rin at the commencement of the war. From some spies
employed by the rajah of Cochin, it was understood that this caymal had a
force of three thousand nayres, seven hundred of whom were archers, and
forty were, armed with matchlocks[2]; besides which all their towns were
well fortified with trenches. He had likewise several paraws provided with
ordnance, with which he was supplied by the zamorin, and these were
stationed in one of the harbours of the island, to defend it against the
Portuguese. Notwithstanding all these preparations, of which he was well
informed, Francisco Albuquerque went against this island the day after he
had reduced the former, and commenced his attack against the harbour in
which the paraws were stationed. The enemy were soon driven by our
ordnance from their boats, yet many of them continued in the water up to
their girdles to resist the landing of our troops, annoying them as much
as possible with stones, spears, and arrows. They were at length driven
from the water by our ordnance, but rallied again on the shore, and
bravely resisted our people in landing for a long time. They were at
length driven to take shelter in a grove of palm trees, in which they
defended themselves for a short space, and were at the last driven to seek
for safety in a disorderly flight, in which they were pursued by our men.
In the pursuit, Pedro de Lares, who was constable to Francisco de
Albuquerque, being separated from the rest, was attacked by three nayres
all at once. One of these let fly an arrow which hit Pedro on his breast-
plate but without hurting him; on which Pedro levelled his piece and shot
him dead. The second nayre he likewise slew by another shot. The third
nayre wounded him in the leg with a weapon called a _gomya_, and then
endeavoured to run away, but Pedro killed him, with his sword. On the
enemy being put to flight, Francisco divided his forces into three bodies,
two of them Portuguese, and the third composed of nayres in the service of
the rajah of Cochin, and marched all over the island plundering and
burning the towns and villages without resistance.

While thus employed, a considerable number of paraws arrived with
reinforcements from Calicut, from which a powerful body of nayres landed
in that part of the island where Duarte Pacheco happened to be posted with
a very inferior force, and had assuredly destroyed him and his men, but
that Francisco de Albuquerque came very opportunely to his aid.