_ 209 _ the overtures of peace from Calicut. Lopo Soares merely offered the young messenger immediate freedom, which the latter refused, not wishing to betray the trust that had been placed in him, nor to compromise the health of his companions(A). His resolution convinced Lopo Soares to come and negotiate on the spot. On 7th September(B) the fleet departed for Calicut. The cabin-boy came to welcome it, accompanied this time by an envoy of Koya Pakki the Chief of the Mappilla of Calicut who had not, since 1500, ceased to show his faithfulness to the Portuguese cause and to secretly assist the prisoners to endure their ordeals. Lopo Soares refused the gift of welcome that was offered to him, because he did not wish to accept anything from a city (A) Castanheda I/91, p. 194; Góis, I/96, p. 232. (B) The chronicles give, wrongly, this same date of 7th September for that of the arrival at Calicut (Castanheda, I/91, p. 194; Barros, I/7-9, p. 290; Góis, I/96, p. 233), which is invalidated by two archive items signed in Cannanore the same day by Lopo Soares (mandados, Cannanore, 7.IX.1504, TdT, CC. II-9-3 and CC. II-9-4). The latter document was signed on board the "Cirne" "davante Cannanore" and mentions a cargo of naval materiel, which leads us to think that the fleet was on the point of weighing anchor. We note that BM Anonymous which gives 7th September as the date of departure from Cannanore (p.119) agrees with these documents (published below-doc. 5 and 6 [not part of this translation]).
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