The Portuguese in the Sea of Oman

_ 219 _ Lopo Soares tried to escape the vigilance of the Samorin's spies, who were infiltrating the muslim quarters of Cochin, and he prepared his campaign with the greatest secrecy(A). As the Portuguese vessels were too heavy to manoeuvre in the Periyar channels, the commander-in-chief armed fifteen shallops and twenty paraos, accompanied by one single caravel(B), which assembled at Fallipat before dawn. The Prince of Cochin and several hundred archers who reached Cranganor by the land route(C), succeeded in joining up with the forces of Lopo Soares when the latter were already under arms(D). At the head of the Calicut fleet, Maimane Marakkar and his two sons commanded two large, recently built vessels that had been chained together. Tristão da Silva, Afonso Lopes da Costa, Vasco de Carvalho, António de Saldanha and Pero Afonso de Aguiar immediately bore down on this target, although guns were firing at them from all sides. The admiral's vessels were soon surrounded, seized (A) Barros, I/7-10, p. 292. (B) 15 shallops and 25 paraos, carrying 1200 Portuguese and 1000 Nayar, Castenheda, I/94, p. 197; 1000 Portuguese and 1000 Nayar, Góis, I/97, p. 234; 20 paraos only, BM Anonymous, p. 122. (C) 800 Nayar, Castanheda, I/94, p. 197 and Góis, 1/97, p. 234; 150 men, BM Anonymous, p. 123. (D) Barros, I/7-10, p. 293.

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