About Midnight, His
Small Force Was Summoned Under Arms; When, After Confession And
Absolution, He Made A Speech To His Men, Exhorting Them To Behave
Themselves Manfully In The Approaching Conflict.
They all answered, that
they were resolved to conquer or die.
About two in the morning, some of
the most advanced vessels belonging to the Calicut fleet began to fire
off their ordnance, as they approached towards the pass. The zamorin was
himself along with the land army, which exceeded 30,000 men, accompanied
with many field pieces. Elankol, the lord of Repelim, who commanded the
vanguard, advanced to the point of _Arraul_, which in some measure
commanded the ford, at which place he began to throw up some ramparts or
defences of earth. Pacheco landed secretly at the point with a detachment
of his troops, on purpose to prevent the enemy from throwing up
entrenchments, and a sharp skirmish ensued, in which many of the enemy
were slain. On the appearance of day, Pacheco retired to his boats,
though with no small difficulty, owing to the vast numbers of the enemy
who thronged around; yet got off with all his people unhurt, having
effectually hindered the proposed intrenchments.
The land army of the enemy now brought their ordnance to the point, where
they began a furious cannonade upon; the caravels, yet without doing us
any harm, as our people were all effectually secured by means of high
wooden defences on the gunwales of their vessels; whereas every shot of
ours made prodigious havoc among the enemy, who were quite unsheltered.
The zamorin sent orders to his fleet to come on with all expedition, to
deliver him and his men from this imminent danger. The Calicut fleet now
approached in most formidable order, having several fire rafts in front,
intended for setting our caravels on fire. After them came 110 paraws,
full of men, and every one of them having ordnance, many of these being
fastened together by means of chains. After these came 100 _catures_ and
eighty _tonys_, each of which had a piece of ordnance and thirty men. In
the rear of all came the eight castles, which kept close by the point of
_Arraul_, as the _ebb was not yet altogether entered_.[7] The enemy came
on with loud shouts and the sound of many instruments, as if to an
assured victory, and immediately began a furious cannonade. Their fire
rafts advanced burning in a most alarming manner, but were stopped by the
_canizos_, or rafts of defence, formerly mentioned. By these likewise,
the paraws and other vessels of the enemy were prevented from closing
with our caravels and boats, which they seem to have intended. In this
part of the battle many of the paraws and other vessels of the enemy were
torn to pieces and sunk, and a great number of their men were killed and
wounded. On the turn of the tide, the floating castles put off from the
point, and were towed by boats towards the caravels.
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