The city was now in an uproar; the
friends of the captive noblemen surrounded the palace, and loudly
accused the policy of the Moors.
friends of the captive noblemen surrounded the palace, and loudly
accused the policy of the Moors.
Camoes - Lusiades
His avarice
strongly desired the commerce of Portugal; and his pride was flattered
in humbling the Moors. After many proposals, it was at last agreed, that
of his twelve attendants he should leave seven as hostages; that what
goods were aboard his fleet should be landed; and that Gama should be
safely conducted to his ship, after which the treaty of commerce and
alliance was to be finally settled. And thus, when the assassination of
Gama seemed inevitable, the zamorim suddenly dropped his demand for the
sails and rudders, rescued him from his determined enemies, and restored
him to liberty and the command of his navy.
As soon as he was aboard[60] the goods were landed, accompanied by a
letter from Gama to the zamorim, wherein he boldly complained of the
treachery of the catual. The zamorim, in answer, promised to make
inquiry, and punish him, if guilty; but did nothing in the affair. Gama,
who had now anchored nearer to the city, every day sent two or three
different persons on some business to Calicut, that as many of his men
as possible might be able to give some account of India. The Moors,
meanwhile, every day assaulted the ears of the king, who now began to
waver; when Gama, who had given every proof of his desire of peace and
friendship, sent another letter, in which he requested the zamorim to
permit him to leave a consul at Calicut to manage the affairs of King
Emmanuel. But to this request--the most reasonable result of a
commercial treaty--the zamorim returned a refusal full of rage and
indignation. Gama, now fully master of the character of the zamorim,
resolved to treat a man of such an inconstant, dishonourable disposition
with a contemptuous silence. This contempt was felt by the king, who,
yielding to the advice of the catual and the entreaties of the Moors,
seized the Portuguese goods, and ordered two of the seven hostages--the
two who had the charge of the cargo--to be put in irons. The admiral
remonstrated by means of Monzaida, but the king still persisted in his
treacherous breach of faith. Repeated solicitations made him more
haughty, and it was now the duty and interest of Gama to use force. He
took a vessel, in which were six nayres, or noblemen, and nineteen of
their servants. The servants he set ashore to relate the tidings, the
noblemen he detained. As soon as the news had time to spread through the
city, he hoisted his sails, and, though with a slow motion, seemed to
proceed on his homeward voyage.
The city was now in an uproar; the
friends of the captive noblemen surrounded the palace, and loudly
accused the policy of the Moors. The king, in all the perplexed distress
of a haughty, avaricious, weak prince, sent after Gama, delivered up all
the hostages, and submitted to his proposals; nay, even solicited that
an agent should be left, and even descended to the meanness of a
palpable lie. The two factors, he said, he had put in irons, only to
detain them till he might write letters to his brother Emmanuel, and the
goods he had kept on shore that an agent might be sent to dispose of
them. Gama, however, perceived a mysterious trifling, and, previous to
any treaty, insisted upon the restoration of the goods.
The day after this altercation Monzaida came aboard the fleet in great
perturbation. The Moors, he said, had raised great commotions, and had
enraged the king against the Portuguese. The king's ships were getting
ready, and a numerous Moorish fleet from Mecca was daily expected. To
delay Gama till this force arrived was the purpose of the Court and of
the Moors, who were now confident of success. To this information
Monzaida added, that the Moors, suspecting his attachment to Gama, had
determined to assassinate him; that he had narrowly escaped from them;
that it was impossible for him to recover his effects, and that his only
hope was in the protection of Gama. Gama rewarded him with the
friendship he merited, took him with him, as he desired, to Lisbon, and
procured him a recompense for his services.
Almost immediately seven boats arrived loaded with the goods, and
demanded the restoration of the captive noblemen. Gama took the goods on
board, but refused to examine if they were entire, and also refused to
deliver the prisoners. He had been promised an ambassador to his
sovereign, he said, but had been so often deluded he could trust such a
faithless people no longer, and would therefore carry away the captives
to convince the King of Portugal what insults and injustice his
ambassador and admiral had suffered from the Zamorim of Calicut. Having
thus dismissed the Indians, he fired his cannon and hoisted his sails. A
calm, however, detained him on the coast some days; and the zamorim,
seizing the opportunity, sent what vessels he could fit out (sixty in
all), full of armed men, to attack him. Though Gama's cannon were well
handled, confident of their numbers, they pressed on to board him, when
a sudden tempest arose, which Gama's ships rode out in safety, miserably
dispersed the Indian fleet, and completed their ruin.
strongly desired the commerce of Portugal; and his pride was flattered
in humbling the Moors. After many proposals, it was at last agreed, that
of his twelve attendants he should leave seven as hostages; that what
goods were aboard his fleet should be landed; and that Gama should be
safely conducted to his ship, after which the treaty of commerce and
alliance was to be finally settled. And thus, when the assassination of
Gama seemed inevitable, the zamorim suddenly dropped his demand for the
sails and rudders, rescued him from his determined enemies, and restored
him to liberty and the command of his navy.
