Antonio Ran All Along This Coast Without Any
Remarkable Occurrence, Only That He Saw Many Towns, None Of Which Were
Large, And A Fruitful Country, And Was Informed That There Were Mines
Of Silver, Tin, Saltpetre, And Brimstone.
Being now weary of looking out for the pirate Husseyn, the soldiers
demanded their shares of the prizes and to be discharged.
This was
agreed to, and their course was directed towards Siam; but by a furious
storm they were cast away upon the Ladrones, where out of 500 men,
only 86 got on shore naked, 28 of whom were Portuguese. At this place
they were fifteen days with hardly any thing to eat. While in utter
despair, as the island was uninhabited, they discovered a small vessel
making for the shore where it cast anchor, and presently thirty Chinese
landed, some of whom went to procure wood and water, while the others
diverted themselves. Our men ran furiously and possessed themselves of
the vessel and put to sea as quickly as possible. In this vessel they
found only an old man and a child, but were quite delighted upon finding
plenty of provisions and much silk. Sailing for Xamoy in Liampo,
they took another Chinese vessel and went to the island of
Luxitay[359], where they remained fifteen days refitting both vessels,
and then proceeded on their voyage. On the coast of Lamau they
discovered a large vessel having fifteen guns, which began to fire upon
them as soon as within range; but on coming close it was observed to
have several crosses and some men in Portuguese habits, on which they
hailed each other, and the vessel was found to belong to Quiay Panjau
a Chinese and a great friend of the Portuguese, having thirty soldiers
of that nation on board. He came on board of Antonios vessel, bringing a
present of amber, pearls, gold, and silver, worth 2000 ducats. Among
other discourse, Antonio told him that he was bound for Liampo to
furnish himself with necessaries, meaning to attempt the mines of
Quamjaparu, where he was told he might get much treasure. Quiay
Panjau offered to accompany him, demanding only a third part of what
might be taken, which was agreed to.
[Footnote 359: The names in this strange relation of the adventures of
Antonio de Faria are so extremely corrupt as to defy even conjectural
commentary. - E.]
They refitted at the river Ainay, and going from there to Chincheo,
Faria hired 35 Portuguese whom he found at that place. Soon after
putting again to sea he found eight Portuguese, almost naked and all
wounded in a fishing-boat, who told him that the pirate Khojah Husseyn
had taken their ship, worth 200,000 ducats, in the harbour of the isle
of Cumbor, and that they had escaped with difficulty in that miserable
condition. Faria was quite rejoiced to hear of that pirate, and
immediately turned back eight leagues to Layloo to prepare for
engaging him. He there changed his old vessels for new ones, and
provided men arms and ammunition, paying generously for every thing. In
four vessels which he there fitted out, he had 40 pieces of cannon, 160
muskets, 6000 darts, with abundance of other arms and ammunition, and a
force of 500 men, 95 of whom were Portuguese. In a day and a half sail
from Layloo he came to the fisheries where those Portuguese had been
robbed, and was informed by some fishermen that Husseyn was only at the
distance of two leagues in the river Tinlau. To make quite sure, he
sent a person to see if that were the case, and finding the information
accurate he proceeded immediately to the place. The engagement began
before day-light upon four ships belonging to the pirate, which were
soon reduced to great straits, when four small vessels came up to their
assistance. One of the Portuguese cannon was so well pointed that it
sank the first of these at the first fire, and killed several men in
another vessel. At length Antonio boarded Husseyns vessel, and gave him
such a cut over the head as struck him down on the deck, and by another
stroke cut his hamstrings so that he could not rise. The pirates wounded
Antonio in three places; but being succoured by his men the victory was
complete, almost 400 of the enemy being slain or drowned by leaping
overboard, while it cost 43 men on the side of Antonio, 8 of whom were
Portuguese. Antonio immediately landed to bury his dead, and finding 96
men belonging to Husseyn in a house where they were left to be cured, he
set the house on fire, and destroyed them all. He here restored the
Portuguese ship to her owners, and gave liberty to all the slaves, as he
vowed on going upon this enterprise, paying their masters the value.
After all this generosity, the remaining booty was worth 100,000 crowns.
On the night after sailing from Tinlau so violent a storm arose that
two of the ships were cast away, and most of the goods in the others had
to be thrown overboard, to the value of 200,000 ducats. One hundred and
eleven men were lost, eleven of whom were Portuguese. Thirteen men who
escaped the shipwreck were carried prisoners to Nauday, where Faria
came with the five remaining ships to anchor. He immediately offered
3000 crowns to the governor of the city for the liberty of the
prisoners, and meeting with an unfavourable answer, he determined to
liberate them by force. His men were fearful of the issue of so
dangerous an enterprise; but he so encouraged them, that they agreed. He
had at this time, which was in the beginning of the year 1542, a force
of 470 men in all, 60 of whom were Portuguese. Of these he chose 300 men
to accompany him on shore. After sending another civil message to the
governor, who answered by hanging the messenger, he landed with his
small but resolute band.
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