After Waiting Three Days Without Any Message From The Zamorin, The
General Sent One Francisco Correa To Inquire If He
Inclined to confirm
the agreement between them, in which case he would send Aries Correa on
shore to treat with
His highness, for whose safety he required hostages.
The zamorin answered that he was perfectly willing to have the trade
established, and that the general might send Aries Correa or any other
person on shore for that purpose, and transmitted two grandsons of a rich
merchant of Guzerate as hostages. Aries Correa went accordingly on shore,
and was accommodated by the orders of the zamorin with a convenient house
for himself and his goods, which belonged to the Guzerate merchant, who
was likewise commanded to assist Correa in regard to the prices of his
merchandize and all other things relating to the trade and customs of the
place. But this man being a friend to the Moors of Mecca, thwarted him in
all things instead of giving him assistance. The Moors were determined
enemies to our people, both for being Christians, and lest their credit
and advantageous traffic in Calicut might suffer by the establishment of
our trade in that port. Wherefore, by means of their confederacy with the
Guzerate merchant, they took our goods at any price they pleased, and
intimidated the Malabars from trading with us. The Moors concluded that
the establishment of our factory would lower the price of such
commodities as they had to sell, and would inhance the value of the
spiceries, drugs, and jewels which they took in exchange. On this account
they thwarted Correa in all his transactions, offering higher prices than
ordinary for every article, by which he was constrained to buy every
thing at a very dear rate. If at any time he wished an audience of the
zamorin, the Moors always contrived to be present, that some of them
might speak against him. In this conduct they were assisted by
_Samicide_[20], a Moor, who was admiral of Calicut; who likewise hindered
any of our people of the factory from going on board the fleet, and
detained any of our boats that approached the shore, pretending to do this
by command of the zamorin.
On learning this sinister conduct of the Moorish admiral of Calicut, and
suspecting some intended treachery, the general gave orders to the fleet
to weigh their anchors, and to remove out of the harbour, lest they might
be attacked by the zamorins fleet, and that he might take counsel with
the other captains for the safety of the expedition. On learning this,
the zamorin inquired the reason from Correa, who urged the injurious
behaviour of the Moors, and told him all that they had done. The zamorin
immediately gave orders that the Moors should discontinue their villanous
conduct towards us, and even removed the Guzerate merchant from our
factory, appointing one _Cosebequin_[21] in his place, who, though a Moor,
was a very honest man and behaved to us in a friendly manner.
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