Induced
By A Large Bribe, And Encouraged By This Promise, The Kutwal Followed De
Gama In Such Haste That He Soon Passed Our Men, Who Lagged Behind On
Account Of The Great Heat.
On overtaking De Gama, he asked by signs why
he was in such haste, and where he was running to?
The general answered
in the same manner, that he was running to avoid the heat. On coming to
Pandarane, as his men were not come up, the general declined going into
the town till they should arrive, and went into a house to get shelter
from the rain. The people did not get to the town till near sunset,
having lost their way; on which the general said if it had not been for
their absence he would have been by this time on board. The general
immediately desired the kutwal to order him to be furnished with an
almadia or pinnace, to carry him and his people on board; but the kutwal
said it was now late, and the ships so far away that he might miss them
in the dark, for which reason he had better stay till next day. The
general then said, if he were not immediately furnished with an almadia,
he would return to the king and complain that he was detained contrary to
his license, and even mentioned as if he meant to return immediately to
Calicut. To dissemble the more, the kutwal said he might have thirty
instead of one, if he needed them, and pretended to send out to procure
almadias, while at the same time he commanded the owners to hide
themselves that they might not be found.
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