wered, that his orders were to
defend the sea and not the land; for which reason, if the zamorin had
prepared to attack Cochin by sea, he would certainly have defended it;
but as the war was to be carried on by land, he could not interfere, and
the rajah must defend himself. The factor sent a second message,
entreating him, in the name of God and on his allegiance to the king of
Portugal, not to abandon the factory in this state of danger, as the
power of the rajah was inadequate to defend Cochin against the zamorin;
and as the sole object of the war was for the destruction of the factory
and the ruin of the Portuguese trade, it certainly was his duty, as
captain-general for the king of Portugal in these seas, both to defend
the factory and to give every assistance in his power to the rajah. But
Sodre was immoveable, pretending that he had been ordered to discover the
Red Sea, where he expected to make many rich prizes, and set sail from
Cochin for Cape Guardafui, preferring the hope of riches to his duty in
defending the factory of Cochin.

The zamorin collected his army, as already mentioned, at the village of
Panani, where, besides his own subjects and allies, several of the
principal subjects of the rajah of Cochin joined his standard, deserting
their own sovereign, and carrying along with them all the power they were
able to muster: Among these were the caimalls or governors of Chirapipil
and Cambalane, and of the large island which is opposite to the city of
Cochin. At this place, the zamorin made a long speech to his assembled
chiefs, in which he endeavoured to justify his enmity to the Portuguese,
whom he represented as thieves, robbers, and pirates, and as having first
commenced hostilities against him without cause. He contrasted the quiet
and friendly conduct of the Moors, who had traded for 600 years with
Malabar, having never done injury to any in all that time, and had
greatly enriched the country, and had raised his city of Calicut to be
the greatest emporium in all the Indies: Whereas the Portuguese had taken
and destroyed his ships, made his ambassadors prisoners, insisted on
having their ships laden before those belonging to the Moors, had taken a
ship of the Moors, burnt ten of his ships in his own harbour, had
destroyed his city and forced him to escape for safety from his palace;
taking law and vengeance for pretended grievances into their own hands,
instead of applying regularly to him for redress.