much you may
have practised deceit and injustice, it has ever been my rule to avoid
shame and dishonour, and I will never consent to deliver up the
Christians or their goods, which I have engaged to defend."

The zamorin was much offended by this answer from the rajah of Cochin,
and vowed to destroy his whole country in revenge: Leaving, therefore,
the isle of Repelim on the last day of March, he entered on the
territories of Cochin, yet refrained from doing any injury, as he now
occupied those parts which belonged to the chieftains who had joined him
against their own sovereign. On the 2d of March, the army of the zamorin
made an attempt to force a passage by the ford which was defended by
prince Naramuhin; yet, in spite of all his prodigious superiority of
numbers, he was forced to retire with considerable loss. Disappointed in
this first essay, the zamorin encamped close by the ford, and sent the
lord of Repelim next day with a still stronger force than had been
employed in the first assault, to attempt forcing the passage. He even
joined several armed paraws in this attack; but Naramuhin made a resolute
defence, in which he was bravely seconded by Laurenzo Moreno and several
other Portuguese, and effectually resisted every effort of the zamorins
troops, who were obliged to retreat with much loss. Several such assaults
were made on the ford, in all of which the zamorin lost many men, and was
constantly repulsed, insomuch that he became fearful of a sinister end to
his unjust enterprise, and even repented of having begun the war. He sent,
however, a fresh message to the rajah, requiring him to deliver up the
Christians as a preliminary of peace. But the rajah replied, that as he
had refused to do so unjust an action when he had some reason to dread
the superior power of the zamorin, it was absurd to expect any such thing
now, when the advantage in the war was evidently of his side. He then
advised the zamorin to beware of continuing the war, as he would not now
satisfy himself with defence, but even hoped to give him a signal
overthrow. And this certainly had been the case, if the subjects of the
rajah had not shamefully deserted him in this war and given assistance to
the enemy. The zamorin almost despaired of success, and would have given
over the enterprize, if he had not been advised by some of his chiefs to
assail several other towns belonging to the dominions of Cochin, so as to
distract the attention of Naramuhi