[Footnote 175:  De Faria is often defective in dates, and always confused.  The events about this time are only vaguely stated as having happened during the government of Duarte Menezes, between the years 1522 and 1524, both inclusive.  Among the confused mass of ill-digested and often indistinctly related events, many of which possess hardly any interest, we have now deemed it proper, in the farther prosecution of this History of the Portuguese transactions in India, to omit many trivial and uninteresting events, confining our attention to those of some importance, and which appear worth recording.  The Portuguese Asia of DeFaria minutely relates every consecutive squadron sent to or from India, and every trifling commercial adventure; the insertion of which in our collection would be needlessly tedious.—­E.]

In 1524, the memorable DON VASCO DE GAMA, now count of Vidugueyra, went out to India as viceroy with 14 ships and 8000 soldiers.  During the voyage, two caravels were lost with all their men, and a third was lost but the men saved.  Gaspar Mossem, one of the captains, was basely killed by his crew, merely because he was not a Portuguese.  While at sea near Cambaya in a dead calm, the sea tossed so violently all of a sudden that all the people thought they were lost:  But the viceroy perceiving it was caused by an earthquake, called out, “Courage my friends, the sea trembles for fear of you.”  One great ship of Mecca, worth 60,000 crowns, was taken, and the fleet arrived at Goa.  Having visited some of the forts, and issued the necessary orders, Gama sent three gallies from Cochin to Calicut, as the subjects of the zamorin began to be troublesome.  One of these fought for three hours with fifty large paraos and lost three men; but on the coming up of the others, the enemy were put to flight.  The new viceroy had intended to execute several important enterprises; but he soon fell sick, and finding his end fast approaching, he appointed Lope Vaz de Sampayo to act as his successor till Don Enrique de Menezes, then at Goa, who was next in nomination by the king, might arrive.  Vasco de Gama died on Christmas eve 1524, having been only three months viceroy.  He was of middle stature, somewhat gross, and had a ruddy complexion.  He had a natural boldness for any great undertaking, and was well fitted for every thing entrusted to him, as a sea captain, as discoverer, and as viceroy; being patient of fatigue, prompt in the execution of justice, and terrible when angry.

Immediately after the death of the viceroy, Lope Vaz de Sampayo dispatched Francisco de Sa to Goa, to carry information to Don Enrique de Menezes that he had succeeded to the government of Portuguese India.  Leaving De Sa to command in Goa, Menezes went immediately to Cochin to assume his new situation; having first sent his nephew George Zelo with a galliot and five armed paraos against a fleet which infested the coast.  Zelo met 38 vessels laden with spice commanded by Cutiale,