As soon as he was aboard[60] the goods were landed, accompanied by a
letter from Gama to the zamorim, wherein he boldly complained of the
treachery of the catual. The zamorim, in answer, promised to make
inquiry, and punish him, if guilty; but did nothing in the affair. Gama,
who had now anchored nearer to the city, every day sent two or three
different persons on some business to Calicut, that as many of his men
as possible might be able to give some account of India. The Moors,
meanwhile, every day assaulted the ears of the king, who now began to
waver; when Gama, who had given every proof of his desire of peace and
friendship, sent another letter, in which he requested the zamorim to
permit him to leave a consul at Calicut to manage the affairs of King
Emmanuel. But to this request--the most reasonable result of a
commercial treaty--the zamorim returned a refusal full of rage and
indignation. Gama, now fully master of the character of the zamorim,
resolved to treat a man of such an inconstant, dishonourable disposition
with a contemptuous silence. This contempt was felt by the king, who,
yielding to the advice of the catual and the entreaties of the Moors,
seized the Portuguese goods, and ordered two of the seven hostages--the
two who had the charge of the cargo--to be put in irons. The admiral
remonstrated by means of Monzaida, but the king still persisted in his
treacherous breach of faith. Repeated solicitations made him more
haughty, and it was now the duty and interest of Gama to use force. He
took a vessel, in which were six nayres, or noblemen, and nineteen of
their servants. The servants he set ashore to relate the tidings, the
noblemen he detained. As soon as the news had time to spread through the
city, he hoisted his sails, and, though with a slow motion, seemed to
proceed on his homeward voyage.
The city was now in an uproar; the
friends of the captive noblemen surrounded the palace, and loudly
accused the policy of the Moors. The king, in all the perplexed distress
of a haughty, avaricious, weak prince, sent after Gama, delivered up all
the hostages, and submitted to his proposals; nay, even solicited that
an agent should be left, and even descended to the meanness of a
palpable lie. The two factors, he said, he had put in irons, only to
detain them till he might write letters to his brother Emmanuel, and the
goods he had kept on shore that an agent might be sent to dispose of
them. Gama, however, perceived a mysterious trifling, and, previous to
any treaty, insisted upon the restoration of the goods.
The day after this altercation Monzaida came aboard the fleet in great
perturbation. The Moors, he said, had raised great commotions, and had
enraged the king against the Portuguese. The king's ships were getting
ready, and a numerous Moorish fleet from Mecca was daily expected. To
delay Gama till this force arrived was the purpose of the Court and of
the Moors, who were now confident of success. To this information
Monzaida added, that the Moors, suspecting his attachment to Gama, had
determined to assassinate him; that he had narrowly escaped from them;
that it was impossible for him to recover his effects, and that his only
hope was in the protection of Gama. Gama rewarded him with the
friendship he merited, took him with him, as he desired, to Lisbon, and
procured him a recompense for his services.
Almost immediately seven boats arrived loaded with the goods, and
demanded the restoration of the captive noblemen. Gama took the goods on
board, but refused to examine if they were entire, and also refused to
deliver the prisoners. He had been promised an ambassador to his
sovereign, he said, but had been so often deluded he could trust such a
faithless people no longer, and would therefore carry away the captives
to convince the King of Portugal what insults and injustice his
ambassador and admiral had suffered from the Zamorim of Calicut. Having
thus dismissed the Indians, he fired his cannon and hoisted his sails. A
calm, however, detained him on the coast some days; and the zamorim,
seizing the opportunity, sent what vessels he could fit out (sixty in
all), full of armed men, to attack him. Though Gama's cannon were well
handled, confident of their numbers, they pressed on to board him, when
a sudden tempest arose, which Gama's ships rode out in safety, miserably
dispersed the Indian fleet, and completed their ruin.
