H I N D O O S T A N, 
India could anciently be procured, was, as we have before 
hinted, that of the caravans to the borders of the Calpian 
Sea, and thence to Alexandria in Egypt; from whence 
the Venetians and Genoefe had become the earners, and 
greatly enriched their refpeftive dates, by dealing out, at 
an enormous price, thefe bewitching articles to the na- 
tionslof Europe. See Commerce, vol. iv. p. 857. It 
happened about this time that the enlarged mind of Ema¬ 
nuel long of Portugal was bent on making nautical dif- 
coveries ; and, having in his eye this enviable commerce 
of the maritime Venetians, determined, if poflible, to out¬ 
rival them, by finding a nearer way to that fafeinating 
land of unbounded wealth. The fpirit of enterpril'e was 
thus awakened into activity ; and a fmall Portuguefe fleet 
advanced along the weftern fliore of the African conti¬ 
nent, far beyond the utmolt boundary of other navigators 
in thofe feas. Encouraged by fuccefs, it became more 
adventurous, and furmounted difficulties which were 
once deemed infuperable. When the Portuguefe found 
in the torrid zone, which the ancients had pronounced to 
be uninhabitable, fertile countries, occupied by numerous 
nations ; and perceived that the continent of Africa, in- 
ftead of extending in breadth towards the welt, accord¬ 
ing to the opinion of Ptolemy, appeared to contract itfelf, 
and to bend ealtward; more extenfive prol'pe&s opened 
to their view, and infpired them with confident hopes of 
reaching India, by continuing to hold the fame courfe 
which they had fo long purfued. 
After feveral preparatory attempts, a fmall fquadron 
failed from the Tagus, under the command of Vafco de 
Gama, whofe abilities and courage fitted him for fuch an 
arduous enterpril'e. He was the firft who ventured be¬ 
yond that promontory which forms the fouthern extre¬ 
mity of Africa, firft difeovered by his countryman Bar¬ 
tholomew Diaz, who called it “ The Stormy Cape(fee 
Good Hope, vol. viii. p.678-687 ;) and, after experienc¬ 
ing profperous navigation along the fouth -eaft of Africa, he 
arrived at the city of Melinda, and had the fatisfadfion of 
finding there a people far advanced in civilization and the 
arts of life ; arid, being conducted by their pilots, he failed 
acrofs the Indian ocean, and landed at Calicut, on the 
coalt of Malabar, on the zzd of May 14-98, ten months 
and two days after his departure from the port of Lilbon. 
At that period, Secunder, the Ion of Beloli, fat on the 
throne of Delhi; and the inferior fovereign of Calicut, 
called the zamorin, aftonillied at this unexpected vifit of 
an unknown people, whofe afpedl, and arms, and man¬ 
ners, bore no refemblance to any of the nations accuftom- 
ed to frequent his harbours, and who had arrived in his 
dominions by a route hitherto deemed impracticable, 
received them with that fond admiration which is often 
excited by novelty; but, in a Ihort time, from motives of 
jealoufy, and fearing their objedt was conqueft, he formed 
various tchemes to cut them off. The Portuguefe admi¬ 
ral, however, extricated himfelf with lingular dexterity ; 
and at laft failed from Calicut with his Ihips loaded not 
only with the valuable commodities peculiar to that coaft, 
but with many rich productions of the eaftern parts of 
India. He returned to Portugal in two years after his 
failing from the Tagus, but with an exceffive lofs of men; 
for, out of one hundred and forty-eight perfons whom he 
took with him, only fifty-five returned. Emanuel re¬ 
ceived him with every teftimony of refpedt and kindnefs ; 
created him count of Videgueira; and not only declared 
him Admiral of t(ie Indies, but made that'office heredi¬ 
tary in his family. 
