Page:A Comprehensive History of India Vol 1.djvu/196

 H)2

JIIS'IOIIV OF INDIA.

[Book I,

Tiie zamoriii

liooomes

hostile.

De Gama

retaliates.

AC. 1498. place between the Portuguese and the natives. They were not destined, how- ever, to part so amicaljly.

More than two montlis had elapsed since the arrival of tiie Portuguese vessels, and as the north-east monsoon, on which they depended for their return homewards, was about to set in, De Gama, on the 10th of Augast, sent Diego Diaz to the zamorin with a present of scarfs, silks, coral, and other things, and a notification of his intention to depart. He was obliged t^.) wait four days for admission, and was then received with a frowning countenance. The zamorin's mind had been completely poisoned ; and he regarded the Portuguese either as pirates, who had come for plunder, or .spies, who, after acquainting themselves with the country, intended to return with a fleet .sufficient to invade it. Accordingly a guard was set over the house which the Portuguese had used for a factory, preventing all egress; and a proclamation i.ssued prohibiting all intercourse with the Portuguese ships.

De Gama, on learning what had happened, was much incen.sed, Vjut deter- mined to proceed warily, and employ craft against craft. Two days after the

proclamation, four lads arrived in an almadia, with preciotLS .stones for sale. They were suspected to be spies ; but De Gama spoke to them as if he were entirely ignorant of what had taken place in Calicut, and allowed them to depart, in the hope that their return would induce other persons of more conse- quence to pay him a visit. Nor was he mistaken. For the zamorin, convinced by De Gama's conduct that he was ignorant of the detention of his factor Diaz, and his secretary Braga, who were both in the factory when the guard was set over it, sent people on board to keep him amused till he should be able to effect the destruction of his sliips by preparing a fleet in his own ports, or bringing one from Mecca for that purpose. De Gama kept his own coiinsel, till one day when six of the principal inhabitants arrived with fifteen attendants. He immediately seized them, and sent a letter ashore, demanding his factor and secretary in exchange. After some parleying, Diaz and Braga were sent aboard, and the principal inhabitants, who were nairs, were returned. The attendants, however, were detained, on the plea that some of the Portuguese merchandise was stiU unaccounted for. This was mere pretence on De Gama's part, for he had already determined to carry off" the poor natives to Portugal, and exhibit them as the vouchers of his discovery. Immediately after making this announce- ment to those who had been sent for the natives, and desiring them to inform the zamorin that he would shortly return and give him full means of judging

An Almadia. — From Hughen's Discours of Voyages in Indiistan, 15S5.