We had remained about eight months at Calecut, my companions and I, waiting always for some Hollander ship to take us back to France. Seeing at length that none arrived, the Jesuit fathers of whom I have spoken counselled us to go to Cochin, and put ourselves in the hands of the Portuguese, as being the best means of returning home. To this end they gave us letters of introduction and recommendation, that so we should come to no harm. We believed them at the time, accepting their offers and trusting their words, insomuch that we took the letters, with their instructions as to the conduct we should observe when we reached their [i.e., the Portuguese] territory. We then settled our little affairs and took leave of the king, and the lords our friends. All were grieved at our departure, and chiefly the king, who made us even fairer offers than ever before. He told us we were free to go or to stay; if we were resolved to go, he would not prevent us, but above all we should take especial heed not to trust ourselves too much to the Portuguese. He bade give us money, and a passport containing orders that wheresoever we passed throughout his territory his officers and receivers were to furnish us with everything we needed. Only three of us desired to go, for our other companion was a Hollander and a Protestant, and said he would not budge from Calecut, or ever put himself at the mercy of the Portuguese, who had treated him ill on a former occasion.