their principal merchants even interfered to
save the lives of Correa's children and of some of the Portuguese
clerks.

Cabral then loaded his ships at Cannanore and Cochin, where Hindu
Rajas, inferior in power to the Zamorin, but not so much subject to
Mopla influence, ruled, and after burning some of the Indian ships in
the harbour of Calicut he returned to Lisbon in July, 1501. Cabral
had not been so fortunate as Vasco da Gama, for he only brought back
five out of the thirteen ships which he had taken with him. But, on
the other hand, he did what Vasco da Gama had feared to do, and in
spite of the fate of Ayres Correa and his associates, Cabral left a
Portuguese factor with a considerable staff at Cochin to purchase
goods for despatch to Portugal by the next fleet which should arrive.

On the return of Cabral from India, King Emmanuel resolved to send
once more to the East the famous captain who had discovered the
direct sea route to India. It was obvious to the king that large
profits were to be made by the Eastern trade, but at this early
period he had formed no distinct idea as to the policy {28} he would
pursue. On one point only he was resolved. It was quite certain that
Portuguese agents would have to be left at the places of export if a
prosperous trade was to be developed, and it was therefore necessary
to give a severe lesson to the Zamorin of Calicut for the murder of
the Portuguese factor at his capital. Adequate protection to
Portuguese agents could only be given by maintaining a strong force
in the Indian Seas. Vasco da Gama was therefore ordered to punish the
Zamorin and to leave a squadron of ships for the defence of the
Portuguese factors.

The establishment of commerce was at this time the chief aim of the
Portuguese in the East, as it was in the succeeding century the chief
aim of the Dutch and the English. But in the same way that the Dutch
and English East India Companies were compelled to become military
powers in order to defend their local agents, so King Emmanuel of
Portugal was obliged to provide for the military defence of the first
Portuguese factors. It was the fierce enmity of the Muhammadan
merchants which caused the early European traders to take the
attitude of invaders. The original Portuguese visitors had no more
idea of establishing a Portuguese power in the East than the original
English adventurers of the reign of Elizabeth foresaw that their
successors would become the ruler