668 The HIST OUT of the Book I. 
then attacking two- of their largeft Ships with great Vigor, 
the Seamen and Soldiers, after a ftiort Refiftance, in which 
they loft three hundred Men, jumped over-board, which 
ffcruck filch a Terror into their Companions, that they imme- 
diately fpread all the Sail they could, and bore away in the 
ucmoft Confufion. In thefe two Ships that were taken, 
Don Vafquez found immehfe Riches •, for befides Gold and 
Silver Plate to a great Value, there was on board one of 
them an Idol of a moft horrid Shape, which weighed fixty 
Pounds in Gold. In the Head there were two Emaralds 
for Eyes, more perfect than any that had been feen in Eu- 
rope i and in the Breaft there was fixed a Ruby of the Size 
of a Chefnut •, thefe and other valuable things being taken 
out, together with a Robe defigned for the Idol, embroi- 
dered with Pearls,. Topazes, and Diamonds, the Ships were 
fet on Fire., 
Vafquez proceeded from thence to Cananor, conferred 
with the King on the Meafures neceffary to be taken in his 
Abfence, and then leaving, behind him fix large Ships under 
the Command of Vincent Sodrez, he failed for Mozambique , 
where having taken in fome necefifary Refrefhments, he 
continued his Voyage without the leaft unlucky Accident, 
till he arrived at Lijbon, where he was received with the 
utrrtoft Joy, and the Tribute of the King of ^ 'uiloa , in a 
Silver Bafon, was carried in Triumph before him. 
As foon as Gama left the Indies „ the Samorin affembled 
an Army of 50,000 Men, and marched to attack the King 
of Cochin by Land. The News of this Invafion fo fright- 
ed the Subjects of that Monarch, that they began to eurfe 
the Portugueze , and to intreat their King to make his Peace 
with the Samorin, by delivering up fuch of them as were 
in, his Hands, and renouncing his Alliance with them. 
Trimumpara behaved on this Occafion with extraordinary 
Firmnels, he gave the Portugueze that were at Cochin , a 
ftrong Guard, and, notwithftanding the Cowardice of his 
Subjects, refolved to put all to the Hazard, rather than 
break his Faith. 
At this Jun&ure Vincent Sodrez arrived with the Ships 
under his Command, to whom the King applied himfelf 
for Relief, and defired he would land a Part of his Force 
to affift him in this Extremity. The Portugueze Officer 
was a very brave Man, and underftood his Bufinefs per- 
fectly ; but he loved Money, and had found a very eafy 
way of acquiring it, by plundering the Mohammedan 
Traders h : He therefore found out, that by his Inftruftions 
he was to abt by Sea, and not on Shore, and therefore 
would not confent to land fo much as a fingle Man. This 
amazed the King, and enraged the Portugueze that were at 
Cochin to the laft Degree-, but Sodrez , without putting 
himfelf to any Pain about their Refentments, failed to 
the Red-Sea , in order to make Prizes, where his own Ship 
was loft, and he and his Brother drowned. 
In the mean time the Samorin. marched with his Army 
into the Territories of Cochin, where the King being be- 
trayed, they forced a Pafs that led to- his Capital, by which 
they imagined they had him intirely at their Mercy. As 
foon as Trimumpara was informed of this unlucky Accident, 
his firft Care was to fecure the Portugueze , and in order to 
this, he directed that they Ihould be fent over to the Ifland 
of Viapan, which lies over-againft Cochin, . This Ifland 
was confecrated to the moft folemn Myfteries of the Indian 
Religion, and had therefore been hitherto accounted facred 
in all the Difputes between Monarchs of that Faith ; but it 
was alfo a Place of extraordinary Strength, and that not 
only from its being inacceffible by Nature, but from the 
Affiftance alfo of Art j and in this Ifland there were con- 
fiderable Magazines, and a very numerous Garrifon of good 
Troops. 
The Samorin carrying all before him, and a great Part 
cy{Trimumpara\ Subjects having deferred their Mailer, and 
fubmitted to that Tyrant, the King' of Cochin found him- 
felf at laft obliged to follow the Portugueze, and take 
Shelter in the fame Place. The Governor' of Viapan re- 
mained firm to his MafiePs Intereft, and thereby prefer vec! 
him from the Rage of his Enemy ; for the Samorin having 
burnt the Town of Cochin , feveral times attacked the Hand 
of Viapan , and was as often repuifed with great Lofs, and 
at laft obliged to abandon his Defign, and to return again 
into his own Dominions,, the Winter Seafon coming on, in 
which it is impoffible for an Indian Army to keep the Field ; 
but he left a confiderable Garrifon in Cochin , and ordered 
feveral Forts to be erecfted, refolving to return thither again 
,in the Spring. 
