The Sun and the Lion

At this time, Vasco da Gama was filling the cabins with spices in Cochin. As in Malindi, he tried to show conciliation to his only ally on the Malabar Coast. The Indian Christian community responded most generously, and they tried their best to help the Portuguese Catholics. Trade locally.

The Brahmins easily found the Portuguese in Cochin and asked them to inform them that the Commander's distinguished guests from Calicut had come to discuss important matters with the Commander.

Knowing that Zamorin took the initiative to send an envoy, Vasco da Gama decided to take it seriously. He also happily said to his subordinates: "This Indian pagan has surrendered and is finally going to compromise. After returning home this time, we can all Proudly proclaimed conqueror of the Indian Ocean.”

After meeting the commander, the Brahmin clumsily performed the etiquette he had just learned from the attendant who led the way. This made the commander feel even more happy. If he took the initiative to follow his own customs, wouldn't the other party be a weak person?

"What conditions did your monarch bring to me? Tell me, I hope you are not here to waste my time." He looked at the Brahmin in front of him expectantly and contemptuously.

The Brahmin then presented the conditions for deception to the Commander one by one. During this period, he deliberately hesitated several times in order to avoid arousing suspicion due to agreeing too readily. He waited until Da Gama followed up with an unchanging threat before continuing to throw out the "chips." ".

It was not until the commander expressed his satisfaction that he accepted Zamorin's peace conditions that the Brahmin saw his eagerness for success. He then added: "Zamorin is already waiting for you in Calicut. All you need is to send your ships Send over and receive everything you deserve.”

Vasco da Gama didn't think much about it. At this time, the fleet docked in Cochin was still loading spices. Deploying other ships to go north would disrupt the existing trade plan. For now, he only planned to take the flagship north to Cairo himself. Likart.

After all, in his view, Zamorin had surrendered, and the squadron originally responsible for blockading Calicut could be used for other purposes. In this way, including the flagship commanded by Vasco da Gama himself, there were eight ships at Calicut for him to dispatch. , what’s there to worry about?

The commander arrived at Calicut again without any trouble. The Brahmin, who had been on the ship with the Portuguese for several days, asked the commander to allow him to go ashore to report to Zamorin.

But after landing, the Brahmin did not appear in front of Vasco da Gama again. Zamorin sent another low-status messenger to contact him: "Dear Commander, Zamorin attaches great importance to the following talks. He hopes that You can appear in person or authorize a gentleman of sufficient standing to represent you."

When the translator translated all the words of the messenger to Vasco da Gama, he said to the messenger in an impatient and angry tone: "Go back and tell your monarch not to mention a nobleman, not even the lowest servant on the ship. I won’t even send him! I don’t owe Zamorin anything. I have already negotiated all the conditions with the Brahmin and asked him to arrange his own manpower to deliver everything I deserve to the shore.”

Not long after the first messenger left, Zamorin sent a second messenger to reassure the commander: "Tomorrow at the latest, I will be able to handle all matters related to you."

Until midnight, in the dead of night, the lookout on the flagship saw several "fishing boats" approaching from the harbor, but due to the cover of darkness, he could not see the specific details on the boats.

The commander was awakened immediately. He quickly got dressed and came to the deck to observe the Indian ships in the distance, thinking that this was the Zamorin coming to fulfill his promise.

It was just that the lookout's visual detection accuracy was insufficient, which led to the commander's misjudgment. In fact, Zamorin arranged for eight merchant ships, ranging from merchant ships larger than Karak to small sampans and small boats. Ten ships came to surround da Gama's flagship.

Zamorin, who knew the power of Portuguese artillery, believed that this was the only way to deal with Portuguese pirates at present - taking advantage of the cover of night and relying on the number of people to join gangs to carry out beheading operations.

It wasn't until the revolving gun on the bow of the sampan emitted fire and made a loud noise that the Portuguese knew they were under attack.

