The General Ordered These Messengers To Go Back To Calicut,
And Not To Return Without His Men Or Letters From
Them, as otherwise he
should sink them; and that if a satisfactory answer was not sent him
without delay, he
Would cut off the heads of all the Malabars whom he had
detained. The Malabars returned to Calicut with this message; and a wind
springing up, the general made sail, and came to anchor off Calicut about
sunset.
Next day, seven almadias came off to the fleet, in one of which were
Diego Diaz and Alvora Braga, the others being filled with many of the
natives. These people, however, were afraid to come on board, and put
Diaz and Braga into the boat which was astern of the generals ship, and
then put off to a little distance, waiting for the generals answer. Diego
told the general, that when the king learnt of his having sailed, he sent
for him to the palace, assuming a pleasant countenance as pretending to
be ignorant of his imprisonment, and asked him why the general had kept
his subjects as prisoners on board. On being told the reason, he said the
general was in the right. He then asked if his own factor, who was
present, had extorted any presents; for he well knew that one of his
predecessors had been put to death not long before, for taking bribes
from merchant strangers. After this, the king desired Diaz to request the
general to send him the stone pillar having the cross and the arms of
Portugal, which he had promised to set up; and to know whether he would
leave Diaz as factor in Calicut.
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