who had orders to use his best endeavours to make a treaty of friendship with the Zamorin of Calicut, and to petition him for liberty to build a fort near the city, by which the Portuguese might be enabled to live fecure from the violence of their enemies, and carry on their traffick with safety. But if he found him averse to peace, and obstinately bent against our people, that he should, without any farther delay, declare him an enemy, and treat him in an hoftile manner. Cabral had a very bad voyage, several of his ships being obliged to put back to Lisbon, and no less than four of them loft, with all on board. He himself, with the rest, were driven so far to the westward, that he fell in with the Brazils, of which we have here a short description, together with the manners of the natives. As this country appeared extremely beautiful and fertile, Cabral fent one of his ships express to acquaint Emmanuel with his new discovery, and then proceeded on his voyage. Being arrived at Calicut, the Zamorin sent two of his nobles to falute him; and on Cabral's going ashore, he was received with the utmost demonftrations of joy. The Zamorin made the warmeft profeffions of friendship, granting the Portuguese a free trade in his dominions. He, besides, affign'd them a large house, near the shore, for the use of those who were to tranfact the affairs of king Emmanuel. Notwithstanding, however, all this boasted friendship of the Zamorin, he connived at the malicious and fraudulent proceedings of the Arabian merchants, who bought up all the spices at the highest prices, in order to prevent their falling into the hands of the Portuguese. When Cabral complained of this, he gave him power to take the spices out of the Arabian ships, after paying the value of them to the merchants. On receiving this answer, Cabral remained in fufpence, fearing, left if he did fo, the Arabians might fall upon and destroy the Portuguese who were ashore. However, being pushed on by Cerrea, the chief of those on shore, he stopped all ships outward bound, till the Portuguefe had received their full loading of spices. This so exafperated the Arabians, that 4000 of them beset the Portuguese house, those within being only 70. On Correa's making a fignal of distress, a detachment was fent in the longboats to his relief; but he himself, and fifty of his men were cut in pieces, twenty only making their escape, and these so miferably wounded, that most of them died. This was the beginning of the war between the Portuquese and the Zamorin, which lasted many years. Cabral Cabral finding that the Zamorin had been privy to this tumult, refolved to take vengeance on ten large Arabian ships in the harbour. The engagement, for some time, was fierce and warm on both fides; but the Portuguese at last boarded' them, killing about 600 of the enemy. They plunder'd these vessels, and being in great want of hands, they put all the prisoners aboard their own ships. They found likewise three elephants, and (being short of provifions) killed and falted them for food. They afterwards fired the ships, which were all destroy'd in the fight of the Zamorin of Calicut. This done, Cabral failed for Cochin, a city about 70 miles fouth of Calicut, the prince of this place being defirous to cultivate a friendship with the Portuguese. Here Cabral took in what spices and other merchandize he wanted, and then fet fail for Portugal, where he arrived in July 1502. Thus the Portuguese continued sending out a fleet every year to India, which always touched at Cochin, and did all the damage in their power to the Zamorin of Calicut, by plundering and burning all his ships they could meet with. The Zamorin, on his part, left nothing untried to distress the Portuguese. He several times fitted out numerous fleets, with 15,000 troops, and sometimes more, on board; but he always came off with the worst, many of his ships being funk, and great flaughter made among his men: all this, however, ferved only to provoke him ftill more. fore, taking advantage of the absence of the Portuguese fleet, he fell upon the king of Cochin, whom he forced to take shelter in a small ifland, after abandoning Cochin to the enemy. The prince of Cochin suffered all this, because he abfolutely refused to deliver up the Portuguese who had been left in his dominions, and to enter into a league with the Zamorin against them. Where When the famous Albuquerque arrived in India (viz. in 1503) he found the king of Cochin in this low condition; but foon reinstated him in his dominions, making him, at the fame time, a present of 10,000 ducats; a piece of generofity which was very acceptable at that juncture. Albuquerque therefore thought it a proper time to defire he would allow him to build a fort, as a bulwark to the Portuguese, and a defence to his majesty against the attempts of the Zamorin. This request being granted, the foundation of a fort was laid on the 27th of September 1503; after the finishing of which, Albuquerque carried on an offenfive war against the Zamorin and his allies, invading his territories, and and laying all waste with fire and sword, wherever he came. This done, and the Portuguese ships having taken in their full loading of fpices, &c. they set fail for Europe, leaving only one ship, two caravals, and another small vessel, with 150 Portuguese. The command of this small squadron, if it deferves that name, was given to Duarte Pacheco, a man of great ability, and unquestionable courage. After the departure of Albuquerque, the Zamorin, more bent than ever upon the destruction of the Portuguese and their ally the king of Cochin, raised an army of near 60,000 men, besides a fleet of 160 ships; hoping with such superior force to carry all before him; but in this he was mistaken, for Pacheco baffled all his measures, repulsed this mighty armament, and defended the kingdom of Cochin from being invaded. The particulars of this brave defence are narrated at large; and are a proof of the incredible, and almost romantick magnanimity of Pacheco and his few Portuguese. These exploits were performed in the year 1504, and bring down the history to the end of the third book. The fourth, fifth, and fixth books contain the progress made by the Portuguese in the East Indies, under the conduct of Francis Almeed, who was invested with the