In The Largest Of
These Castles There Were Forty Men, In Others Thirty-Five, And The
Smallest Had Thirty, All Armed With Bows Or Matchlocks, Besides Ordnance;
And They Seemed Quite An Irresistible Force In Comparison Of Ours, Which
Consisted Only Of Two Caravels And Two Armed Boats.
When the largest castle came up to our floating defence, it immediately
commenced a tremendous fire of all its ordnance upon our caravels; and at
this time Pacheco ordered a _saker_ to be shot off, which seemed to do
very little harm even at a second discharge.
The remainder of the castles
now came into their stations, and the battle raged with the utmost fury.
What with incessant flights of arrows, and the smoke of so many guns, our
people could seldom see the vessels of the enemy. In this extremity, the
saker was discharged a third time against the largest castle, which had
been somewhat shaken by the two former discharges. By this shot its iron
work was broken, some of its beams were forced from their places, and
several of the men on board were slain. By two other discharges of the
saker this castle was all torn in pieces, and was forced to retire out of
the battle. Still however the rest of the castles, and the numerous fleet
of small craft kept up the fight. Towards evening all the castles were
much injured, many of the paraws were sunk and torn in pieces, and great
numbers of the enemy slain; so that at length they were constrained to
retire. On our side not one man was even wounded: One only ball went
through the caravel in which Pacheco commanded, and passed among many of
his men without doing any hurt. On the enemy retiring, Pacheco gave chase
in the two boats and some paraws; and the caravels kept up a constant
fire upon point _Arraul_, whence they forced the zamorin and the land
army to retire, after having 330 of his men slain. After this great
victory, the inhabitants of Cochin became quite reassured, and were no
longer in dread of the power of the zamorin. Trimumpara came to visit
Pacheco, whom he embraced, and congratulated on his great prowess: Many
of the principal naires of Cochin went to compliment him; and even
numbers of the Moorish merchants brought him rich presents, hoping to
secure his favour.
The zamorin was greatly disheartened by the overthrow of all his mighty
preparations, and losing all hope of victory wished seriously to end the
war. In a council of his allies and great men, they represented the great
losses they had already endured in the war with the Portuguese, and
proposed to treat with them for peace. His brother Naubea Daring, who had
always been averse to the war, seemed to believe that Pacheco would
refuse any treaty, and advised rather to defer making an offer of peace
till the arrival of the next captain-general from Portugal. This prince
was likewise of opinion that the Calicut army should still keep the field
till the coming on of the rainy season made it advisable to retire; as it
would look like flight to retreat at this time.
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