The firearms that Zamorin obtained by picking up leaks could not shake the Karak's hull at all. Coupled with the inexperienced Indian gunners, successive shots had little effect, and the Portuguese suffered no casualties.

If these captured firearms could only make a sound due to improper maintenance and operation, various bows and arrows produced real output. The Portuguese on the deck could not operate the artillery at all and could only climb up the platform on the mast to shoot and throw downwards. stone.

Moreover, the Karak where Vasco da Gama was located had no maneuverability at all, because its tail was pulling a merchant ship captured on the road through a rope. The Indians discovered this. Instead of sending men to jump in immediately, they tried to set fire to the merchant ship carrying prisoners and loot, and then led the fire to the stern of Karak's ship through ropes.

A Portuguese nobleman named Pedro took the initiative and rushed to the stern of the ship. Under the cover of several shooters, he cut the rope connecting the two ships. At the same time, the plate armor on his body allowed him to withstand the blow of arrows. , and will not lose the ability to fight.

Flames burned on the captured dhow, and the cries of the prisoners in the cabin affected everyone around them.

Seeing that the fire had failed, the Indians planned to continue the siege of the Karak sailing ship. Arrows and cannon shells rained down on the deck. Da Gama wanted to escape, but only then did they realize that the anchor had not been stowed away.

The sailors risked their lives and ran to cut the cable tied to the anchor, but they were very embarrassed because the commander specially used a chain to tie the anchor in order to prevent someone from sabotaging it secretly in the middle of the night.

The Karak sailboat, which could not move at all in a short period of time, could no longer escape. The naval guns on the lower deck were unable to stop the ships coming from all directions. For a while, there were grappling hooks or springboards tied with ropes in all directions of the flagship. On the ship's side, the Portuguese soldiers had to fight them in close combat despite being outnumbered.

Pedro watched as the crowd on the opposite deck burst into pieces of blood from the grapeshot fired by the revolving gun next to him. But there are still warriors who jump in front of Pedro through the springboard and ropes.

"Huh..." He looked nervously at the densely packed enemies behind him, then focused his attention on pointing the sword at the enemy in front of him, and then slashed down with the sword with great force. The Indian tried to block with the short knife in his hand, but the strength was not enough. Not as good as the Portuguese officer in front of him, his weapon was released with just one blow. Find Shuyuan www.zhaｏshuyuan.com

Pedro then thrust the tip of the sword towards the Indian's throat. The Indian tried his best to dodge, but the stab still injured his torso. He was pushed to the ground and lost the ability to continue fighting on the battlefield.

But the efforts made by the Portuguese are like rocks in the tide. Even if the waves cannot break the rocks, the rocks cannot stop the current.

"boom!"

The sudden sound of artillery startled everyone. It was not the artillery of the flagship, it was obviously coming from a distance.

People looked in the direction of the gunfire and saw that two Karaks and a Caravel had already set up angles to pour firepower on the Indian ships that were besieging the flagship. As soon as the sound of gunpowder explosions and cannonball hits came out, the sea was suddenly filled with shipwrecks and dead or alive sailors.

The arrival of reinforcements boosted the morale of the Portuguese. They bravely fought off all the enemies who boarded the flagship, and immediately changed their offensive and defensive positions.

"God bless..." Pedro chopped down the last resisting Indian. Looking at the evacuating Indian ships and the reinforcements that happened to arrive, he prayed on the spot to thank God for his protection.

"God bless..." The Portuguese on board were gradually infected by this emotion and celebrated the hard-won victory together.

It just so happened that Vicente actually didn't know anything about da Gama's northward journey and the attack. At this time, he was resting in Cannanor, and the three ships that came for reinforcements came to take shifts.

After the battle, Vasco da Gama was so angry that he ordered all the captured prisoners and the hostages previously given to him by the Brahmins to be hanged on the mast, and the remaining limbs and arms were collected and concentrated on the sampan as before. Please attach a letter. Unlike the last time, this letter no longer contained any meaning of negotiation. It only contained ridicule and threats for Zamorin's failure.