After Consulting With The Captains Of His Fleet, And The Wind Being
Favourable For The Purpose, He Immediately Bore Down To Engage Them.
The
ships commanded by Vincente Sodre, Pedro Raphael, and Diego Perez, being
prime sailers, closed up first with the enemy, and immediately attacked
two of the largest ships of the Moors.
Sodre fought with one of these
alone, and Raphael and Perez assailed the other. Almost on the first
onset, great numbers of the enemies were so dismayed that they leapt into
the sea to escape by swimming. On the coming up of De Gama with the rest
of the fleet, all the enemies ships made off as fast as they could
towards the shore, except those two which were beset at the first, and
were unable to escape, which were accordingly taken possession of. De
Gama, considering that all his ships were richly laden, would not pursue
the flying enemy, being afraid he might lose some of his ships on the
shoals; but our men went in their boats and slew about 300 of the Moors
who had endeavoured to save themselves by swimming from the two captured
ships. These vessels were accordingly discharged of their cargoes; which
consisted of great quantities of rich merchandize, among which were six
great jars of fine earthen ware, called porcelain, which is very rare and
costly and much admired in Portugal; four large vessels of silver, and
many silver perfuming pans; also many spitting basons of silver gilt: But
what exceeded all the rest, was a golden idol of thirty pounds weight,
with a monstrous face. The eyes of this image were two very fine emeralds.
The vestments were of beaten gold, richly wrought and set with precious
stones; and on the breast was a large carbuncle or ruby, as large as the
coin called a crusado, which shone like fire.
The goods being taken out, the two ships were set on fire, and the
admiral made sail for Cananor, where the rajah gave him a house for a
factory, in which Gonzalo Gill Barbosa was settled as factor, having
Sebastian Alvarez and Diego Godino as clerks, Duarte Barbosa as
interpreter, and sundry others as assistants, in all to the number of
twenty. The rajah undertook to protect these men and all that might be
left in the factory, and bound himself to supply lading in spices to all
the ships of the king of Portugal at certain fixed prices[18]. In return
for these favourable conditions, the admiral engaged on behalf of the
king of Portugal to defend the rajah in all wars that might arise from
this agreement; conditioning for peace and friendship between the rajahs
of Cochin and Cananor, and that the latter should give no aid to any one
who might make war upon the former, under the pain of forfeiting the
friendship of the Portuguese. After this, the admiral gave orders to
Vincente Sodre to protect the coast with his squadron till the month of
February; and if any war should break out or seem probable between the
zamorin and Trimumpara, he was to winter in Cochin for the protection of
that city; otherwise he was to sail for the straits of the Red Sea, to
make prize of all the ships belonging to Mecca that traded to the Indies.
All these matters being properly arranged, De Gama departed from Cananor
for Portugal on the 20th December 1502[19]; with thirteen ships richly
laden, three of which had taken in their cargoes at Cananor, and the
other ten at Cochin. The whole fleet arrived in safety at Mozambique,
where the ship commanded by Stephen de Gama having sprung a great leak,
was unladen and laid on shore to be repaired. Seven days after their
departure from Mozambique, the ship commanded by Lewis Cotinho sprung a
great leak, and they were forced to endeavour to return to Mozambique to
repair her; but, the wind being contrary, they had to do this in a creek
on the coast. Continuing their voyage, they were assailed by a sudden
tempest off Cape Corientes, in which the ship commanded by Stephen de
Gama had her sails all split by the storm, owing to which she was
separated from the fleet, and no more seen till six days after the
arrival of the admiral at Lisbon, when she came in with her mast broken.
The storm having abated, during which the fleet took shelter under the
lee of Cape Corientes, the admiral prosecuted his voyage to Lisbon, and
arrived safe at Cascais on the 1st September 1503. All the noblemen of
the court went to Cascais to receive him honourably, and to accompany him
to the presence of the king. On his way to court, he was preceded by a
page carrying a silver bason, in which was the tribute from the king of
Quiloa. The king received him with great honour, as he justly merited for
his services in discovering the Indies, and in settling factories at
Cochin and Cananor, to the great profit of the kingdom; besides the great
fame and honour which redounded to the king, as the first sovereign who
had sent to discover the Indies, of which he might make a conquest if he
were so inclined. In reward for these brilliant services, the king made
him admiral of the Indies, and likewise gave him the title of Lord of
Videgueyra, which was his own.
* * * * *
Note. - As De Gama did not return again to India till the year 1524, which
is beyond the period contained in that part of Castaneda which has been
translated by Lichefild, we shall have no occasion to notice him again in
this part of our work. For this reason, it has been thought proper to
give the following short supplementary account of his farther services in
India.
"In 1524, Don Vasco De Gama, now Count of Videgueyra, was appointed
viceroy of India by John III. king of Portugal, and sailed from Lisbon
with fourteen ships, carrying 3000 fighting men.
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