inst his enemies.

The zamorin gave orders to some of his naires in whom he reposed great
confidence, that they should go to Cochin on some false pretence, and
endeavour to assassinate the general of the Portuguese and such of his
men as they could meet with. But the naires are an inconsiderate people
unable to keep any of their affairs secret, so that this shameful device
became immediately known to Pacheco, who appointed two companies of the
Cochin naires to keep strict watch for these _spies_; one company at the
ford, and the other along the river, waiting by turns day and night. By
this means these _spies_ were detected and made prisoners. The chief
_spy_ was a naire of Cochin, of the family or stock of the _Lecros_ who
had certain other naires attending upon him, who were strangers. On being
brought before him, he ordered them to be all cruelly whipt and then to
be hanged. The Cochin naires remonstrated against this punishment,
because they were naires whose customs did not allow of this mode of
execution; but he would not listen to their arguments, saying that their
treachery richly merited to be so punished. The Portuguese officers
represented to him the great troubles which the _rajah_ of Cochin had
endured for giving protection to their nation, and how much this action
might displease him, when he was informed of naires having been put to
death in his dominions without his authority. Besides, that this might
give occasion to some of those about the rajah, who were known to be
already unfriendly to the Portuguese, to insinuate that the captain-
general had usurped the authority from the rajah, and might in that way
wean his affections from them. Pacheco was convinced by these arguments
that he had acted wrong, and immediately sent to countermand the
execution. Two of them were already _half-dead_; but _those who were
still living_, he sent to the rajah, informing him that they had deserved
death, but that from respect to him he had spared their lives. The rajah
was singularly gratified by this mark of respect, and the more so because
there happened to be then present several of his principal nobles and
some chiefs from other places, besides sundry of the chief of the Moors
of Cochin, who had endeavoured to impress on his mind that the Portuguese
were willing to assume the command in his dominions[8]. Henceforwards
Pacheco had such good intelligence, that all the subtle devices of the
zamorin were counteracted.