_ 218 _ returned from his retreat, the Samorin regrouped his naval forces at Cranganor, the frontier city, the bone of contention for centuries between Cochin and Calicut. That was the precise location of the most immediate danger and where the invasion forces were concentrated that would not fail to swoop down once more on Cochin as soon as the fleet had left. In agreement with Duarte Pacheco, Lopo Soares decided to attack the place. In this way he fulfilled the wishes of the rajah of Cochin(A) which, however, greatly increased the counsels of prudence(B). There was a rumour that the Samorin had sent to Cranganor five large vessels and eighty parans commanded by the Muslim admiral Maimane Marakkar, with whom Nambiadari and his army from Nayar would link up by an overland route(C). (A) Barros, I/7-10, p. 292; Castanheda, I/94, p. 197; Góis, I/97, p. 234. On Cranganor (mal. Kotunnallur), one of the principal seats of the Nestorian Church of Kerala, cf. the description of Fr. Joseph in Francazano de Montalboddo, Paesi nuovamente ritrovati et novo mondo da Alberico Vesputio florentino intitulato, Vicenza, 1507, chapters 231-234, English translation from Greenlee, The Voyage of Pedro Alvares Cabral to Brazil and India, London, 1937, WHS, 2nd series 81, on pages 99-105; Góis, I/98, p. 236-240. (B) BM Anonymous, p. 122. (C) BM Anonymous, p. 122-123; Castanheda, I/94, p. 197; Barros, I/7-10, p. 292; Góis, I/97, p. 234.
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