Next Day, The General Sent Some Of
His Own Boats To Land The Pledges, But At Some Distance From The
Almadias;
on which occasion Araxamenoca, one of the hostages, leapt into the sea
with an intention to escape, but was
Retaken; and while our people were
busied in securing him, the other hostage made his escape. The general
was astonished at the want of truth and honour in these people, and gave
orders to keep Araxamenoca in strict custody; but finding at the end of
three days that the zamorin did not send for him, and that during all
this period he refused all sustenance, Cabral took compassion on him and
sent him to the zamorin, requesting that two of our men who remained on
shore might be sent on board, which was complied with.
After waiting three days without any message from the zamorin, the
general sent one Francisco Correa to inquire if he inclined to confirm
the agreement between them, in which case he would send Aries Correa on
shore to treat with his highness, for whose safety he required hostages.
The zamorin answered that he was perfectly willing to have the trade
established, and that the general might send Aries Correa or any other
person on shore for that purpose, and transmitted two grandsons of a rich
merchant of Guzerate as hostages. Aries Correa went accordingly on shore,
and was accommodated by the orders of the zamorin with a convenient house
for himself and his goods, which belonged to the Guzerate merchant, who
was likewise commanded to assist Correa in regard to the prices of his
merchandize and all other things relating to the trade and customs of the
place. But this man being a friend to the Moors of Mecca, thwarted him in
all things instead of giving him assistance. The Moors were determined
enemies to our people, both for being Christians, and lest their credit
and advantageous traffic in Calicut might suffer by the establishment of
our trade in that port. Wherefore, by means of their confederacy with the
Guzerate merchant, they took our goods at any price they pleased, and
intimidated the Malabars from trading with us. The Moors concluded that
the establishment of our factory would lower the price of such
commodities as they had to sell, and would inhance the value of the
spiceries, drugs, and jewels which they took in exchange. On this account
they thwarted Correa in all his transactions, offering higher prices than
ordinary for every article, by which he was constrained to buy every
thing at a very dear rate. If at any time he wished an audience of the
zamorin, the Moors always contrived to be present, that some of them
might speak against him. In this conduct they were assisted by
_Samicide_[20], a Moor, who was admiral of Calicut; who likewise hindered
any of our people of the factory from going on board the fleet, and
detained any of our boats that approached the shore, pretending to do this
by command of the zamorin.
On learning this sinister conduct of the Moorish admiral of Calicut, and
suspecting some intended treachery, the general gave orders to the fleet
to weigh their anchors, and to remove out of the harbour, lest they might
be attacked by the zamorins fleet, and that he might take counsel with
the other captains for the safety of the expedition. On learning this,
the zamorin inquired the reason from Correa, who urged the injurious
behaviour of the Moors, and told him all that they had done. The zamorin
immediately gave orders that the Moors should discontinue their villanous
conduct towards us, and even removed the Guzerate merchant from our
factory, appointing one _Cosebequin_[21] in his place, who, though a Moor,
was a very honest man and behaved to us in a friendly manner. This man
was of great credit in Calicut, being the head of all the native Moors of
that country, who are always at variance with the Moors of Cairo and of
the Red Sea, of whom the admiral Samicide was the chief. The Zamorin gave
farther orders, that our factory should be removed to a house close to
the shore which belonged to Cosebequin, that our merchants might have
greater freedom to buy and sell, without any interruption from the Moors.
For the greater security, a deed of gift was made of this house by the
zamorin to the king of Portugal and his successors for ever, a copy of
which, signed and sealed by the zamorin, was enclosed in a casket of gold
that it might be conveyed to Portugal; and permission was given to
display a flag of the royal arms of Portugal from the top of the
factory[22]. On receiving intelligence of these favourable measures, Cabral
brought back the fleet into the harbour of Calicut, and sent his
compliments of thanks to the zamorin for his gracious and favourable
dispositions. After this, our factory had tolerably good fortune in
conducting its trade by the assistance of Cosebequin: and the natives,
finding our factory favoured by the zamorin, behaved so very civilly to
our people that they could go about wherever they pleased, with as much
freedom and safety as in Lisbon.
During the subsistence of this friendly intercourse, a large Moorish ship
was descried from Calicut on its voyage from Cochin for Cambaya; and the
zamorin requested our general to make prize of the ship, alleging that it
contained a peculiarly fine elephant which he wished to possess, and
which had been refused to him although he had offered more than its value.
The general answered that he would do this willingly to gratify his
highness; but, as he was informed the ship was large and well manned,
both with mariners and soldiers, it could not be expected to surrender
without resistance, in which some men might be slain on both sides, and
it was therefore necessary he should have the sanction of his highness to
kill these people in case of resistance, which was accordingly granted.
Upon which the general sent Pedro de Tayde in his caravel, accompanied by
a valiant young gentleman named Duarte, or Edward Pacheco, and by sixty
fighting men, with orders to take this ship.
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