The Kutwal Then Threatened
Stoutly That He Should Never Be Allowed To Go Off, Unless He Complied
With This Demand.
The general, in return, declared he should immediately
return to Calicut if not allowed to go on board, and make a complaint of
his conduct to the king.
The kutwal even dared him to do this, yet took
care it should not be in his power, as he had ordered the doors to be
kept shut and guarded by armed nayres, to prevent any of the Portuguese
from going out. Yet it was the will of God that the kutwal dared not to
kill the general or any of his men, although the Moors had bribed him
with a great sum of money, and notwithstanding his great credit with the
zamorin. His anxiety to have the ships brought near the shore was, that
the Moors might be able to board them and kill all their people; and,
seeing it in this light, the general was equally determined to prevent
their nearer approach. Finding he could not prevail on the general to
command the ships to be brought near the shore, and having no pretence to
justify either keeping him prisoner or offering him any wrong, the kutwal
next endeavoured to persuade him to order the sails and rudders on shore;
at which the general only laughed, saying the king had given full
permission to go on board without any such conditions, and assured him
the king should be fully informed of all his unjust proceedings.
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