In The Mean Time He Was Informed By Letter From Rodrigo Reynel, That A
Principal Moor In Cochin, In Concert With Several Others, Were Contriving
To Quit That City; And Had Been Twice Secretly At Calicut To Confer With
The Zamorin On This Subject.
Pacheco was a good deal concerned at this
intelligence, and proposed to the rajah to have this Moor executed for
his treasonable intercourse with the zamorin.
But Trimumpara would by no
means consent to this measure; saying that it would occasion a mutiny
among the Moors, by whom the city was furnished with provisions in
exchange for goods, and be thought it were better to dissemble with them
all. Pacheco then said that he would have a conference with the Moors,
meaning to use policy with them, since the rajah did not approve of
violent measures; and to this the rajah consented, giving orders to his
naires to obey the orders of Pacheco. In pursuance of this plan, Pacheco
went to the dwelling of this chief Moor, named _Belinamacar_, close by
the river, taking with him a guard of his own men well armed, and
requested that person to send for some other leading men among the Moors,
whom he named, saying that he wished to consult with them on a subject of
great importance to them all. When they were all assembled, he made them
a speech to the following effect.
"I sent for you, honest merchants, that I might inform you for what
purpose I remain in the Indies. It is reported by some, that I mean only
to remove the factory and the goods belonging to the Portuguese to Coulan
and Cananor: But my sole purpose is to defend Cochin against the zamorin,
and even if necessary I will die in your defence. I am resolved to meet
him in Cambalan, by which way it is said he means to invade you; and, if
he has the boldness to meet me, I hope to make him prisoner and to carry
him with me into Portugal. I am informed that you intend to go away from
Cochin, and to induce the rest of the inhabitants among whom you are the
chiefs, to do the same; but I am astonished men of your wisdom should
leave the country in which you were born, and where you have dwelt so
many years, from fear of vain reports. Such conduct were even disgraceful
for women, and is therefore much more so for you who are men of wisdom
and experience. If you should be disposed to remove from hence when you
shall actually be in danger, I should hardly blame you: But to do so
before that danger is apparent, and even before a single battle has been
fought, must proceed either from cowardice or treachery. You all well
know, that only a very short while ago, a very small number of our
Portuguese defeated thousands of those same enemies who now threaten to
invade us. You may allege that we were then more in number than now,
which was assuredly the case. But we then fought in the open field, where
numbers were necessary; and we now propose only to fight in narrow passes,
in which a small number will suffice as well as a multitude. You already
know that I can fight, as it is I who have done the greatest injury to
the enemy in the late war, which the rajah can well vouch. As for me I
shall never yield, and I have more to lose, being overcome, than any of
you. Put your trust therefore in me and my troops, and remain where you
are till you see the event of our defence. Your sovereign remains in his
port, and wherefore should you go away? I and the Portuguese who are with
me, remain in this far distant country to defend your king, and you who
are his natural born subjects: Should you then desert him and your
country, you would disgrace yourselves and dishonour me, by refusing to
repose confidence in my promise to defend you against the zamorin and all
his power, were it even greater than it is. Wherefore, I strictly enjoin
that none of you shall remove from Cochin, and I swear by all that is
holy in our faith, that whoever is detected in the attempt shall be
instantly hanged. It is my determined purpose to remain here, and to have
the port strictly watched day and night that none of you may escape. Let
every one of you, therefore, look well to his conduct, and be assured, if
you do as I require, you shall have me for your friend; but if otherwise,
I shall be your mortal enemy, and shall use you worse even than the
zamorin."
The Moors endeavoured to clear themselves from what had been alleged
against them, but Pacheco would not listen to their excuses, and departed
from them in anger, and immediately brought his ship and one of the
caravels with two boats, which he anchored directly opposite the city of
Cochin, with strict charges to let no one leave the city by water. He
likewise appointed a number of paraws to guard all the creeks and rivers
around the city; and ordered every boat that could transport men or goods
to be brought every night under the guns of his ships, and returned to
their owners in the morning. In consequence of all these precautions, the
people of Cochin were so much afraid of him, that not one of the Moors or
Malabars dared to leave the city without his permission, and
henceforwards continued quiet. Notwithstanding all these cares, Pacheco
used to make nightly invasions into the island of Repelim, where he burnt
the towns, slew the inhabitants, and carried away much cattle and many
paraws; on which account the Moors of Cochin, astonished that he could
endure so much fatigue, gave out that he was the devil.
Mean time the zamorin collected his forces in the island of Repelim,
where he was joined by the lords of Tanor, Bespur, Kotugan, Korin, and
many other Malabar chiefs, making altogether an army of 50,000 men.
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