By These Boys He
Wrote To Diaz, But Couched In Such A Manner That It Might Not Be
Understood If It Fell Into Any Other Hands.
The letter was delivered
according to its direction, and the boys told the king of their reception
on board, by which he believed that the general knew not of the
imprisonment of his people.
On this he sent off other persons to the
ships, who were strictly enjoined not to disclose the treatment which the
factor had experienced. This was done out of policy to deceive the
general and to detain our ships, till the king might be able to send his
own fleet to set upon him, or till the ships might arrive from Mecca to
take him prisoner.
Some of the Malabars continued to come off daily, all of whom the general
commanded to be well entertained, as he saw none of sufficient importance
to be detained. But, on the Sunday, six principal Malabars came on board,
attended by fifteen men in another pinnace. Believing that the king would
liberate Diaz and Braga in return for these men, he made them all
prisoners; and sent a letter in the Malabar language, by two of the
native boatmen, to the kings factors, demanding his factor and clerk in
return for those men he had detained on board. On perusal of this letter,
the kings factor communicated the same to the king, who commanded him to
take the Portuguese to his own house, that he might not appear to have
had any hand in their detention; and then to restore them to the general
in return for the Malabars, whose wives had made a great clamour about
the detention of their husbands.
Seeing that his people were not sent on board, the general weighed anchor
on Wednesday the 23d of August and set sail, meaning to try if this shew
of going away would have the effect of recovering Diaz and Braga, in
return for these Malabars whom he had detained. The wind being contrary,
he came to anchor in an open road, four leagues from Calicut, where the
ships remained till the Saturday. As there was no appearance of getting
back his people, De Gama again set sail; but for want of wind had to come
again to anchor, almost out of the sight of land. An almadia now came to
the ships with certain Malabars, who said that Diaz and the others were
in the kings palace, and would be assuredly sent on board next day. Not
seeing the detained Malabars, these people believed they had been all put
to death. This affected delay proceeded entirely from craft, that they
might gain time to fit out the Calicut fleet, and for the arrival of the
ships from Mecca, when their combined force might environ and destroy the
Portuguese. The general ordered these messengers to go back to Calicut,
and not to return without his men or letters from them, as otherwise he
should sink them; and that if a satisfactory answer was not sent him
without delay, he would cut off the heads of all the Malabars whom he had
detained.
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