7. It was now become a fettled Maxim m> Portugal to 
fend annually a Fleet to the Indies , and accordingly Francis 
Albuquerque coming with a ftrong Force into thofe Seas, 
and having joined at the Angedive Hands the Ships under 
the Command of Pedro Ataida , he failed directly to Viapan , 
where he comforted the King of Cochin on the Part of Don 
Emanuel his Matter, and affured him that he fhould receive 
all the Affiftance from him that lay in his Power,- which he 
performed with as much Sincerity as with Readiness he pro- 
mifed. In the firft place, he drove the Garrifon, which the 
Samorin had left in Cochin from thence, and having demo- 
lifhed their Forts, brought the King back again in Tri- 
umph to his Capital. As this Victory, and the Ufe he 
made of it, gave the Portugueze Admiral a good Title to 
the King’s Favour, he took Occafion from thence to defire 
the Liberty of erecting a Place of Strength for the Security 
of his Countrymen, that they might not be expofed to fuch 
Dangers as they had lately gone through for the future ; the 
Propofai was very kindly accepted, and the King of Cochin 
gave him leave to build a Fort where-ever he thought fit. 
In Confequence of this Permiftion, Francis Albuquerque 
made Choice of an Eminence, which commanded both the 
Town and the Fort, and the King having allowed him to 
cut down all the fine Palm Trees that were planted round 
his Palace, he quickly finifhed the Fortrefs he had marked 
out in the beft manner that fuch Materials would permit. 
He likewife built a Chapel for the Performance of Divine 
Service ; and thus as the Portugueze Writers themfelves ex.- 
prefs it, their Nation became poffieffied of the Dominion 
both in Spirituals and Temporals of the Indies , and the 
King of Cochin without perceiving it, contributed all that 
lay In his Power to the introducing Strangers as Lords over 
himfelf and his Neighbours K 
Under pretence of reducing fuch as had rebelled againft 
the King of Cochin , they made themfelves Matters of their 
Countries, pillaged all their Towns and Villages at Piea*- 
fure, and committed greater Devaftations than the Samorin 
himfelf had done during the late Invafion. In the midft 
of thefe Proceedings Alphonfo Albuquerque arrived from 
Portugal with an additional Force, he foon added both to 
the Conquefts and Alliances of the Portugueze. The Tu- 
tors or Guardians of the King of Golan, a very rich and 
potent Prince, whofe Capital lay twenty-four Leagues. 
South of Cochin , demanded the Protection and Friendlhip 
of Portugal , which was immediately granted, and a Fac- 
tory fettled there. The King of Zanzibar was foon after- 
compelled to fubmit to the Crown of Portugal and the free 
City of Brava, which was a kind of Commonwealth, was 
obliged to pay an annual Tribute. The King of Melinda 
h This Man lias a very good Character given him by the famous Portugueze Hiftorian J ohn de Barros , at leaft in Point of Courage ; out it feems 
Ms Love of Money got the better of his Virtue and his Underftanding. He had heard of a rich Fleet of Ships in the Red-oea , and he would needs 
fdil in the Month of May to intercept them. In vain the People of the Country reprefented to him, that it was dangerous putting to Sea at that Season 
of the Year ; in vain his Pilots diiTuaded him from his Purpofe ; he was fo pofieffed with the Defire of being rich, that he had no Regard to his own 
Safety. After his and his Brother’s Death, Pedro Ataida , upon whom the Command devolved, endeavoured to return with the remaining Ships to 
Cochin ; but finding it impracticable, was forced to retire to the Angedive Jflands, where he wintered. ... , 
1 It is not eafy to conceive how in fuch a Situation the King of Cochin could refufe the Portugueze leave to build a Fort in ms Dominions, and yet 
It xnuft be allowed, that it was an Error in Policy not to bejuitified. He was preffed by two Difficulties equally great ; but Lie Dangers froxn whence 
thofe Difficulties arofe were not equalljf preffing, and therefore he chofe, as indeed any other Prince would in ins Circiimiiances, to run the hazard Q. 
that which was at the greateft Diitance. The Portugueze Writers, without any Ceremony avow, that the Defign or their General s eieding a tort 
was to eftablifh their Dominion over the Natives, to which, however, they had no fort of Title, except what was derived fiom the * ope 5 Bun, and 
the Notion of converting the People frbm Idolatry. With regard to the Bull, it has been treated with equal and with juft Contempt oy Proteuant asiu 
Popifh Writers. With refpeft to Conversion, it might be eafily ihewn, that Force of any kind is incomparable with the Clnillian Religion ; fo that on t e 
whole thefe Proceedings were grounded on pure Maxims of Policy ; and all that is faid of Religion is a mere Pretence, by which the Portugueze endea- 
vour to hide their Ambition and Injuftice. 
had 
