Purchas
Himself Reformed The Style, But With Caution As He Had Not The Original
To Consult, And Abbreviated The Whole, In Which We Hope He Used Equal
Circumspection:
For, as it stands in Purchas[254] it still is most
intolerably verbose, and at the same time scarcely intelligible in many
places; owing, we apprehend, to the translator being not thoroughly
acquainted with the meaning of the original, if not to the fault of the
abbreviator.
These two inconveniences we have endeavoured to remedy the
best we could, and though we have not been always able to clear up the
sense, we presume to have succeeded for the most part; and by entirely
changing the language, except where the places were obscure, we have
made the journal more fit for being read, and we hope without doing it
any manner of injury[255].
[Footnote 254: Pilgrims, Vol. II. p. 1122, under the title of A
Rutter, or Journal, &c. from India to Suez, dedicated to the Infant Don
Luys. - Astl. I. 107. b.]
[Footnote 255: On the present occasion we have followed the example of
the Editor of Astleys Collection, having employed the original
abbreviated translation by Purchas modernized in the language and
endeavouring to elucidate obscurities; using as our assistance the
version in Astley. - E.]
This expedition was undertaken for two important purposes. One, to
carry succours to the emperor of Habash or Abyssinia; and the other,
to endeavour to destroy the Turkish ships at Suez. For, soon after the
retreat of Solyman Pacha from Diu, it was rumoured that another fleet of
the Rumes or Turks was on its way to India; but as Don Stefano de Gama
was afterwards informed that the Turks could not set out during the year
1540, he determined to be before hand with them, in some measure to be
revenged for the late siege of Diu, and to prevent a second attack by
burning the fleet they had prepared for that purpose. The governors
liberality brought more men to inlist under his banners than he desired,
so that he was enabled to select the best. The fleet consisted of 80
sail of different sorts and sizes, and carried 2000 soldiers besides
mariners and rowers. On coming into the Red Sea, he found most of the
cities and islands abandoned, the inhabitants having notice of his
coming. At Suakem, the sheikh or king, who had retired a league up the
country, amused De Gama with pretences of peace, that he might not
destroy the town and island. In consequence of this delay, De Gama was
prevented from carrying his design into execution of destroying the
ships at Suez; as it afforded time for the Turks to receive intelligence
of the expedition. This is the account given by De Faria; but Bermudas
gives a different reason for the want of success in that design, as De
Gama could not get at the ships, which were all drawn up on the land,
which we have already seen to have been the case, in the journal of the
voyage of Solyman Pacha, in the immediately preceding chapter.
In revenge for the duplicity and delay of the sheikh of Suakem, De Gama
marched into the interior with 1000 men, accompanied by his brother Don
Christopher, and defeated the sheikh with great slaughter. He then
plundered the city of Suakem, where many of the private men got booty to
the value of four or five thousand ducats, and then burnt it to the
ground. From thence, he went towards Suez with only sixteen, Katurs
or Malabar barges, and sent back the fleet to Massua under the command
of Lionel de Lima. On this occasion, there was a great dispute, as every
one strove to go on this expedition; whence the bay got the name of
Angra de los Aggraviadas, or bay of the offended. Many gentlemen
went in the barges as private soldiers or volunteers, willing to go in
any capacity if only they were admitted. The number of men on this
fruitless expedition was 250. They plundered and burnt Cossier or Al
Kossir; whence crossing to Tor or Al Tur, they took some vessels
belonging to the enemy. At first the Turks opposed their landing; but
some of them being slain, the rest abandoned the city, in which nothing
was found of value. De Gama did not burn this town, in reverence for the
relics of St Catharine and the monastery and religious men there, which
he visited at their request. He was the first European commander who had
taken that city, where he knighted several of his followers, an honour
much prized by those who received it, and which was envied; afterwards
even by the emperor Charles V. From thence De Gama proceeded to Suez;
and after many brave but fruitless attempts to sound the harbour, De
Gama determined to go himself in open day to view the gallies. He
accordingly landed and saw the enemies but endeavouring to force his way
towards them, the enemies shot poured thick from the town, and 2000
Turkish horse broke out from an ambush, by which the Portuguese were
reduced to great straits. Though the Portuguese cannon slew a good many
of the enemy, their numbers were so much superior that the Portuguese
were obliged to retreat with some loss, and much grieved that the object
of their expedition was frustrated. Thus far we have deemed necessary to
premise, relative to the design and success of the expedition, from De
Faria and other authors; because the journal of Don Juan de Castro is
almost entirely confined to observations respecting the places visited
in the voyage, and gives little or no information respecting these
particulars.
The rutter or journal must be allowed to be very curious. - The author,
like an exact and diligent navigator, has not only given the course and
distance from one place to another, with the latitudes of the principal
ports and head-lands; but has noticed the minute windings of the coast,
and the situations of islands, with observations on the tides, currents,
shoals, sand-banks, and other particulars respecting the Red Sea.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 124 of 217
Words from 125554 to 126579
of 221361