On the firft rumour of this fuccefsful voyage, the Ve¬ 
netians, with the quick-fighted difeernment of merchants, 
forefawthe immediate conlequence of it to be the ruin of 
that lucrative branch of commerce which had contributed 
fo greatly to enrich and aggrandize their country ; and 
they felt this with more poignancy, becaule they did not 
polfefs any means of preventing, or even of retarding, its 
operation. The hopes and fears of both were w'ell-found- 
ed. The Portuguele entered upon the new career, opened 
T9 
to them, with activity and ardour; and made exertions, 
both commercial and military, far beyond what could 
have been expedted from a kingdom of luch inconfidera- 
ble extent. A much fuperior fleet was now prepared with 
all poflible expedition, and failed under the command of 
Peter Alvarez Cabral. This fecond fleet, which confifted 
of thirteen Ihips, made fo refpedtable an appearance, when 
it arrived on the coaft of India, that the zamorin, terri¬ 
fied at its arrival, fent meflengers to invite the admiral on- 
flrore; entertained him with hofpitality, and affigned him 
a commodious houle for the eftablifhment of a fadtory, 
and the depofition of ftores. Incidents of difagreement, 
however, again arofe, and Cabral feized on all the Indian 
flapping then in the harbour. The enraged citizens of 
Calicut in revenge furrounded the fadtory, burnt the 
houfe, plundered the magazines, and malfacred all the 
Portuguele who were not fortunate enough to effect their 
retreat on-board the fleet. Cabral, after plundering the 
rich India Ihips, let fire to them ; and, pointing his can¬ 
non againft the town, feverely battered the walls and ad¬ 
jacent buildings ; he then fet fail for the port of Cochin, 
fituated likewife on the coaft of Malabar, about thirty 
leagues dillant from Calicut. Between the rajah of Co¬ 
chin and the Zamorin, a violent dilfenfion had for fome 
time exifted ; in conlequence of which, the artful Cabral 
advifed a defenlive league to be formed by the rajah and 
the kings of Coulau and Cananor, againft the haughty 
Zamorin. By their patronage he was enabled to return 
to Europe with a moft valuable cargo ; and three ambaf- 
fadors fent with him by thofe princes to the court of Por¬ 
tugal, gave unufual lplendour to his arrival at Lilbon. 
In the voyage homeward, the valuable illand of Saint He¬ 
lena was firft difeovered, and taken polfeffion of, by this 
fortunate adventurer. 
A fquadron of four Ihips was difpatched by Emanuel, 
under Don Juan Calleca, before the return of Cabral, to 
fupport his operations; and thefe were loon followed by 
a moft refpedtable fleet of twenty fail, with a proportiona¬ 
ble number of troops, under the command of,the former 
adventurer Vafco de Gama; who, though advanced in 
years, was ready at his fovereign’s call to renew his ca¬ 
reer of glory on the Indian feas. The zamorin, wffo had 
equipped a fleet of forty Ihips, was again beaten ; Which 
gave new confidence to the friendly rajahs of Cochin and 
Cananor; and the Portuguefe admiral returned, laden 
with greater wealth than ever India had yet poured into 
the harbours of Lilbon. 
But the zamorin, on the departure of Gama, immedi¬ 
ately took his revenge, marched an army of fifty thouland 
men againft Cochin, demanding the inftant furrender of 
all the Portuguefe in his dominions. Trimumpara, the 
aftonilhed rajah, acted with great firmnefs, and refufed to 
accede to the ungenerous demand ; upon which the za¬ 
morin fet fire to the town, and malfacred the inhabitants 
without diftindtion of age. But on the arrival of the re¬ 
nowned Alphonfo Albuquerque, in the year 1507, ac¬ 
companied by Triftram d'Acugna, marlhal of Portugal, 
with a fleet of leventeen Ihips, and three thouland troops, 
he foon reftored the expelled rajah, retook Cochin, and 
drove out the zamorin’s army with great daughter. He 
then failed for the port of Calicut, and attacked the city 
by fea and land ; when, refolving to retaliate the feverity 
exercil'ed againft the rajah of Cochin, he burnt the town, 
deftroyed the fortrefs, and pillaged the zamorin’s palace, 
in which was found a magazine of irnmenfe treafures. 
On fight of this, the impatient foldiers, regardlefs of order 
and difeipline, and thinking they had totally difeomfited 
the enemy, ruffied forward to ranfack and plunder the 
rich ftores of gold and jewels. But, while the Pcrtu- 
guefe foldiers were thus difperfed through the numerous 
apartments and private recelfes of the palace, the zamo¬ 
rin’s army rallied, and, coming upon them while rioting 
in the ipoils of the city, they w r ere to a man cut to pieces 
and the marlhal d’Acugna perilhed in the undiftinguiihed 
(laughter.. Albuquerque himfelf, after receiving a dread¬ 
ful. 
