and determined not to run himself
again into danger by venturing on shore after what had already past. At
this the Moors were grievously vexed, as they thought it more easy for
them to have destroyed him on land than on board the ships. On purpose to
entice him to land once more, the Moors made a mock of his goods,
pretending they were good for nothing, and did all in their power to
prevent them from selling. Thinking that the zamorin knew nothing of all
these transactions, he sent him an account of the whole five days
afterwards, by his factor, of all that had happened, and of the injurious
conduct of the Moors respecting the sale of the goods. The king seemed
much offended by these proceedings, sending the general word that he
would punish all those who had used him ill, yet the kutwal remained
unpunished. The king likewise sent seven or eight merchants of Guzerate,
who were idolaters, to buy the goods, accompanied by an honest nayre, to
remain with Diaz at the factory to defend him against the Moors. Yet all
this was only done colourably, that the Moors might not appear to suborn
the merchants; for these men bought nothing, and even beat down the price
of the commodities, to the great satisfaction of the Moors; who now
boasted that no person would buy our goods any more than they. Yet none
of the Moors durst venture to our factory, after they heard a nayre was
stationed there by the kings order. If they did not love us before, they
hated us ten times worse now, and when any of our men landed, they used
to spit on the ground in contempt, calling out Portugal! Portugal! But by
the especial order of the general, our people took no other notice than
merely laughing at their insolence.

As none of the merchants would buy our goods, the general supposed that
this was occasioned by their being lodged at Pandarane, where none of the
merchants of Calicut resided; and requested leave, by a messenger, from
the zamorin, to have the goods removed to the city. This permission was
immediately granted, and the king issued orders to the kutwal to see them
removed, and even to pay the persons who carried them, that nothing
belonging to the king of Portugal might be subject to any charges in his
country. The general would not trust himself any more on shore, although
Bontaybo, who frequently came off to visit him, advised him to wait on
the king, lest the great credit of the Moors might again prevail over his
mind. But considering this