Chap. VII.] DK CxAMA RETURNS HOME. 171
•
palace was one of the many buildings thus demolished. Without waiting tt^ ad. i5u3. ascertain the effect, he left Vicente Sodre with a squadron to scour the coast and destroy the Moorish trade, and set sail for Cochin. Here matters were easily re-established on their former friendly footing, mutual presents were ex- changed, and a commercial treaty of a more formal nature than that previously existing was concluded.
The next proceeding of the zamorin was very inexciLsable, and, indeed, looks Treachei-y of as if he had determined to put hnnself entirely m the wrong. Hearing that De Gama was lading at Cochin, he sent a messenger, iiiating him to Calicut, and promising that everything would be arranged to his entire satisfaction This was rather a slender foundation on which to negotiate ; but peace with Calicut was felt to be so desu-able that De Gama determined to make one effort more to secure it, and .set out alone, leaving all his other shij)s behind. The temptation was too strong for the fickle and tortuous court of Calicut ; and De Gama, instead of the friendly reception which he had anticipated, wjis set upon by a large fleet of small vessels, and very narrowly esca])ed being made prisoner. Fm'ther negotiation was of course impossible, though he ought certainly to have disdained to take the petty revenge of putting the zamorin's messenger to deatli.
The details of the conflicts which ensued possess little interest. In one of Rotun. of them De Gama, after putting to flight a large number of small vessels, captured oanm to two large Moorish ships, whicii proved valual)le prizes, both of them being "'"'**■ richly laden, wliile on board one of them was an image of gold of thirty pounds weight, with emeralds for its eyes, a robe curiously wrought and set with pre- cious stones for its covering, and on its bi'east a large ruby. Having again visited Cananore, and united with its rajah and that of Cochin in forming a kind of triple alliance, for mutual defence, De Gama, leaving Vicente Sodre with his squadron, sailed for Europe on the 20th of December, 1503, but did not reach Portugal till the following September. He had again proved himself an able navigator; but his proceedings had rather tarnished than increased liis fame. His sovereign, however, was satisfied ; and rewarded him with the title of Count of Vidogueii-a.
Before De Gama departed, the Rajah of Cochin had made him aware of xiie zamorm tlireatening messages which lie had received from the zamorin. Ihe penl to attack which a faithful ally was thus exposed, entitled his case to a more careful ^ '"' consideration than it received, and he was left exposed to the full fmy of the zamorin's revenge. Nor was it long before it overtook him. De Gama's depar- ture was too favom-able an opportunity to be lost, and hostile preparations on a most formidable scale were immediately commenced. In the vicinity of Ponany, about sixteen leagues north of Ctn^hin. .')0,000 men were assembled. Before commencing operations the zamorin asked nothing more than the siuTender of the Portuguese who had fixed tlieir residence in Cochin. The population