authority of a viceroy. During his time the war against the Zamorin of Calicut was carried on without intermiffion: the Portuguese likewise extended their settlements, by obtaining leave to build forts at several places. But we shall only take notice of one exploit of Almeed, which happened after the arrival of his successor Alphonso Albuquerque, already mentioned, who offer'd him his assistance, but was rejected. Almeed having therefore fitted out a fleet of nineteen ships, aboard which there were three hundred Portaguese and four hundred Cochinians, failed first for Dabul, a city be. longing to the king of Goa, who had entered into an alliance with the enemies of the Portuguese. When Almeed approached Dabul, there were in the harbour a great number of ships well mann'd, and furnished with plenty of arms; besides which, the town was garrifon'd with fix thousand foldiers. The enemy in vain attempted to hinder his landing; for being routed, the Portuguese pursued them so closely, as to enter the town at the fame time. Now followed a most dismal scene; the Portuguese, blinded by their fury, committing the most shocking barbarities. The flaughter was continu'd till fun-set, when Almeed ordered a retreat to be founded; fearing fome mischief might happen, if the foldiers were allowed to go a plundering in the night-time. Next day the the city was first pillaged and then burnt; after which Almeed pursued the enemy to the mountains, where he burnt many castles and villages. This done, Almeed failed to Diu, a city situate in a small island, belonging to the king of Cambaya, where the enemies of the Portuguese had assembled their united fleets. Mirbocem, admiral of the fultan of Egypt, had fix large ships, four Cambaian vessels, and several floops of war, together with a confiderable number of Calicutian paraos; to which adding the ships that belonged to Melichiaz, viceroy of Diu, the whole fleet amounted to above one hundred fail. Mirhocem's ships were mann'd with Mamalukes, men of the utmost intrepidity, and not a little confident of success. Those of the other allies were armed with the fame afsurance. Hope and resentment spurred them on to defend their liberty, and to destroy a people whom they hated. There were likewise in this fleet several Venetians and Sclavonians, who commanded fome of the gallies; and these Christians, if worthy to be so called, shewed no less ardour to engage our fleet, than those enemies of our holy religion. • Each commander used various arguments to excite the courage of his foldiers; Mirhocem, by all possible methods, endeavoured to rouze the resentment of his men against the Chriftian name, and animated them with the agreeable prospect of rewards and honours. "If you are worsted this day," said he, "the ignominy and loss will be everlafting and irretrievable; on the other hand, if you prove victorious, the empire of India will be fecure, and your names will become for ever immortal." Almeed, on his part, did not omit any thing which he thought might inflame his men against the Mahometans, and inspire them with a zeal for their own religion. For," said he, " if conquered, you are every where furrounded by your enemies, who, when freed from the terror of your arms, will vent their implacable rage against the Christian name. You can have no fuccour but from a great distance: nor will you be able to find any shelter in your calamity; for the people are faithlefs, and will not fcruple to break through the most folemn ties of treaty, as foon as opportunity offers. Behave, therefore, like men; refolve either to conquer, or die hohourably." 66 By thefe, and fuch like speeches, Almeed having endeavour ed to whet the courage of his men, of themselves sufficiently eager, he ordered the fails to be hoifted; but as the wind failed, and the enemy did not advance from their stations, he he came again to an anchor, waiting the return of the tide, and a favourable gale. The wind answering sooner than he expected, he again weighed; and the signal being given, he advanced fo far that he could reach the enemy with his cannon; for the tide not beginning yet to flow, the water was low, so that he was afraid to approach nearer, left he should run aground. 'The enemy had planted several cannon on the walls of the city, and on the tower upon the fea-fhore; from thence they threw a great number of weapons, and fired from their batteries on our people, who, in their turn, attacked the enemies fleet with grear fury. The engagement continued till it was interrupted by the darkness of the night. Almeed, who was in the first line with his ship, had resolved to attack that commanded by Mirhocem, but he was diffuaded from this design by the rest of his offices; for they represented to him the disorder and confufion which the Portuguese fleet would be thrown into, if their admiral should be involved in danger. This advice was not agreeable to his inclination; however he followed it, because he thought it most consistent with the rules of prudence. He appointed Numez Vafco Pereira to attack Mirhocem's ship, and gave him the bravest men in the fleet to carry on this enterprize, and ordered George Melos Pereira to follow him. In every ship the men were drawn up in four lines, at the poop, stern, and fides; and each of these under particular officers. • Mirhocem perceiving that Almeed rushed on boldly to the engagement, resolved not to pass the shallow, but drew back his fleet nearer the walls, that he might act with more fafety, when affifted by the cannon of the city, and be more readily supply'd with reinforcements, when neceffary. On this a most bloody engagement ensued, the result of which was, that Almeed gained a compleat victory. Three large ships with feveral paraos and floops of war were funk, and two ships, two galleys, and four large vessels taken. In these they found a great number of cannon, vast quantities of gold as well as filver coin, and a prodigious variety of filk and embroider'd cloaths, of great value. Almeed, however, referved none of the booty for himself, but gave it all among the foldiers. In this action the enemy loft four thousand men, amongst whom were a confiderable number of the sultan's soldiers, called Mamalukes; for out of eight hundred that were prefent at the fight, only twenty-two survived this difafter. Of |