted with the
factor at Cochin, for which port he took his departure from Cananor. On
his way between Cananor and Cochin, Nueva took a ship belonging to some
of the Moorish merchants at Calicut, after a vigorous resistance, and set
it on fire.
On his arrival at Cochin, the factor who had been left there by Cabral
came on board with the rest of his company, and acquainted him that the
rajah was greatly offended with Cabral for leaving the port without
seeing him, and for carrying away the hostages; yet had always kindly
entertained and the other members, of the factory, lodging them every
night in the palace for security, and always sending a guard of nayres
along with any of them who had occasion to go out during the day, on
purpose to defend them from the Moors who sought their destruction, and
who had one night set fire to the house in which they lodged before their
removal to the palace. He also informed Nueva that the Moors had
persuaded the native merchants to depreciate the price of the Portuguese
merchandize, and not to take these in exchange for pepper, so that unless
he had brought money for his purchases he would have little chance of
procuring a loading. On this intelligence, and considering that he had
not brought money, Nueva immediately returned from Cochin to Cananor,
expecting to procure his loading at that port, in consequence of the
friendly dispositions of the rajah towards the king of Portugal[6]. On
his return to Cananor, he found that money was as necessary there for his
purchases as at Cochin: But, when the rajah, was informed of his
difficulties from want of money, he became his security to the native
merchants for 1000 quintals or hundred weights of pepper, 450 quintals of
cinnamon, and fifty quintals of ginger, besides some bales of linen
cloth[7]. By this generous conduct of the rajah, Nueva procured a loading
for his ships, and left his European merchandize for sale at Cananor under
the management of a factor and two clerks.
On the 15th December, while waiting for a fair wind to begin his homeward
voyage, the rajah sent notice to Nueva that eighty _paraws_ were seen to
the northward, which were past mount _Dely_, and that these vessels were
from Calicut, sent expressly to attack the Portuguese ships; and the
rajah advised him to land his men and ordnance for greater security: But
the general was not of this mind, and sent word to the rajah that he
hoped, with the assistance of God, to be able to defend himself. Next day,
being the 16th of December, before dawn, about an hundred ships and
paraws full of Moors came into the bay, sent on purpose by the zamorin,
who was in hopes to have taken all our ships and men. As soon as Nueva
perceived this numerous armament, he hoisted anchor and removed his
squadron to the middle of the bay, where he ordered all his ships to pour
in their shot against the enemy without intermission. Doubtless, but for
this, the enemy would have boarded his ships, and they were so numerous
it would have been impossible for him to have escaped; but as the Moors
had no ordnance, they could do our people no harm from a distance, and
many of their ships and paraws were sunk, with the loss of a vast number
of men, while they did not dare to approach for the purpose of boarding,
and not a single person was killed or hurt on our side. The enemy towards
evening hung out a flag for a parley; but as Nueva feared this might be
intended as a lure, he continued firing, lest they might suppose he
stopped from weariness or fear. But the Moors were really desirous of
peace, owing to the prodigious loss they had sustained, and their
inability to escape from the bay for want of a fair wind. At length, most
of his ordnance being burst or rendered unserviceable by the
long-continued firing, and seeing that the Moors still kept up their flag
of truce, Nueva ceased firing and answered them by another flag[8].
Immediately on this, a Moor came to Neuva in a small boat, to demand a
cessation of hostilities till next day. This was granted, on condition
that they should quit the bay and put out to sea, which they did
accordingly. Although the wind was very unfavourable, Nueva stood out to
sea likewise, which the enemy could hardly do, as their ships and paraws
can only make sail with a fair wind. Notwithstanding all that had happened,
Nueva was constrained to come to anchor close to the fleet of the enemy,
and gave orders to keep strict watch during the night. At one time they
were heard rowing towards our fleet, and it was supposed they intended
setting our ships on fire; on which Neuva ordered to veer out more cable,
to get farther off. Perceiving that the boats of the enemy continued to
follow, he commanded a gun to be fired at them, on which they made off;
and the wind coming off shore and somewhat fair, they made sail for
Calicut.
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