Wherefore, If The
General Would Return To His Ship And Send These Men On Shore, And
Inclined To Come Back Next Day To Conclude All Matters Relative To The
Trade Of Calicut, The Same Hostages Should Be Again Sent On Board.
As the
general placed confidence in these assurances of the zamorin, he went on
board, leaving Hurtado and other seven of his people in charge of his
valuables that were left on shore.
When at the water side and ready to
embark, a servant of one of the hostages, who was dispatched by the
comptroller of the zamorins household, went before in an almadia or small
pinnace, and gave notice to the hostages that the general was coming on
board. On which they leapt into the sea, meaning to escape to land in the
almadia with the servant: But Aries Correa went immediately with some of
the Portuguese mariners in a boat, and retook two of the hostages, with
three or four of the Malabars belonging to the almadia: The rest of the
hostages, among whom was the kutwal, got to the city.
When Cabral came on board and learnt what had happened, he ordered the
two remaining hostages to be secured below deck, and sent a complaint to
the zamorin against the conduct of the hostages, laying all the blame on
the comptroller. He desired the messenger to inform the zamorin of the
situation of the two remaining hostages, and to say that they should be
liberated whenever the Portuguese and the goods on shore were sent back
to the ships.
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