_ 224 _ could sail to the Red Sea as soon as the Portuguese had departed(A). Lopo Soares should have called in at Ponnani to meet the Rajah of Tanor, but a pilot error meant that he did not recognise the location of the port(B). The fleet had sailed past Calicut without any cause for concern when it was attacked at dawn on 31st December(C) by a squadron of paraos that was sailing past the mouth of the Elattur. Before beginning the account of a battle that has remained famous in the traditions of Portugal(D), we should examine the two main questions that it raises, to which the unpublished documents that we have studied can supply an answer. (A) Castanheda, 1/95, p. 1982 Barros. 1/7-11, p. 295, Góis, 1/99, P. 241. According to the Anonymous Account from Florence, Lopo Soares wan seeking above all to make contact with the authorities of Calicut and was assured of the good offices of a Muslim from Cochin whom he had taken on board (p. 48). (B) Castanheda, 1/96, p. 199: BM Anonymous, p. 125. (C) The chroniclers date the day following the battle as 1st January 1505 (Castanheda, 1/97, p. 201, Barros, 1/7-11, p. 298, Góis, 1/99, P. 241). (D) This episode was chosen by Dom Manuel to be represented on one of the tapestries that were to illustrate the main feats of arms of the conquista (cf. Instructions given by King Dom Manuel for certain tapestries he caused to be made, depicting the discovery of India, various of the local customs and some of the events of the early part of the conquest, in Alg. Doc., p. 517-518).
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