ss on their side. After
this, the generals sent on the _tony_[7] for the pepper, which carried
such merchandize as was meant to be given in exchange; and for its
protection Pacheco and three other captains accompanied it with two
hundred men, and five hundred Cochin paraws[8]. In passing a narrow strait
or river, our people were assailed from the banks by a vast number of the
natives armed with bows and arrows, but were defended by their targets,
which were fixed on the gunwales of their boats. Leaving one of his
captains with fifty Portuguese t protect the tony, Pacheco with the other
two captains and the troops belonging to the rajah, made towards the shore,
firing off his falcons against the enemy, whom he forced to quit the
shore with much loss; after which he landed with his troops, most of whom
were armed with hand-guns. The enemy, who were full two thousand strong,
resisted for a quarter of an hour, but at length took to flight after
having many slain. Pacheco pursued them to a village, where the fugitives
rallied and were joined by many nayres, insomuch that they now amounted to
six thousand men, and our people were in great jeopardy, as the enemy
endeavoured to surround them, and to intercept their return to the boats.
But our men defended themselves manfully, and fought their way back to the
shore, where the natives divided on each hand, being afraid of the shot of
the falcons, which slew great numbers of them, and our men re-embarked
without having a single man killed or wounded.

The zamorin was much displeased at the successes of our people against his
confederates, and by the loss of many of his paraws in these several
actions, and was even afraid lest the Portuguese might eventually
dispossess him of his dominions. He used every exertion therefore to
prevent us from procuring pepper, being in hopes, if our ships were
constrained to return to Portugal without loading, that they would come no
more back to India. He used his influence therefore even with the
merchants of Cochin to refuse supplying pepper to our ships, which they
did so effectually, under pretence of the war, that, in spite of the
influence of the rajah, and notwithstanding high offers of reward from
Francisco de Albuquerque, the factory had only been able to procure 1200
quintals or 4000 bahars[9] of pepper; and even that was got with hard
fighting, some hurt to our own men, and infinite loss of lives to the
enemy. Unable to procure any more