On The Return Of The Portuguese
Flotilla Towards Cochin, Suarez Was Disposed To Have Destroyed Another
Town Which Lay Near
Their passage; but the prince of Cochin represented
that half of it belonged to him, and prevailed on the admiral
To spare it,
as he could not destroy one part without the other. Suarez, therefore,
returned to Cochin, where he knighted some of his officers for their
bravery during the last engagement. A few days after his return, there
came an ambassador from the rajah of _Tanor_, whose dominions are next
adjoining to those of Cochin. This ambassador represented, that his
master had hitherto adhered to the zamorin, and had assisted him in all
his wars against Pacheco. But that the zamorin, since he had come out
from his religious seclusion, had redoubled his arrogant ideas of his
irresistible power, and in reward of the services of the rajah of Tanor,
now threatened him with war and conquest. He farther represented, that on
the late occasion, when the general of the Calicut forces was in full
march for the relief of Cranganor, the rajah of Tanor had placed 4000 of
his nayres in ambush in a defile in their line of march, who had defeated
the troops of Calicut, and hod slain 2000 of them. On this account the
rajah of Tanor was in great fear of the zamorin, and humbly requested
assistance from the admiral, promising in return to become subject to the
king of Portugal.
For this purpose, the admiral sent Pedro Raphael in a caravel to Tanor,
with 100 soldiers, most of whom were crossbow men. It chanced that on the
very day of his arrival at Tanor, the zamorin arrived before that city
with his army and gave battle to the rajah; but, chiefly owing to the
valour of Raphael and his company, the army of the zamorin was defeated
with great slaughter. In reward for this well-timed succour, the rajah of
Tanor became subject to the king of Portugal. In consequence of this
defeat, the zamorin was much humbled, and lost more credit with the Moors
than by all the victories which Pacheco had obtained; as these had been
obtained by strangers, while the present victory had been gained by a
native prince. In consequence of these reverses, seeing no likelihood of
ever being able to recover their trade, all the Moors who dwelt in
Calicut and Cranganor determined upon removing to their own country with
their remaining wealth. For this purpose, they fitted up seventeen large
ships at _Pandarane_, which they armed on purpose to defend themselves
against any attack from our men, and loaded them with all expedition for
Mecca. Besides these, they loaded a great number of paraws and tonys with
such goods as the ships were unable to contain.
The season now approached for the return of the fleet to Portugal, and
Suarez appointed Manuel Telez de Vasconcelles[5] as captain-general of
the Indies, with whom he left a ship and two caravels, of which last
Pedro Raphael and Diego Perez were captains.
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