Ibrahim was himself an usurper,
having seized the government in prejudice to the right heir, and was
afraid that Mehemed intended to dethrone him.
When the king found himself
at liberty, in consequence of this arrangement, he refused to send the
promised tribute, in hope that De Gama might put the hostage to death, by
which means he might get rid of his enemy: But the Moor, on finding the
tribute did not come, was fain to pay the same himself, by which means he
procured his own liberty. While at Quiloa, the fleet was joined by the
squadron of five ships under Stephen de Gama.
Leaving Quiloa, De Gama proceeded with the whole fleet for Melinda, where
he took in water and visited the king[5]. Going from thence for India,
and being arrived off Mount Dely, to the north of Cananor, he met a ship
belonging to the Moors of Mecca, and bound for Calicut, which was taken
by our men after a stout resistance[6]. When the ship surrendered, De
Gama went on board and commanded the owners and all the principal Moors
to come before him, whom he ordered to produce all their goods on pain of
being thrown overboard. They answered that they had nothing to produce,
as all their goods were in Calicut; on which De Gama ordered one of them
to be bound hand and foot and thrown into the sea. The rest were
intimidated by this procedure, and immediately delivered up every thing
belonging to them, which was very valuable; all of which was committed to
the charge of Diego Hernando Correa, the factor appointed for conducting
the trade at Cochin, by whose directions they were transported into one
of the Portuguese ships. De Gama ordered all the children belonging to
the Moors to be taken on board one of his own ships, and vowed to make
them all friars in the church of our Lady at Belem, which he afterwards
did[7]. All the ordinary merchandize belonging to the Moors was divided
among his own men; and when all the goods were removed, he ordered
Stephen de la Gama to confine the Moors under the hatches, and to set the
ship on fire, to revenge the death of the Portuguese who were slain in
the factory at Calicut. Soon after this was done, the Moors broke open
the hatches, and quenched the fire; on which the admiral ordered Stephen
de Gama to lay them, aboard. The Moors rendered desperate by this inhuman
treatment, defended themselves to the utmost, and even threw firebrands
into our ship to set it on fire. Night coming on, Stephen had to desist,
but was ordered to watch the Moorish ship carefully that it might not
escape during the dark, and the Moors all night long were heard calling
on Mahomet to deliver them out of the hands of the Christians. When day
appeared, the admiral again ordered Stephen de la Gama to set the ship on
fire, which he did accordingly, after forcing the Moors to retreat into
the poop. Some of the Moors leapt into the sea with hatchets in their
hands, and endeavoured to swim to our boats; but all of these were slain
in the water by our people, and those that remained in the ship were all
drowned, as the vessel sunk. Of 300 Moors, of whom thirty were women, not
one escaped alive; and some of our men were hurt.
De Gama came soon afterwards to Cananor, where he sent on shore the
ambassadors, and gave them a message for the king, informing him of his
arrival, and craving an audience. Upon this the rajah ordered a platform
of timber to be constructed, which projected a considerable way into the
water, covered over with carpets and other rich cloths, and having a
wooden house or pavilion at the end next the land, which was likewise
covered like the bridge, and was meant for the place of meeting between
the rajah and the admiral. The rajah came first to the pavilion, attended
by 10,000 nayres, and with many trumpets and other instruments playing
before him; and a number of the principal nayres were arranged on the
bridge or platform, to receive the admiral in an honourable manner. The
admiral came in his boat, attended by all: the boats of the fleet decked
out with flags and streamers, carrying certain ordnance in their prows,
and having many drums and trumpets making a very martial appearance. The
admiral disembarked at the outer end of the platform, under: a general
salute from the ordnance of the boats, and was accompanied by all his
captains and a number of men well armed. There were carried before him
two great basins of silver gilt, filled with branches of coral and other
fine things that are esteemed valuable in India. The admiral was received
at the head of the platform by the nayres placed there on purpose, and
was conducted to the rajah, who waited; for him at the door of the
pavilion, and welcomed him with an embrace. They then walked together
into the pavilion, in which two chairs were placed out of compliment to
the admiral, on one of which the rajah sat down, though contrary to his
usual custom, and desired the admiral to be seated on the other. At this
interview a treaty of friendship and commerce was settled, and a factory
allowed to be established at Cananor. In consequence of this, the admiral
gave orders for some of the ships to load here, while others were to do
the same at Cochin[8].
Having settled all things to his mind at Cananor and Cochin, the admiral
proceeded with his fleet to the harbour of Calicut, where he took several
paraws in which were about fifty Malabars who could not escape; but he
forbore making any farther hostilities against the city, till he might
see whether or not the zamorin would send him any message.
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