The Country Of
Guzerat Is Rich And Fertile, Producing Excellent Ginger Of All Sorts,
And Cocoa Nuts.
Of these last the natives make oil, vinegar, flour,
cordage, and mats.
The cocoa-nut tree resembles the date palm in every
thing except the fruit and leaves, those of the palm being broader.
On the 28th the fleet removed from the port of Mudaferaba, which has
from 2 to 4 fathoms water; and having sailed six hours on the 29th, cast
anchor about 15 miles from Diu. Having remained at anchor all night, the
fleet made sail on the 30th with a north wind from shore, and came
behind the castle of Diu, where all the gallies discharged their
artillery in succession, after which they cast anchor about three miles
from the castle.
SECTION V.
A Bulwark Surrenders to the Turks, who make Galley-slaves of the
Portuguese Garrison; with several other incidents of the siege.
On the 1st of October, a messenger came from the lesser castle offering
to capitulate, being no longer able to hold out. The Turks had planted
three pieces of cannon against that fort which carried balls of iron of
150 pounds weight, and pierced the tower through and through, so that
the stones flew about and had slain twenty men out of an hundred in the
garrison. Yet these men had slain many of the Turks with their musquets
and four pieces of cannon, the fire having continued incessantly for
eighteen or twenty days. On delivering his message, the person sent from
the fort received a rich vest, and had a safe conduct written in the
most ample form for himself and all the garrison. When the messenger
returned to the tower, he persuaded the captain and two other persons to
wait upon the Pacha, who gave the captain a vest and confirmed the safe
conduct, only under the express condition that they should not go into
the castle. The captain, whose name was Juan Francisco Paduano[229],
returning to the tower which was called Gogole, brought off his men to
the number of eighty, all of whom the Pacha ordered to be disarmed and
confined in a house under a strong guard.
[Footnote 229: It ought to be Pacheco. - E.]
On the 3d of October, the Pacha ordered the four slave gunners of the
large gallies on shore, and gave them in charge to batter the principal
castle. He likewise ordered all the Portuguese who had surrendered to be
distributed among the gallies and chained to the oar, captain and all.
The same day, three Portuguese gallies entered the harbour of Diu
without opposition, for the Pacha did not send a single vessel to hinder
them. The 8th a ship arrived with provisions and was wrecked in the
road. On board were fifteen men belonging to the large gallies, together
with the admiral, and sixty sailors with many galley-slaves. The 13th,
the fleet removed from the west to the east side of Diu, where they
anchored two miles from the castle; but during this change of position,
the cannon of the fortress sunk one galley and broke the main-yard of
another. On the 15th, the Pacha removed from the maon where he resided
hitherto into his half galley, but ordered a white sail to be taken
from another galley, his own being distinguished by colours. The reason
of this was that he expected the Portuguese fleet, and did not wish they
should know what ship he was in. Being also afraid of the shot he caused
a great ring of cables and such things to be formed on the poop,
sufficient to repel cannon-shot, for he was fearful and cowardly. He
likewise ordered all the Christians to be put in irons. On the 17th,
being the eve of St Luke, he caused the head of one of the people
belonging to the Venetian gallies to be cut off, merely for saying, the
signory of Venice is not dead.
On the 22d the Pacha gave out in orders to the gunners on shore, about
400 in number, some of whom were slain daily, that whoever shot down the
great standard of the castle should have a reward of 1000 maydins and
receive his freedom. This was chiefly occasioned by a desire of
revenge, as his own standard had been given to the Portuguese by a
Sanjak. Upon this, one of these Christian gunners at the third shot
broke down the standard, which stood on the top of a great tower, on
which the Turks made great rejoicings and published the news with much
exultation throughout the fleet. The gunner was rewarded with a silken
vest.
The artillery belonging to the Turks was planted against the castle all
in one line, but in six separate batteries. In the first was an iron
culverine carrying a ball of 150 pounds, and a paderero of 200
pounds. At a small distance was an iron passe-volant of 16 pounds,
which discharged cartridge shot. In another place was a paderero of
300 pounds, and a culverine of 150; and in this second post was a
passe-volant like the former, both belonging to the great gallies. In
another place was an iron saker of 12 pounds, a small cannon of 16
pounds, a falcon of 6 pounds, and a mortar throwing a ball of 400
pounds. In another post was a culverine of 100 pounds. By this
prodigious train of artillery, the Turks had battered down one tower, so
that they could easily mount the breach, the tower not being very high,
and the ditch not having been dug to a sufficient depth: But as fast as
the Turks ruined the defences of this tower, the besieged repaired the
breach as well as they could with earth and rubbish. It must also be
observed that this fortress had no flanks; and being built upon a rock,
they had made no casemates, only erecting embrasures on the top of the
wall, which were all ruined and shaken.
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