On The Next Day, Being The First Of January 1505, The Admiral Went With
The Fleet To Cananor, To Take In The Rest Of His Lading.
He was here
informed by the factor of the humbled situation of the Moors, from whom,
in his opinion,
The Portuguese had no longer any thing to fear in India.
Being ready to depart for Europe, the admiral made an oration to Manual
Telez, and those who were to remain with him in India, giving them
instructions for their conduct after his departure; and as the enemy was
so greatly humbled, he considered that such a fleet as had formerly been
left by Albuquerque was quite sufficient, in which he left an hundred
soldiers. Indeed the zamorin, as has been already said, was sick of the
war, and remained quiet after the departure of the admiral.
Departing from Cananor, Suarez arrived off Melinda on the 1st of February;
where, without landing himself, he sent Antonio de Saldanna to bring away
the rich prizes he had formerly made at Cape Guardafui. From Melinda, the
fleet went to Quiloa, on purpose to enforce the payment of the tribute
from the king of that place. Departing from thence on the 10th of
February, he arrived safe at Lisbon on the 22d of June 1505[11], without
any incident worth relating[12]; carrying with him two ships more than
had accompanied him to India, all laden with rich commodities, and was
received by the King Don Manuel with great honour.
When the king learnt the great service which Pacheco had performed in
India, he expressed his high approbation of his conduct in a public
procession. The king went, in all the splendour usually shewn on _Corpus
Christi_ day, from the high church to that of St Domingo, accompanied by
Duarte Pacheco. After solemn service, a sermon was preached by Don Diego
Ortis, bishop of Viseo; who, by the kings command, gave a rehearsal of
all that had been performed by Pacheco in the war against the zamorin. On
the same day, a solemn festival was held in all the churches of Portugal
and Algarve. The king sent letters on the occasion to the pope and all
the princes of Christendom, announcing all these notable acts and
victories which had been performed in the Indies.[13]
[1] These are said to have been the largest ships hitherto built in
Portugal, and to have carried 1200 men; perhaps soldiers, besides
their ordinary crews. - Astl. I. 57.
[2] The Turkish empire, as succeeding that of the Romans or Greeks of
Constantinople, is still called _Rumi_ in the east. It will be
afterwards seen, that these _Rumes_, Romans, or Turks, made some
powerful efforts to drive the Portuguese from India, as greatly
injurious to the Indian trade with Europe through the Red Sea and
Egypt. - E.
[3] This expression is quite inexplicable, unless we may pick out very
darkly that it belonged to the Calicut confederacy against the
Portuguese. Yet Castaneda, or his imperfect translator Lichefild, does
not inform us whether this vessel was made a prize.
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