They Were Here Received With Great Joy By The Portuguese Factory;
And Even The Rajah Of Cananor Came On Board The Generals Ship In Person,
And Gave Him A Distinct Recital Of What Had Happened At Cochin, And Of The
Present Situation Of Triumpara.
Alonso de Albuquerque lost no time in going to Cochin, where he arrived on
the night of Saturday the 2d of September 1503.
Immediately on his
approach, the troops of Calicut who guarded the entrenchments thrown up by
the zamorin, abandoned their posts in the island of Cochin and fled to
Cranganor, according to orders to that effect from the zamorin, who had
received notice of the arrival of our fleet at Cananor. On Sunday morning
Francisco came to anchor close to Cochin, when he was joyfully received by
the inhabitants, playing on various instruments of music, and was soon
afterwards visited by the Portuguese factor, who brought him a message
from the rajah. On the Monday morning, leaving his ships in good order,
Francisco took several boats well armed, and went to the island of Vaipi
to visit the rajah, ordering two caravels to follow for security, in case
of any of the Calicut paraws making their appearance. The rajah received
our general with infinite satisfaction, greeting them with the exclamation,
Portugal! Portugal! as soon as our boats were within hail; which was
answered by our people shouting out, Cochin! Cochin! and down with the
zamorin! On landing, the rajah embraced Francisco de Albuquerque with
tears in his eyes, saying he only desired to live till restored to his
dominions, that his subjects might be satisfied of his just conduct in
suffering so much for the service of the king of Portugal. In the name of
that sovereign, Francisco gave hearty thanks to Triumpara for his fidelity,
and promised him ample revenge on his enemies. And as his finances were
much reduced, he made him a present of 10,000 crowns from the chest
belonging to the expedition, to serve his present necessities, until he
might be again able to draw the rents of his own dominions. This gift was
exceedingly acceptable to the rajah, whose affairs were then at a very low
ebb; and gave much satisfaction to the natives, who were by it greatly
reconciled to the protection which their rajah had given to our men.
The rajah was immediately brought back in triumph to Cochin, amid the
joyful acclamations of his subjects, who henceforwards treated our men
with esteem and respect. The news of the rajahs return to Cochin, and of
the money which had been given him by our general, was speedily
communicated to the zamorin; who, in expectation of the renewal of the war,
sent orders to his caymals or governors on the frontiers towards Cochin to
make every preparation for defence. On the very day on which the rajah
returned to Cochin, Francisco de Albuquerque resolved to commence
hostilities by an attack on the island directly over against Cochin, where
he found the inhabitants quite unprepared and off their guard, as they had
no idea of being so soon attacked: In this unprepared state, a great
number of the Calicut troops were slain, and several of the towns on the
island destroyed, after which the Portuguese returned to their ships
without loss. Next day Francisco made a fresh assault on the same island
with six hundred men, and was opposed by the caymal or governor for the
zamorin, with a force of two thousand nayres, part of whom were spearmen,
but the greater number armed with bows and arrows, and some with swords
and targets. After some resistance, but in which none of them were hurt,
our people made good their landing, and galled the Indians so sore with
their cross-bows, that they soon fled. The Portuguese pursued quite across
the island, and forced their enemies to continue their flight across the
water, leaving many of their men behind both killed and wounded. Having
now no enemy to oppose them in the island, the Portuguese laid it entirely
waste, and burnt all the towns and villages it contained.
Adjoining to this island there lay another, named _Charanaipin_[1], which
belonged to a caymal who was subject to the rajah of Cochin, but had
revolted to the zamorin at the commencement of the war. From some spies
employed by the rajah of Cochin, it was understood that this caymal had a
force of three thousand nayres, seven hundred of whom were archers, and
forty were, armed with matchlocks[2]; besides which all their towns were
well fortified with trenches. He had likewise several paraws provided with
ordnance, with which he was supplied by the zamorin, and these were
stationed in one of the harbours of the island, to defend it against the
Portuguese. Notwithstanding all these preparations, of which he was well
informed, Francisco Albuquerque went against this island the day after he
had reduced the former, and commenced his attack against the harbour in
which the paraws were stationed. The enemy were soon driven by our
ordnance from their boats, yet many of them continued in the water up to
their girdles to resist the landing of our troops, annoying them as much
as possible with stones, spears, and arrows. They were at length driven
from the water by our ordnance, but rallied again on the shore, and
bravely resisted our people in landing for a long time. They were at
length driven to take shelter in a grove of palm trees, in which they
defended themselves for a short space, and were at the last driven to seek
for safety in a disorderly flight, in which they were pursued by our men.
In the pursuit, Pedro de Lares, who was constable to Francisco de
Albuquerque, being separated from the rest, was attacked by three nayres
all at once. One of these let fly an arrow which hit Pedro on his breast-
plate but without hurting him; on which Pedro levelled his piece and shot
him dead.
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