Yet Our
Barricades Of Defence Were All Torn To Pieces, And One Of Our Boats Was
Very Much Damaged, Which Was Entirely Repaired During The Night.
The rajahs and other chiefs who were allied with the zamorin, lost all
hope of ever being able to
Get the victory over the Portuguese, and were
sorry for having joined in the war so greatly to their own dishonour.
Being afraid the captain-general might burn and destroy their towns and
houses, which were all situated on the banks of rivers, they were anxious
to leave the army of the zamorin, and to give over making war on the
Portuguese. Some among them withdrew privately from the camp of the
zamorin to the island of Vaipi with all their men, and reconciled
themselves with the rajah of Cochin: These were _Maraguta, Muta_ Caymal,
his brother and cousins. The zamorin was exceedingly mortified by the
discomfiture of his people, and severely reprimanded his chiefs for their
pusillanimous conduct, in allowing themselves to be defeated by such a
handful of men. The two Italian deserters, while they acknowledged the
valour of the Portuguese in the late action, represented that it would be
impossible for them to continue to bear up long against such vast odds
without reinforcements, and recommended the frequent reiteration of
assaults, under which they must necessarily be at last overthrown. All
those rajahs and chiefs who were for continuing the war, joined in
opinion with the Italians. The zamorin made a speech, in which he
recapitulated the defeats they had sustained and the defection of some of
his allies, who had entered into treaty with the rajah of Cochin. He
stated how short a period of the summer now remained for continuing the
operations of the war, which must soon be laid aside during the storms
and rain of the winter season, when it was impossible to keep the field;
and that, on the conclusion of winter, a new fleet would come from
Portugal with powerful reinforcements to the enemy, who would then be
able to carry the war as formerly into his dominions, to their utter loss
and destruction. He concluded by giving his opinion that it was necessary
for him to make peace with the Christians. Naubea Daring, the prince of
Calicut, made a long speech, in which he defended the Portuguese against
the imputation thrown upon them by the Moors of their being thieves and
pirates. He recapitulated all their conduct since their first arrival in
India, showing that they had always conducted themselves with good faith,
whereas they had been forced into war against Calicut by treachery and
oppression. He concluded by strongly recommending to negotiate peace with
the Christians, as otherwise the city and trade of Calicut would be
utterly destroyed, to the irreparable injury of the zamorins revenue,
which was of more importance to him than the friendship of the Moors,
whose only object was their own profit. The zamorin was greatly moved by
this discourse, and recommended to the other chiefs that they should
concur with the prince, in procuring the establishment of peace. This
opinion was by no means relished by Elankol, the lord of Repelim, who had
confederated with the Moors to urge a continuance of the war, and
endeavoured to impress upon the zamorin that his reputation would be
destroyed by proposing peace at this time, which would be imputed to him
as an act of cowardice. The principal Moors, likewise, who were present
in the council used all their art and influence to induce the zamorin to
persevere; and it was at length determined to continue the war.
One _Cogeal_, a Moor of Repelim who had been a great traveller, and had
seen many warlike devices, proposed a new invention for attacking the
caravels at the ford, which was considered to be perfectly irresistible.
Cogeal directed a floating castle to be built of timber on two boats or
lighters, which were firmly secured by two beams at their heads and
sterns. Over this the castle or square tower was strongly built of beams
joined together by bars of iron and large nails, carried up to the height
of a lance or spear, and so large that it was able to contain forty men
with several pieces of ordnance. It was proposed that this castle should
be brought Up to grapple with the caravels, by which the Portuguese might
be attacked on equal terms. On seeing this machine, the zamorin liberally
rewarded Cogeal for his ingenuity, and gave orders to have other seven
constructed of the same kind. By means of his spies, Pacheco got notice
of the construction of these floating castles, and likewise that the
enemy were preparing certain fireworks to set the caravels on fire[6]. To
keep off the fireships and floating castles, he constructed a species of
rafts, made of masts or spars eight fathoms long, and bound together with
iron bolts and hoops. Several of these, which were likewise eight fathoms
broad, were moored with anchors and cables, at the distance of a stones
throw from the caravels. Likewise, to prevent the caravels from being
overlooked by the floating castles, one Peter Raphael built certain
turrets on the decks of the caravels of spars set upright, in each of
which seven or eight men had room to handle their arms. At this time the
rajah of Cochin visited Pacheco, whom he earnestly exhorted to provide
well for defence against the zamorin; as he was well assured his own
subjects would desert him, if Pacheco were defeated. Pacheco upbraided
Trimumpara for his tears, desiring him to call in mind the victories
which the Portuguese had already gained over the enemy; and requested of
him to return to his capital showing himself confident among his people,
and to rest assured that he and the Portuguese would keep the pass
against every force the zamorin might bring against it.
In expectation of an immediate attack, Lorenco Moreno returned to the
caravels with as many of his people as could be spared from the factory.
Pacheco made all his people take rest early in the night, that they might
be able for the expected fatigues of the ensuing day, on which he had
intelligence that the grand attack was to be made.
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