Soon
Afterwards There Came A Boat With A Flag To The Admirals Ship, A Which
Was A Person In The Habit Of A Franciscan Friar, Who Was Taken At First
Sight For One Of Those Who Had Accompanied Ayres Correa, And Who They
Supposed Had Remained A Prisoner.
On entering the ship, he saluted them,
saying _Deo gratias_; but was immediately recognized as a Moor.
He
excused himself for coming in that disguise, to secure permission of
getting on board, and said that he brought a message from the zamorin to
the admiral, about settling a trade in Calicut. To this the admiral made
answer, that he would by no means treat on this subject, unless the
zamorin would previously satisfy him for all the goods which had been
seized in the factory, when he consented to the death of Correa and the
rest who were there slain. On this subject three days were spent
ineffectually in messages between the zamorin and the admiral, as the
Moors used every influence to prevent any friendly agreement. At length,
perceiving that all these messages were only meant to gain time, the
admiral sent notice to the zamorin that he would wait no longer than noon
for his final answer, and if that were not perfectly satisfactory and in
compliance with his just demands, he might be assured he would wage cruel
war against him with fire and sword, and would begin with those of his
subjects who were now prisoners in his hands. And, that the zamorin
might not think these were only words of course, he called for an
hour-glass, which he set down in presence of the Moorish messenger, saying
that as soon as the sand had run out a certain number of times, he would
infallibly put in execution all that he had threatened. All this, however,
could not induce the zamorin to perform his promise; for he was of an
inconstant and wavering disposition, and influenced by the counsels of
the Moors. The outward shew he had made of peace was only feigned, or
occasioned by the fear he had of seeing so great a fleet in his port,
from which he dreaded to sustain great injury; but the Moors had now
persuaded him into a contrary opinion, and had prevailed on him to break
his word.
When the time appointed by the admiral was expired, he ordered a gun to
be fired, as a signal to the captains of his ships to hang up the poor
Malabar prisoners, who had been distributed through the fleet. After they
were dead, he ordered their hands and feet to be cut off and sent on
shore in a paraw, accompanied by two boats well armed, and placed a
letter in the paraw for the zamorin, written in Arabic, in which he
signified that he proposed to reward him in this manner for his deceitful
conduct and repeated breach of faith; and, in regard to the goods
belonging to the king of Portugal which he detained, he would recover
them an hundred fold[9]. After this, the admiral ordered three of his
ships to be warped during the night as near as possible to the shore; and
that these should fire next day incessantly on the city with all their
cannon, by which vast injury was done, and the royal palace was entirely
demolished, besides several other houses belonging to the principal
inhabitants of the place. The admiral afterwards departed for Cochin,
leaving Vincente Sodre with six well armed ships to command the coast,
who was to remain in India when the rest of the fleet returned to
Portugal, and was likewise directed to go upon a voyage of discovery to
the straits of Mecca, and the coast of Cambaya[10].
From Calicut the admiral sailed for Cochin; and immediately on his
anchoring in that port, the rajah[11] sent on board certain hostages to
remain as his sureties; and when the admiral landed, the rajah went in
person to meet him. At this interview, the rajah delivered up to the
admiral Stephen Gyl and others who had remained in his country, and the
admiral presented a letter from the king of Portugal to the rajah,
returning thanks for the kindness he had shewn to Cabral, and declaring
his satisfaction at the settlement of a factory for trade at Cochin. The
admiral also delivered a present from the king of Portugal to the rajah,
consisting of a rich golden crown set with jewels, a gold enamelled
collar, two richly wrought silver fountains, two pieces of figured arras,
a splendid tent or pavilion, a piece of crimson satin, and another of
sendal[12]; all of which the rajah accepted with much satisfaction. Yet,
not knowing the use of some of these things, the admiral endeavoured to
explain them; and particularly, ordered the pavilion to be set up to shew
its use, under which a new treaty of amity was settled. The rajah
appointed a house for the use of the Portuguese factory, and a schedule
of prices were agreed upon, at which the various spices, drugs, and other
productions of the country were to be delivered to the Portuguese factors,
all of which were set down in writing in form of a contract. The rajah
likewise delivered present for the king of Portugal, consisting of two
gold bracelets set with precious stones, a sash or turban used by the
Moors of cloth of silver two yards and a half long, two great pieces of
fine Bengal cotton cloth, and a stone as large as a walnut taken from the
head of an animal called _bulgoldolf_, which is exceedingly rare, and is
said to be an antidote against all kipds of poison[13]. A convenient
house being appointed for a factory, was immediately taken possession of
by Diego Hernandez as factor, Lorenzo Moreno, and Alvaro Vas as clerks,
and several other assistants.
While the ships were taking in their cargoes at Cochin, a message was
brought to the admiral from the zamorin, engaging, if he would return to
Calicut, to make a complete restitution of every thing that had been
taken from the Portuguese, and that a treaty of friendship and commerce
would be immediately arranged between them.
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