At This Time Two Portuguese
Gentlemen Who Had Challenged Each Other, Agreed That He Who First
Mounted The Works Of The Enemy Should Be Deemed Conqueror:
Both
honourably strove to gain the victory, and both died gloriously in the
attempt.
After a severe conflict, in which the Portuguese sustained some
loss, they at length mounted the works, and Mascarenhas and Don Alvaro
de Castro, having each gained possession of a tower or bulwark, made
room for the army drawing up in the open field in the rear of the
hostile works. Twice was the ensign carrying the royal standard thrown
down from the enemy's works, and twice remounted. Rumi Khan used every
effort, backed by his numerous army, to drive the Portuguese from his
entrenchments, but unsuccessfully. Being joined by Juzar Khan, who had
been worsted by Mascarenhas, they united their troops and renewed their
fight, and distressed the Portuguese exceedingly, when father Antonio de
Cazal appeared in the ranks carrying a crucifix aloft on the point of a
lance, encouraging the troops to behave courageously. By great and
valiant exertions, after covering the field with dead and wounded Moors,
Rumi Khan was constrained to retreat in disorder; but having rallied his
troops, the Portuguese in their turn were thrown into disorder. Don
Juan, however exerted himself to admiration, and restoring his men to
order renewed the battle. At this time a stone or bullet broke off an
arm from the crucifix, and the priest calling on the soldiers to avenge
the sacrilege, they fell on with such fury, that after incredible
efforts they drove the enemy into the city with vast slaughter.
Mascarenhas, Don Alvaro de Lima, and Don Juan de Castro, successively
forced their way into the city with their respective battalions, by
several avenues, making the streets and houses run with blood. The
women shared the fate of the men, and even children were slain at their
mothers breasts. In plundering the houses, gold, silver, and jewels were
alone attended to by the soldiery, other things though of value being
slighted as cumbrous.
Rumi Khan and the other officers of the enemy sallied with about 8000
men, against whom Don Juan de Castro, with the assistance of his son and
Mascarenhas again engaged, and after a bloody battle gained a complete
victory. In this last engagement, Gabriel Teixeyra killed the
standard-bearer of the enemy, and dragged the standard of Cambaya about
the field proclaiming victory. George Nunez brought out the head of Rumi
Khan from among the dead, and presented it to Don Juan. Juzar Khan was
wounded and made prisoner. In this great battle the enemy lost 5000 men,
among whom, besides Rumi Khan, Azede Khan, Lu Khan, and other men of
note were slain. The Portuguese, according to one account, lost 100 men,
while others say only 34. Many thousands were taken, with forty pieces
of cannon of extraordinary size, besides 160 others, and a prodigious
quantity of ammunition. Free plunder was allowed to the troops, by which
many acquired great riches and all were satisfied. Many of the
Portuguese signalized their valour in this action. The governor-general
acted the part of a valiant soldier, as well as that of a prudent
general. Mascarenhas, after sustaining a siege of eight months,
distinguished himself above all others. Of Don Alvaro de Castro, it is
sufficient to say that he acted like his father. The ensign Barbado,
though several times thrown down, as often remounted the works of the
enemy. Father Antonio del Cazal, by presenting to view the image of
life banished the fear of death. Many others distinguished their
valour, some of whom survived and others were slain. The enemy confessed
that, one day during the siege, they saw over the church in the castle a
beautiful woman in the air, clothed in white, and so brilliantly
illuminated with rays of light that they could not look upon her; and
that this day there were some men in the field armed with lances who did
them much harm. The king of Cambaya was so enraged with the loss he had
sustained in this siege, that he ordered twenty-eight Portuguese
prisoners to be torn in pieces in his presence.
Great was the joy at Goa on the news being received of the events at
Diu, which were carried thither by Diego Rodriguez de Azevedo, who
likewise carried a message from Don Juan de Castro requesting the city
to lend him 20,000 pardaos for the use of the army, sending a lock of
his whiskers in pawn for the faithful repayment of the money. The city
respectfully returned the proposed pledge, and sent him more money than
he wanted, and even the ladies of Goa on this occasion sent him their
earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and other jewels to be applied to the
public service. But the governor punctually restored all exactly as
sent, having been amply supplied by the capture of a rich ship of
Cambaya. Having restored the castle to a better condition than before
the siege, Don Juan de Castro sailed for Goa, leaving a garrison of 500
men in the castle under Don George de Menezes, with six ships to secure
the coast. The city also was now better inhabited than ever, through the
good usage of the governor to the Moors.
Don Juan de Castro returned from Diu to Goa on the 11th of April 1546,
where he was received with universal demonstrations of joy, and was
conducted into the city in a splendid triumph, prepared on purpose after
the manner of the ancient Romans. The city gates and the houses of the
streets he had to pass through were hung with silk, all the windows were
thronged with women splendidly dressed, and every part of the city
resounded with music and the din of cannon, all the ships in the bay
being richly adorned with numerous flags and streamers. Don Juan entered
the city under a splendid canopy; and at the gates his hat was taken
off, and his brows adorned by a crown of laurel, of which likewise a
branch was put into his hand.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 171 of 217
Words from 173758 to 174785
of 221361
