Chap. VII.] LOPE SOARE/. 173
handed to overcome the Portuguese; and therefore, in again preparing to take ad. 1505 the field, made it his first business to strengthen himself by entering into a coalition with neighbouring states. In this he found little difiiculty, for the Portuguese were not only viewed with jealousy as strangers, but had pursued a The zamouu very reckless course at sea, attacking and making prizes of all vessels of what- coalition ever country, whenever they found any pretext for stigmatizing tliem by the name of Moors. We have already met with instances of this kind candidly confessed, or rather complacently dwelt upon by themselves ; and it can scarcely lie doubted that tlie in.stances which they have not recorded were still more Tiumerous. Be this as it may, the coalition soon assumed a very formidable appearance; and while a niunerous fleet, provided with nearly 400 cannons, prepared to bomlmrd Cochin from the sea, an army, estimated at 50,000, begun to apj)roach it by larul.
Triumpara was dismayed, and apparently with good reason, for not only Heroism of was the enemy in overwhelming force, but his subjects, under the influence of i-acheco. terror, began to desei't. The only person whose courage remained luishaken was the Portuguese captain, Duarte Paeheco, who, when the rajah came to him in the greatest alarm, and spoke of surrender, scouted the idea, assuring him that a valiant defence woidd certainly prove successful. This was no empty boast. Paeheco made all his arrangements with so much skill, and carried them out with so much resolution, that the confederates were ultimately obliged to retire with a severe loss. Attempts were repeatedly made to renew the attack, but the result was always the same ; and the zamorin with his allies had the mortification of seeing all their efforts baffled by a mere handful of Europeans. Seldom has there been a more striking example of what one daring spirit can accomplish than was furnished by Paeheco in this struggle. In the course of it the zamorin had lost 18,000 men, and was now so humbled as gladly to accej)t of terms of peace from his o^vn tributary Rajah of Cochin. As we shall not again meet with Paeheco, we may here conclude his history. It is a melancholy one. A fleet of thirteen ships, of larger dimensions than had ever before been built in Portugal, having arrived under the command of Lope Soarez, Paeheco, though treated with merited distinction, was superseded, and invested Avith the government of El Mina, on the west coast of Africa. Here it was thouijht that his private fortune, to which he was too heroiccilly dispo.sed to give much atten- tion, would be improved. This object was entirely defeated by a violent faction, which first thwarted his measures, and then had the audacity to seize his person on a false ciiarge, and send him home in chains. After languishing for a His fate, time in prison he obtained an honourable acquittal, but it was too late. The ungrateful return for his di.stingaished services had broken his heart, and he died either in prison or shortly after he was released from it.
Lope Soarez, soon after his arrival, moved up to Calicut, and was met by a messenger from the zamorin, who was now willing to com])ly with every
