The Main Safety Of The Besieged
Consisted In Their Bravery.
Every day fifteen or twenty of them used to
sally forth like so many furious lions, killing all they met, which
struck such terror into the Turkish soldiers that they fled in confusion
as soon as they saw the Portuguese.
On the 25th of October, the Turks caused a great number of cotton sacks
to be got ready, covered with skins and bound with ropes, all of which
were thrown into the ditch, which they completely filled, reaching as
high as the wall. This being noticed by the besieged early in the
morning, before the Turks put themselves in order for the assault, sixty
of the Portuguese made a sally from the castle, forty of whom fought the
enemy with great gallantry, while the other twenty remained in the
ditch, each of whom carried a small leather bag full of powder and a
lighted match. These men cut open the cotton bales, into each of which
they put a handful of powder, which they fired, so that in a short time
several of the bags were set on fire; and the whole continued burning
for two days. Those who sallied out upon the enemy maintained the fight
for more than three hours, during which time they killed 190 Turks and
wounded as many more, losing only two of their own number.
SECTION VI.
Farther particulars of the siege, to the retreat of the Turks, and the
commencement of their Voyage back to Suez.
On the 27th of October five Portuguese foists arrived at Diu, which
took a Turkish vessel of the same kind, and landed succours for the
besieged, but were unable to get into the harbour, as some of the cannon
formerly mentioned commanded its entrance, by ranging past the end of
the castle. The 29th the Pacha ordered out forty boats filled with
Turks, having some small cannon in each, in order to assault a small
fort or bulwark on the water side in the harbour at some distance from
the castle, the whole defences of which had been mined by the Turkish
artillery, and in which there were only five or six men, who were
relieved daily from the castle by water, the distance being less than a
falcon shot. On the approach of the Turkish boats, the men in this small
fort or bulwark lay down that they might not be seen. On coming to the
place, the Turks ran the bows of their boats on shore, where every thing
lay in ruins to the very edge of the water, and instantly leapt on
shore. The small but gallant party of defenders immediately met them
with two fire-horns, and the cannon from the castle played against the
assailants so furiously, that the Turks soon fled. Several of their
boats were sunk, many of the men were drowned, and the garrison of the
castle took a considerable number of prisoners, coming out in one of
their barks and killing or taking them while in confusion on the water.
All those who were taken were hanged next day on the battlements of the
castle.
The whole Turkish forces were drawn out in order of battle on the 30th,
and advanced to that side of the castle next the harbour to make a
general assault, for which purpose they carried a great number of
scaling-ladders. Another party of the Turks mounted the breach on the
land side of the castle, which they could do at pleasure as the place
was entirely opened by the fire of the batteries. But after remaining
there three hours without sufficient courage to enter the place, the
besieged leapt upon the breach and pushed the Turks into the ditch,
killing four hundred of them. On the 31st the Moorish captain[230]
went with eleven gallies to attack the little castle, but was forced to
desist by the cannon from the great castle, which sunk some of his
vessels.
[Footnote 230: This person has been several times mentioned under this
title, as a principal officer under Solyman Pacha, but we have no
indications by which to conjecture who he was. - E.]
On the 2d of November, the Sanjak with the janizaries and all the
rest of the Turks embarked, leaving all their artillery behind, which
they had not time to carry off. This was occasioned by receiving news
that the Portuguese fleet was advancing in order of battle. The 5th,
twenty sail of Portuguese vessels appeared in sight, and came to anchor
twenty miles distance from the Turkish fleet. In the morning only three
of these ships were seen at a distance, at which time the Turks put off
from the land: But at sunrise many ships were seen, which shot off a
great number of guns, though nothing could be perceived but the flash of
the powder. Upon this the Pacha gave orders for each of his gallies to
fire three guns; after which, the trumpets were sounded, all the ships
hoisting their foresails and plying their oars. This was done at one
o'clock at night, and at four the whole fleet departed with hardly any
wind, and by day-break had run 30 miles, shaping their course S.S.W.
The 7th, we sailed forty miles in the same direction, the weather being
still calm. The 8th, we proceeded 30 miles W. during the day, and 20 in
the night. The 9th, we went 20 miles W. and this day the Christians had
their irons taken off. The 10th, we made no way, the weather being a
dead calm. The 11th, the wind blew from the W.S.W. We stood to N.W.
advancing 30 miles in the day and night. The 12th, the wind being N.W.
by N. we entered the gulf of Ormuz[231] and then sailed W.S.W. advancing
all that day and night only 30 miles. The 13th, we proceeded W. 70 miles
by day and 90 during the night.
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