He Desired Them To Cease Their Evil Counsels, From Which He Had Already Sustained Great Loss, And Which Would Still Lead Him Into Greater Danger; But To Leave Him To Consider What Was Best To Be Done For Revenge Against His Enemies.

The zamorin gave orders to some of his naires in whom he reposed great confidence, that they should go to Cochin on some false pretence, and endeavour to assassinate the general of the Portuguese and such of his men as they could meet with.

But the naires are an inconsiderate people unable to keep any of their affairs secret, so that this shameful device became immediately known to Pacheco, who appointed two companies of the Cochin naires to keep strict watch for these _spies_; one company at the ford, and the other along the river, waiting by turns day and night. By this means these _spies_ were detected and made prisoners. The chief _spy_ was a naire of Cochin, of the family or stock of the _Lecros_ who had certain other naires attending upon him, who were strangers. On being brought before him, he ordered them to be all cruelly whipt and then to be hanged. The Cochin naires remonstrated against this punishment, because they were naires whose customs did not allow of this mode of execution; but he would not listen to their arguments, saying that their treachery richly merited to be so punished. The Portuguese officers represented to him the great troubles which the _rajah_ of Cochin had endured for giving protection to their nation, and how much this action might displease him, when he was informed of naires having been put to death in his dominions without his authority.

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