And This Certainly Had Been The Case, If The Subjects Of The
Rajah Had Not Shamefully Deserted Him In This War And Given Assistance To
The Enemy.
The zamorin almost despaired of success, and would have given
over the enterprize, if he had not been advised
By some of his chiefs to
assail several other towns belonging to the dominions of Cochin, so as to
distract the attention of Naramuhin, and to weaken his force by obliging
him to send detachments for their defence. But that brave prince provided
against every emergency, and made so judicious a disposition of his
forces, that he repulsed every effort of the enemy, and slew many of
their men.
Foiled in every attempt with severe loss, by the bravery and excellent
dispositions of Prince Naramuhin, the zamorin corrupted the paymaster of
the troops of Cochin, who changed the usual order of payment which had
been daily made in the camp, and obliged the soldiers to come up to
Cochin for that purpose. Naramuhin was obliged to submit to this
arrangement, by giving leave to the naires to go for their wages, yet
charged them punctually to return to the camp before day. But the
treacherous paymaster kept them waiting till after day-light, by which
means the prince was left with very few troops to defend the ford. Taking
advantage of this concerted stratagem, the zamorin made an assault upon
the ford with his whole force by sea and land, and constrained Naramuhin
to retire with his small band into a grove of palm trees, where he was
surrounded by the whole army of Calicut, yet fought the whole day against
such terrible odds with the utmost resolution, several times throwing his
enemies into disorder, of whom many were slain.
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