The first booke of the historie of the discouerie and conquest of the East Indias, enterprised by the Portingales, in their daungerous nauigations, in the time of King Don Iohn, the second of that name VVhich historie conteineth much varietie of matter, very profitable for all nauigators, and not vnpleasaunt to the readers. Set foorth in the Portingale language, by Hernan Lopes de Castaneda. And now translated into English, by N.L. Gentleman.

¶How the Prince of Calycut made offer sundrye times to enter into the Iland of Coching, by this Foord, and how he was resisted by the Prince of Coching. Chap. 53.

NOw the King of Calycut hauing notice, that Naramuhin had pitched his royall Ar∣mie hard by this Foord, to resist thereby his entraunce into Coching, he was somewhat feared therewith: in especiall for that hée knew the foresaid Prince, to be one of the valiantest Gentlemen, that was accompted off in all that Prouince of Malabar, & the most fortunate in wars. Some∣what therefore for this feare, more then for anye good will that he ought to the King of Coching, to vse any kinde of courtesie towards him, he sent him this letter.

I Haue trauailed as much as I could to excuse this war with thée,* 1.1 if so be that thou woldest temper thy pride, & doe y^• which I haue requested thée, being as it is, so iust, ne∣cessary and profitable vnto vs all. And for that this our fal∣ling out might goe no further, I giue thée to vnderstande,

that I am come to Repelyn with a great power for to en∣ter thy Country, & there to take those Christians which are with thée, withall their Merchandize: yet notwithstanding, I will first aduertise thee, that my desire is, that thou doe sende them vnto me, which if thou wilt doe, then will I for∣get the enuie and hatred I haue conceiued against thée for that which is past, whereas otherwise, I haue promised to take thy Countrey from thée, & put all those that are dwel∣lers there,

to the sword.

Although now the King of Coching had very great lack of men, and did well perceiue that it might come so to passe, as the King of Calycut had written vnto him. Neuerthe∣lesse, he neuer meant to moue his determination, but did aunswere after this manner.

IF thou hadst demaunded of me after a ciuill order,* 1.2 & with louing wordes, that which thou doest commaund with so great a pride, I would not haue indged thée of lesse valour, then that thou thinkest I might take thée to be off: For where there is wisedome or strength, there is no discurtesie shewed by meanes of ill bringing vp. These be things that God is not pleased withall: neither yet haue I so offended him, that I should consent so much to my losse,

or think that the victory should not be mine and these valyant mens that are with me. Thou shalt be welcome with all thy pride, and I verely beléeue, that with these few which I haue, ouer and beside my iust quarrell, shall suffice to defend me from thée, and other mine enimies. Thou shalt neuer finde mée so weake, that I will doe anye thing with such shame as thou demaundest. And if so be, that thou hast vsed to ac∣custome thy selfe to such deceiptes, so it is: I did neuer vse

the same, nether yet will I accustome my selfe so to doe. Touching the Christians, or any part of their goods, make thou no reckoning, for that I doe minde to defende the same. Therefore to bée short, sende me no more messen∣gers.

With this aunswere was the King of Calycut so of∣fended, that he sware he woulde destroye all, and reuenge himselfe vppon the King of Coching. And therefore foorth∣with hée departed from Repelyn the last daye of March, and entered into the Lande of the King of Coching, in the which he did no hurt, for that the Lordes of that soyle were all in his fauour. And on the seconde daye of Aprill, bee∣ing come néere vnto this Foorde where Naramuhin was intrenched,* 1.3 some of the King of Calycuts Captaynes had great hope through the multitude of theyr men which they had with them, to giue the onset, with determination to passe the Foorde: but it was so manfullye defended, that they retired with the losse of many.

Whervpon the King of Calycut tooke this for an ill be∣ginning: but for all that, after that hée had pitched his Campe, he sent the next daye the Lorde of Repelyn with as manye more men as there was the daye before, and sun∣drye Paraos by water, supposing that then he woulde passe ouer this Foorde. But it chaunced farre otherwise, and they mist at that time of theyr purpose, for that Naramu∣hin as yet did valyauntlye defende the same with a stout courage.

At this present, were with him Laurenso Moreno, with other more our men, which shewed themselues lyke valyaunt Gentlemen, as before time they hadde done in diuers other Battayles, which the aforesayde Prince Naramuhin hadde with his Enimies, in the which hée had alwayes the victorye,* 1.4 with the losse of many of their men. When the King of Calycut perceiued his losse, and bée∣ing now, as hée euer was, inconstant and fearefull, hée euen repented himselfe, that euer hée did beginne these warres.

For he thought that immediately vpon his comming to this Foord, he should haue passed the same. Wherefore he sent a∣gaine another messenger to the King of Coching, that hée foorthwith should send vnto him those Christians: who an∣swered, that since he would not delyuer them before time, when as he had occasion somwhat to feare his power, what shall he thinke he would doe now, when he hath the aduan∣tage? But he aduertised him to looke well vnto himselfe, for that now he would not be contented onely with defending his Countrey,* 1.5 but hoped to giue him y^e ouerthrow: which indéed had taken effect, if so be that his vntrue subiects, had not forsaken him. With this aunswere the King of Caly∣cut remained in some feare, and indéed without any hope of victory, if so be that it had not bene for his owne souldiers, which gaue him councell to send to ouerun certaine townes of Coching, which lay hard thereabouts, he would haue left the warres. Which had the sooner bene finished, if Naramu∣hin had not bene driuen to send to succour those Townes, with some of his men. The king thought y^e by this meanes remaining there but with the fewer, his strength shoulde be thereby diminished.

But this pollicie was preuented by Naramuhin, who had a meruailous forecast to foresée such innouations. And for all this he furnished all places, where it was requisite, in such sort, as though himselfe had bene there present. And notwithstanding all this, the King of Calycut lost manye of his men.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The king of Caly∣cuts letter to y^e king of Co∣ching▪
• * 1.2

  The aun∣svvere which the king of Coching made to the fore∣said letter▪
• * 1.3

  The Cali¦cutians re¦pulsed frō passing ouer the Foorde.
• * 1.4

  Incōstan∣cie ••n the king of Calycut noted.
• * 1.5

  A stout stomacke of a prince▪