bour. They were soon constrained by the
cannon of the Portuguese to push for the shore and quit their paraws, but
resisted all attempts of the Portuguese to land for near an hour, when
they were completely defeated after losing a great many of their number,
killed or wounded, and our men set the town on fire. Having taken a
considerable number of cattle at this place, which he carried off with him,
Pacheco returned to defend the pass of Cambalan. At this time the zamorin
sent a message to Pacheco, offering him a handsome present, and proposing
a treaty for a peace between them: but Pacheco refused accepting the
present, and declared he would never make peace with him while he
continued at enmity with the rajah of Cochin. Next day, the zamorin sent a
second message, proudly challenging him for daring to obstruct his passage
into the island of Cochin, and offering him battle, declaring his
resolution to make him a prisoner, if he were not slain in the battle. To
this Pacheco made answer, that he hoped to do the same thing with the
zamorin, in honour of the day which was a solemn festival among the
Christians, and that the zamorin was much deceived by his sorcerers when
they promised him the victory on such a day. Then one of the naires who
accompanied the messenger, said smiling as if in contempt, that he had few
men to perform so great an exploit; whereas the forces of the zamorin
covered both the land and the water, and could not possibly be overcome by
such a handful. Pacheco ordered this man to be well bastinadoed for his
insolence, and bid him desire the zamorin to revenge his quarrel if he
could.

That same evening, the rajah of Cochin sent a farther reinforcement to
Pacheco of 500 naires, of whom he made no account, neither of these who
were with him before, believing they would all run away; his sole
reliance, under God, was on his own men, who feasted themselves that
night, that the zamorin might learn how much they despised all his
threats, and how eager they were for battle. Early next morning, Pacheco
made a short speech to his men, exhorting them, to behave valiantly for
the glory of the Christian name and the honour of their country, and
promising them an assured victory with the assistance of God; by which
their fame would be so established among the natives that they would be
feared and respected ever after. He likewise set before them the rewards
they might assuredly expect from their own sovereign, if the