close to the fleet of the enemy, and gave orders to keep strict watch during the night.  At one time they were heard rowing towards our fleet, and it was supposed they intended setting our ships on fire; on which Neuva ordered to veer out more cable, to get farther off.  Perceiving that the boats of the enemy continued to follow, he commanded a gun to be fired at them, on which they made off; and the wind coming off shore and somewhat fair, they made sail for Calicut.

Nueva, after returning thanks to God for deliverance from his enemies, took his leave of the rajah of Cananor, and departed for Portugal, where he arrived in safety with all his ships[9].

After the departure of Nueva from Cananor, one of his men named Gonsalo Pixoto, who had been made prisoner and carried to Calicut, came to Cananor with a message from the zamorin to Nueva, making excuses for all that had been done there to Cabral, and for the attempt against his own fleet at Cananor, and offering, if he would come to Calicut, to give him a full loading of spices, and sufficient hostages both for his safety and the performance of his promise.

[1] It afterwards appears that one vessel only was destined for this
    particular trade:  Perhaps the second was meant for Quiloa.—­E.

[2] According to Astley, I. 49. the crews of these four vessels consisted
    in all of 400 men.—­E.

[3] Called de Atayde by Astley.—­E.

[4] According to Astley, I. 49.  Nueva discovered in this outward voyage
    the Island of Conception, in lat. 8 deg.  S. But this circumstance does not
    occur in Castaneda.—­E.

[5] Before arriving at Melinda, Nueva gave chase to two large ships
    belonging to the Moors, one of which he took and burnt, but the other
    escaped.—­Astl.  I. 49.

[6] According to De Faria, Nueva took in a part of his loading; at Cochin,
    with a view perhaps to preserve the credit of the Portuguese nation at
    that place.—­Astl.  I. 50. a.

[7] In the original this linen cloth is said to have been made of
    algadon, a word left untranslated by Lichefild, probably al-cotton,
    or some such Arabic word for cotton:  The linen cloth, therefore, was
    some kind of calico or muslin.—­E.

[8] According to De Faria, five great ships and nine paraws were sunk in
    this action.  De Barros says ten merchant ships and nine paraws.—­Astl. 
    I. 50. c.

[9] On this part of the voyage, Astley remarks, on the authority of De
    Faria, that Nueva touched at the island of St Helena, which he found
    destitute of inhabitants; though it was found peopled by De Gama in
    his first voyage, only four years before.  What is called the island of
    St Helena in De Gamas first voyage, is obviously one of the head-lands
    of St Elens bay on the western coast of Africa.  The island of St
    Helena is at a vast distance from the land, in the middle of the
    Atlantic ocean.—­E.