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Day, Therefore, Being Saturday The Second Of June, He Desired The General,
Since He Had Promised To The King
To bring his merchandize on shore, that
he ought to do so; as it was the usage of all merchants
Who came to
Calicut to land their goods and crews, and not to return to their ships
till all was sold; and he promised, when this was done, to give him free
liberty to depart. Although the general gave very little credit to his
fair words, he yet said, if the kutwal would provide almadias for the
purpose, he would order his goods on shore; but was certain his brother
would not allow the boats to leave the ships while he was detained on
shore. The kutwal was now content to get the goods into his power, as he
understood from the general they were of great value, and allowed the
general to send off a message to his brother. He therefore sent off a
letter by two of his men, in which he gave his brother an account of his
situation, confined to his lodging but otherwise well used, and desiring
him to send some of the merchandize on shore to satisfy the kutwal; but,
directing him, in case he was much longer detained, to believe that he
was kept prisoner by order of the zamorin; whose only object was to get
the Portuguese ships into his power, not having time to arm his own ships
for that purpose. For this reason, if not set at liberty immediately
after the goods were landed, he required his brother to return without
delay to Portugal, and inform the king of all that had happened; that the
trade of so fine a country might not be lost to his country. And farther,
to inform the king in what state he remained, trusting that his royal
master would send such an armament as would enforce his restoration to
liberty.
On receiving this letter, and a circumstantial relation from the
messenger of all that had happened on shore, Paulo de Gama immediately
sent the goods; but said in answer to the general, that he could not
answer to his honour to return to Portugal without him, and he trusted
God would enable the small force he had still in the fleet, with the aid
of his ordnance, to compel the kutwal to liberate him. On the merchandize
being landed, the general delivered it over into the custody of Diego
Diaz as factor, with Alvora de Braga as his clerk, whom he left in a
house provided for them by the kutwal; after which he went on board the
ships. He then refused to send any more goods on shore, till those
already there were sold and paid for, and determined not to run himself
again into danger by venturing on shore after what had already past. At
this the Moors were grievously vexed, as they thought it more easy for
them to have destroyed him on land than on board the ships.
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