Next Day The Zamorin Came To The Shore Accompanied By 12,
000 Men, And Sent Off The Portuguese People And Their Commodities To The
Ships In Thirty Almadias, With Orders To Bring Back The Hostages.
But
none of the Malabars in the almadias dared to approach the ships, being
afraid of the Portuguese, and returned therefore to the land without
delivering our people and commodities.
Next day, the general sent some of
his own boats to land the pledges, but at some distance from the almadias;
on which occasion Araxamenoca, one of the hostages, leapt into the sea
with an intention to escape, but was retaken; and while our people were
busied in securing him, the other hostage made his escape. The general
was astonished at the want of truth and honour in these people, and gave
orders to keep Araxamenoca in strict custody; but finding at the end of
three days that the zamorin did not send for him, and that during all
this period he refused all sustenance, Cabral took compassion on him and
sent him to the zamorin, requesting that two of our men who remained on
shore might be sent on board, which was complied with.
After waiting three days without any message from the zamorin, the
general sent one Francisco Correa to inquire if he inclined to confirm
the agreement between them, in which case he would send Aries Correa on
shore to treat with his highness, for whose safety he required hostages.
The zamorin answered that he was perfectly willing to have the trade
established, and that the general might send Aries Correa or any other
person on shore for that purpose, and transmitted two grandsons of a rich
merchant of Guzerate as hostages.
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