Besides These, There Were Two Large Barks Mounted
With Heavy Cannon To Batter The Fort.
The rajah of Cochin, being apprehensive that the great power which was
now employed against Cuneale might prove his
Ruin, by uniting the
zamorin his ancient enemy with the Portuguese, circulated a report that
the zamorin had entered into a secret agreement with Cuneale to cut off
the whole Portuguese when engaged in the assault on the fort. The
archbishop of Goa, who was then at Cochin on his way to the Malabar
mountains to visit the Thomist churches, was at first much alarmed by
this report, fearing it might be true; but on mature consideration was
satisfied that it was only a political contrivance of the rajah, and
prudently advised the rajah to desist from the propagation of any such
false reports. He then assured the principal persons of Cochin that
their ships might safely proceed against Cuneale, yet recommended that
they should conduct themselves with much caution. All the fleet being
now united before the fort, it was found that Cuneale had drawn up a
line of armed galliots on the edge of the water under the wall of his
fort, in case of being attacked that way. It was resolved in a council
of war to force an entrance into the river, after which to draw up the
Portuguese vessels in a line with their bows to the shore, that they
might cover the debarkation of the troops for the purpose of assaulting
the fort.
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