His Men Immediately Furled Their Colours And Fled,
Carrying Him Off Whom They Believed Slain Though He Was Still Alive.
This victory cost the Portuguese eleven men, two of whom were of note.
After the battle, the queen herself attended
Don Christopher and all the
wounded men with the utmost alacrity and attention.
After the respite of a week, the Portuguese army marched towards the
enemy, who came to meet them, the king of Zeyla being carried in an open
chair or litter. This battle was resolutely contested on both sides. A
Turkish captain, thinking to recover the honour which had been lost in
the former action, made a charge with the men he commanded into the
very middle of the Portuguese, and was entirely cut off with all his
followers. Don Christopher on horseback, led his men with such fury into
the heat of the action, that at length he compelled the enemy to turn
their backs and seek safety in flight. The king of Zeyla had infallibly
been taken in the pursuit, had there been a sufficient body of horse to
pursue and follow up the victory. In this battle the Portuguese lost
eight men. After the victory, the allied army of the Portuguese and
Abyssinians, on marching down to a pleasant river found it possessed by
the enemy, who immediately fled with their king. At this time the king
of Zeyla sent an embassy to the Pacha of Zabit acquainting him with the
distress to which he was reduced, and prevailed upon him by a large
subsidy to send him a reinforcement of almost 1000 Turkish musqueteers.
Don Christopher wintered in the city of Ofar, waiting the arrival of
the Abyssinian emperor. While there a Jew proposed to him, if he were in
want of horses and mules, to shew him a mountain at no great distance,
inhabited by Jews, where he might find a large supply of both. On that
mountain the king of Zeyla had a garrison of 400 men. Having inquired
into the truth of this information, and found that it was to be depended
upon, Don Christopher marched thither with two companies of Portuguese
and some Abyssinians, and came to the foot of the mountain which is
twelve leagues in compass. Some Moors who guarded the passes were slain
in the ascent, and on the top the Moorish commander met him with all his
men, but Don Christopher running at him with his lance thrust him
through the body. The shot of the Portuguese soon constrained the Moors
to make a precipitate flight, after losing a great number of men, and
the mountain was completely reduced. Great numbers of horses and mules
were found in this place, which was inhabited by about 800 Jews in six
or seven villages, who were reduced to obedience. According to
tradition, these Jews, and many others who are dispersed over Ethiopia
and Nubia, are descended from some part of the dispersion of the ten
tribes. The Jew who acted as guide to the Portuguese on this occasion,
was so astonished at their valour that he was converted and baptised,
and by common consent was appointed governor of this mountain. Before
this it had the name of Caloa, but was ever afterwards known by the
name of the Jews mountain.
On the second day after the return of Don Christopher to the army, the
king of Zeyla began to shew himself more bold than usual, trusting to
the great reinforcement of Turkish musqueteers he had procured from
Zabid. The youth and inexperience of Don Christopher allowed his valour
to transport him far beyond the bounds of prudence. He ought to have
retired to some strong position on the mountains, till joined by the
emperor with the military power of Abyssinia, as it was impossible for
him to contend against such great superiority, now that the king of
Zeyla had so strong a body of musqueteers: But he never permitted
himself to consider of these circumstances, till too late. On the 29th
of August, the Turks made an attack upon the camp, and were repulsed, on
which occasion Don Christopher was wounded in the leg and lost four men.
In that part of the entrenchments defended by Emanuel de Cuna, the Turks
were likewise repelled, with the loss of three men on the side of the
Portuguese. In another part Francisco de Abreu was killed while fighting
like a lion, and his brother Humphrey going to fetch off his body was
slain and fell beside that he went to rescue. On this Don Christopher
came up to relieve his men and performed wonders, till his arm was
broken by a musquet-ball and he was carried off by a brave soldier. He
was scarcely dressed when news was brought that the enemy had entered
the entrenchments, and had slain Fonseca and Vello, two of his officers,
on which he ordered himself to be carried to the place of danger. As the
enemy were now decidedly victorious, some of the Portuguese abandoned
their ranks and fled, as did the queen and the patriarch, both being
mounted on fleet mares, each taking a different way, he from fear not
knowing where he went, but she from choice as being well acquainted with
the country. Don Christopher sent immediately to bring back the queen,
as her flight was entirely ruinous, occasioning the disbanding of all
the Abyssinian troops. But at length, seeing that all was lost, he
grasped in despair a sword in his left hand, saying, Let who will
follow me to die like heroes in the midst of the enemy. He was carried
however from the field by mere force, with only fourteen men,
accompanied by the queen and Baharnagash, seeking some place of safety.
The night being excessively dark they lost their way and separated, the
queen and Baharnagash being fortunate enough to get up a mountain as
they were better acquainted with the country; but Don Christopher
wandering with some companions, fell into the hands of the enemy, who
carried him to the tyrant who was quite elated with his prize.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 156 of 217
Words from 158396 to 159418
of 221361
