Before Him Went The Priest, Carrying The
Crucifix, As He Had Done In The Late Battle, And Next To Him Was The
Royal Standard.
Juzar Khan followed with his eyes fixed on the ground,
perhaps that he might not see the standard of his sovereign trailing in
the dust, while those of the Portuguese floated triumphant in the air.
After him came 600 prisoners in chains.
In the front were all the
captured cannon, and great quantities of arms of all sorts in carts
artificially disposed. The governor walked upon leaves of gold and
silver and rich silks, all the ladies as he passed sprinkling him from
their windows with odoriferous waters, and strewing him with flowers. On
hearing an account of this triumph, queen Catharine said "That Don Juan
had overcome like a Christian, but had triumphed like a heathen."
Scarcely was this triumph ended when the governor found it necessary to
send a force of 120 horse, 800 foot, and 1000 Indians, to expel some
troops sent by Adel Khan to possess the districts of Salsete and Bardes,
because the conditions on which he had ceded these to the Portuguese had
not been fulfilled. Diego de Almeyda, who commanded these troops, easily
executed his commission, as 4000 men belonging to Adel Khan, who were
stationed at Cowlii fled at his approach. Adel Khan however sent them
back again, with 9000 additional men, together with a company of
renegado Portuguese, commanded by Gonzalo Vaz Coutinno, who, to avoid
the punishment due to his crimes, had deserted to the enemy. As Almeyda
found himself too weak to resist this great force, he was forced to
retire; on which the governor marched in person against the enemy with
3000 men in five battalions, and was soon afterwards joined by Francisco
de Melo with about 1500 more. On the approach of this force the enemy
retired to the fort of Ponda followed by the Portuguese army, on which
occasion Don Alvaro de Castro, who led the van, gained possession of a
ford defended by 2000 musqueteers. The main body of the enemy, twelve or
thirteen thousand strong, were drawn up in good order about the fort,
but fled at the first fire, leaving the fort entirely empty.
The victorious are sure to find friends. Cidoza king of Canara sent to
congratulate Don Juan de Castro upon this victory, and to propose a new
alliance with the Portuguese, which was accordingly concluded upon
advantageous terms, as always happens upon such occasions. This kingdom
of Charnataca, corruptly named Canara, had no sovereign prince
before the year 1200, when one Boca, a shepherd, assumed the
government, styling himself Rao which signifies emperor, a title that
has been continued by all his successors. This king, in memorial of a
victory gained by him over the king of Delhi, built the famous city of
Visajanagur, corruptly called Bisnagar. The crown continued in his line
till usurped by Narsinga, from whom the kingdom took that name, having
been formerly called Bisnagar from that of the city. Afterwards king
Malek sent also to confirm the peace between him and the Portuguese,
more through hatred to Adel Khan who was defeated, than from love to the
victorious Portuguese.
Hearing in 1546 that the king of Cambaya intended again to besiege Diu
with a larger army than ever, Don Juan de Castro prepared with all
diligence to relieve it, borrowing money from the city of Goa for the
expences of the expedition; and on this occasion the women of Goa sent
him their jewels by the hands of their young daughters, complaining that
he had not used them before, and requesting him to do so now; but he
sent all back accompanied with presents. Having fitted out 160 sail of
various kinds of vessels with a large military force, Don Juan sailed
for Basseen and thence to Surat, where Don Alvaro had arrived before
the fleet, and had taken a work with several cannon from the Moors.
Sailing thence to Baroch, the army of the king of Cambaya was seen
covering the whole plain, to the amount of 150,000 men, with 80 large
cannon in front. Don John was anxious to land with his small army of
3000 men to give battle to the king, but was dissuaded from the rash
attempt by his most experienced officers. He went on therefore to Diu,
where he appointed Luis Falcam to command the castle, as Mascarenhas was
then about to return to Portugal. After this he went along the coast of
the Guzerat dominions, landing in many places, and destroying every
thing with fire and sword. The strong and beautiful cities of Pate and
Patane, being abandoned by the inhabitants, were utterly destroyed;
two hundred vessels were destroyed in their ports, and a prodigious
booty was obtained. Dabul also, though in the dominions of Adel Khan,
was treated in a similar manner, in revenge for the ravages committed by
the orders of that sovereign in the districts of Salsete and Bardes,
which were occupied by Calabate Khan at the head of 20,000 men.
As Calabate Khan seemed disposed to retain possession of these
districts, Don Juan went against him with 1500 horse and 4000 foot; but
the enemy fled in all haste to the gauts, leaving their tents and
baggage behind. The Portuguese army pursued; and being resisted by
Calabate Khan in person, with 2000 horse at a ford or pass, that general
was unhorsed and slain by a Portuguese officer named Almeyda, after
which the enemy were defeated with great slaughter. The cymeter, dagger,
chain, and rings of the slain general were estimated at the value of
80,000 crowns. After this victory, Don Juan ravaged the whole country
below the gauts belonging to Adel Khan, destroying every thing before
him, burning all the towns and woods, and carrying off the cattle and
provisions. From this destructive expedition he returned to Goa, which
he again entered in triumph.
About this time the king of Acheen in Sumatra, an irreconcilable enemy
to the Portuguese, sent a fleet of sixty vessels against Malacca with
5000 soldiers, among whom were 500 men called Orobalones or the
golden bracelets, from wearing that ornament in distinction of their
bravery; but the principal force consisted of a regiment of Turkish
janisaries commanded by a valiant Moor.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 172 of 217
Words from 174786 to 175845
of 221361
