The Second Nayre He Likewise Slew By Another Shot.
The third
nayre wounded him in the leg with a weapon called a _gomya_, and then
endeavoured to run away, but Pedro killed him, with his sword.
On the
enemy being put to flight, Francisco divided his forces into three bodies,
two of them Portuguese, and the third composed of nayres in the service of
the rajah of Cochin, and marched all over the island plundering and
burning the towns and villages without resistance.
While thus employed, a considerable number of paraws arrived with
reinforcements from Calicut, from which a powerful body of nayres landed
in that part of the island where Duarte Pacheco happened to be posted with
a very inferior force, and had assuredly destroyed him and his men, but
that Francisco de Albuquerque came very opportunely to his aid. Finding
greater resistance than he expected, and fearing lest the caymal might
attack him in the rear, while engaged in front with the nayres of Calicut,
Francisco detached a part of his troops under Nicholas Coello, assisted by
Antonio del Campo and Pedro de Tayde, to assault the residence of the
caymal, who was slain bravely fighting in its defence. At this place one
of our men was slain and eighteen wounded. In the mean time, Francisco de
Albuquerque and Duarte Pacheco defeated the reinforcements from Calicut,
and forced them to take refuge on board their paraws, leaving many of
their men slain and wounded on the shore. After this signal victory, by
which the greater part of the three thousand nayres belonging to the
caymal and many of those from Calicut were slain, Francisco de Albuquerque
conferred the honour of knighthood on several of his officers who had
signalized themselves on the occasion. He then wasted the whole island
with fire and sword.
Francisco determined in the next place, to attack the country of the lord
of Repelim, for which purpose he departed with his troops by water from
Cochin, and reached a town in that territory, four leagues from Cochin,
about eight o'clock next morning. Near two thousand nayres, five hundred
of whom were armed with bows and arrows, were stationed, on the beach of
the isle of Repelim to repel this attack; but were soon forced by our
ordnance to retire into a grove of palms, on which Francisco landed with
his troops, the van being led by Nicholas Coello. The enemy resisted for
some time under the shelter of the trees, and wounded some of our people;
but were at length forced to take to flight, after losing a good many of
their men, who were shot by our cross-bows and _calivers_[3]. Our troops
followed the nayres, who took refuge in the towns of the island, in which
much greater slaughter was made of the enemy than in the field, as they
were crowded together and more exposed to our shot. On taking possession
of the town, Francisco gave it up to be plundered by the nayres of Cochin,
who assisted him on this expedition, that they might not consider the
conduct of the Portuguese on this occasion proceeded from any inclination
for plundering the country, but from a desire to revenge the injuries
which had been done to their own rajah.
On his return from this victory, Francisco was joyfully received by the
rajah of Cochin, who desired him to desist from any farther operations
against the enemy, as he considered himself sufficiently revenged. But
Francisco requested his permission to continue the war, as he was still
unsatisfied till he had taken effectual vengeance on the zamorin, and
accounted it no trouble to fight in the service of the rajah. He seized,
however, the present opportunity of the high favour in which he stood with
the rajah, to solicit permission for constructing a fort at Cochin, for
the protection of the Portuguese factory during the absence of the ships.
This request was immediately complied with; the rajah even offered to be
at the sole charge, and Francisco lost no time in proceeding to construct
the intended fort. As there were neither stones, lime, nor sand to be
procured, it was necessary to build the castle of timber; which the rajah
ordered to be immediately provided for the purpose, and brought to the
spot appointed, which was close to the river side, as best adapted for
resisting the assault of the Calicut fleet in any future attempt against
Cochin. The rajah sent likewise a great number of his subjects to carry on
the work; saying that our people had already had enough to do in the
operations of the war: But Francisco commanded our people to work in
constructing the fortifications, the foundations of which were laid on the
26th September 1503. The inhabitants of Cochin were astonished at the
diligence with which our people laboured at this work, saying there were
no such men in the world, as they were equally good at all things.
On the 30th September, four days after the commencement of the fort,
Alonso de Albuquerque arrived with his ships at Cochin, having been
delayed on his voyage by severe storms and contrary winds, yet brought all
his men with him in excellent health. Francisco was much pleased at his
arrival; and a portion of the fort being allotted to those newly arrived,
it was soon finished. Though built of timber, this castle was as strong
and handsome, as if it had been constructed of stone and lime. It was of a
square form, each face being eighteen yards, with bulwarks or bastions at
each corner mounted with ordnance. The walls were made of two rows of palm
trees and other strong timber, firmly set in the ground, and bound
together with iron hoops and large nails, the space between the two rows
of timber being rammed full of earth and sand, and the whole surrounded by
a ditch always full of water[4]. The day after this fort was finished,
which was named Manuel in honour of the king of Portugal, the captain-
general with all his people made a solemn procession, in which the vicar
of the fort bore the crucifix under a canopy carried by the captains of
the fleet, preceded by trumpets and other instruments of music.
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