He Accordingly Sent His Son Lorenzo
With Eleven Vessels To Endeavour To Counteract The Designs Of The
Zamorin By Destroying The Fleet He Had Prepared.
Learning that the
Calicut fleet was in the port of Cananor, consisting of 260 paraos, 60
of which were larger than the Portuguese ships, Lorenzo sailed thither
and put them to flight after a severe engagement.
In the pursuit, some
of the paraos were taken, but many were sunk and run aground, by which
the enemy sustained great loss, while only five or six of the Portuguese
were slain. The principal booty taken on this occasion was four ships
loaded with spice. Almost immediately after this victory, Don Lorenzo
received notice that the fort of Anchediva was beset by 60 vessels
belonging to the Moors and Malabars, well armed and manned with a number
of resolute men under the command of a renegado. On this occasion the
besieged behaved with great gallantry, and the besiegers pressed their
attacks with much bravery, but several of their vessels having been
destroyed and others much damaged by the cannon of the fort, and hearing
of the approach of Lorenzo, the enemy withdrew in all haste.
Finding their trade almost destroyed by the Portuguese, the Moors
endeavoured to shun their cruisers by keeping out to sea in their
voyages from Cambaya and the ports of the Red Sea and Persian Gulf,
passing through the Maldive Islands, and keeping to the south of Ceylon
in their way to Sumatra and Malacca. The viceroy on learning this new
course of the Moorish trade, sent his son Lorenzo with nine ships to
intercept the trade of the enemy. While wandering through seas unknown
to the pilots, Lorenzo discovered the island of Ceylon, formerly called
Taprobana, and came to anchor in the port of Gale, where many Moors
were taking in cinnamon and elephants for Cambaya. To induce Lorenzo not
to molest or destroy them, the Moors made him an offer of 400 bahars of
cinnamon in the name of the king of Ceylon; and although he well knew
this proceeded only from fear, he thought it better to dissemble and
accept the present, contenting himself with the discovery of the island,
on which he erected a cross with an inscription of the date of his
discovery. On his return to Cochin, he attacked the town of Biramjam or
Brinjan, which he burnt to the ground and put all the inhabitants to the
sword, in revenge for the slaughter of the factor and his people at
Coulam, as this place belonged to that kingdom.
While Cide Barbudo and Pedro Quaresme were coming out from Portugal with
two ships, they arrived after many misfortunes at Sofala, where they
found Annaya and most of his men dead, and the rest of the Portuguese
garrison sick. Quaresme remained there to defend the fort; and Barbudo
proceeding towards India found Quiloa in as bad a condition, of which he
carried intelligence to Almeyda. The viceroy sent immediately Nunno Vaz
Pereyra to relieve the forts of Quiloa and Sofala[88]. But that of
Quiloa was soon afterwards abandoned and destroyed, after having lost
many lives, owing to the ill usage of the Portuguese to the natives,
whom they treated with insufferable pride, and boundless avarice.
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