On
Receiving This Message, Cosebequin Was Sent On Board By The Governors Of
Calicut, To Treat Of Peace, Carrying With Him Two Of The Portuguese
Captives.
They requested he would wait three or four days, by which time
they believed the zamorin would come out from his seclusion, and that
they were convinced he would agree to all that should be required.
The
admiral answered, that unless they would deliver up the two Italian
deserters he would agree to no terms; but he sent no message for the
liberation of our captives, as he thought they might easily escape. As
soon as the Italians learnt that the admiral had demanded them, they
suspected the captives would run away of which circumstance they gave
notice to the governors, requiring them to secure the Portuguese captives,
as they were men of consideration, and that a peace might be procured in
exchange for them almost on any terms the zamorin pleased to prescribe.
On this advice, the governors took care to prevent the captives from
escaping, and became less urgent in their desire of peace. Owing to this,
they remained in captivity till Don Francisco de Almeida became viceroy
of India, though some made their escape in the interim, and others of
them fell victims to the diseases of the climate.
After waiting some days, and finding no friendly steps taken by the
governors of Calicut towards a peace; and being likewise without hope of
recovering the captives, Suarez resolved to take revenge by cannonading
the city of Calicut, which he did for a whole day and a night, during
which time he did prodigious damage, destroying the palace of the zamorin,
several of their pagodas or idol temples, and many of the houses, and
slew a great number of the inhabitants.
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