Soon Afterwards, He Received An
Embassy From Adel Khan To Solicit Peace, Which Was Concluded Much To The
Advantage Of The Portuguese.
The Zamorin, Nizam-al-mulk, Kothb-al-mulk
king of Golconda, the Rajah of Canara, and several other princes
Of
India sent splendid embassies to confirm the peace; and at length,
Sultan Mahmud king of Guzerat or Cambaya, tired of the unfortunate war
in which he had been long engaged with the Portuguese, made pacific
overtures, and a treaty was concluded to the credit and advantage of the
Portuguese.
[Footnote 369: The transactions of this period are of so little
importance, and related in so desultory a manner, that in the present
section we have only thought it necessary to give an abbreviated
selection. - E.]
In the course of this year, 1548, a bloody war broke out between the
kings of Siam and Pegu on the following occasion: The king of Siam
happened to possess a white elephant, a singular curiosity, much
coveted by all the princes of the east, and the king of Pegu demanded
that it should be given up to him in token of superiority. This was
refused by the king of Siam, and the king of Pegu invaded Siam with a
numerous army, reducing the king of Siam to such straits that he was
willing to make peace on any conditions, except delivering up the white
elephant, even agreeing to give up one of his own daughters, and to send
a woman of noble birth yearly as an acknowledgement of vassalage. But as
the terms were not performed, the king of Pegu again marched into the
kingdom of Siam with a prodigious army of a million and a half of men
and 4000 elephants. Above 2000 workmen preceded the king, and set up
every night for his lodgment a stately wooden palace, richly painted and
adorned with gold. On this march the king of Pegu constructed a
prodigious bridge of boats over the rapid river Menam, a full league
in length, for the passage of his army.
In the course of this march, the army of Pegu was obstructed by a strong
entrenchment defended by 25,000 Siamese troops. Diego Suarez de Melo,
who served in the army of Pegu with 180 Portuguese, went against this
entrenchment with his own small battalion and 30,000 Peguers; and
carried the work with a prodigious slaughter of the Siamese. The army of
Pegu at length besieged the city of Odia, in which the king of Siam
resided. Odia is eight leagues in circumference, and was surrounded by a
strong wall on which 4000 cannon were mounted, and was farther defended
by a wide and deep wet ditch, and by a garrison of 60,000 combatants,
among whom were 50 Portuguese commanded by Diego Pereyra. After
continuing the siege for some time, being unable to prevail on the
Portuguese under Pereyra to desert the service of the king of Siam, the
king of Pegu abandoned Odia, and besieged the city of Camambee; in
which the treasures of Siam were deposited. That place was strongly
fortified, and defended by 20,000 men with so much valour that the
Peguers were again obliged to desist. At this time Xemindoo rebelled
against the king of Pegu, who sent Diego Suarez against him with 200
Portuguese. Suarez pursued the rebel to the city of Cevadi, but
Xemindoo slipped past him and took possession of the city of Pegu, where
he was favoured by the inhabitants. The queen fled into the castle,
where she was defended by twenty Portuguese, till the king came up with
his army and put the rebels to flight. The army then entered the city,
and put all to the sword, men, women, and children, and every living
thing, sparing those only who took refuge in the house of Suarez, which
the king had ordered to be exempted from this military execution, and in
which above 12,000 saved themselves. The plunder on this occasion was
immense, of which three millions fell to the share of Suarez, who was so
much in favour with the king, that he pardoned a Portuguese at his
intercession who had supplied the rebels with ammunition.
The king of Pegu was soon afterwards murdered in the beautiful city of
Zatan by the Ximi or governor of that place, who immediately had
himself proclaimed king; but was in his turn taken and beheaded by the
former rebel Xemindoo, who usurped the crown. One Mandaragri, who
had married a sister of the former king, raised an army and claimed the
crown in right of his wife; and having defeated that first rebel in
battle, he fled to the mountains, where he married the daughter of a
peasant, to whom he revealed his name and rank. She communicated this
intelligence to her father, who delivered him up to the new king by whom
he was beheaded. Being much displeased with the people of Pegu,
Mandaragri built a new city near that place. He soon afterwards raised
an immense army, with which he reduced many of the neighbouring
provinces. But a new rebellion broke out at Pegu in his absence, by
which the queen was forced to take refuge in the castle, where she
chiefly owed her safety to about forty Portuguese, who defended her till
the king came up and vanquished the rebels; after which he rewarded the
brave Portuguese with riches and honour.
About this time likewise, the inhabitants of Chincheo, the second
Portuguese colony in China, being in a flourishing condition, became
forgetful of the sad fate of Liampo, formerly mentioned, which had
been destroyed through their insolence and cupidity. Ayres Coello de
Sousa, who was judge of the orphans and proveditar for the dead,
committed many villanies to get hold of 12,000 ducats belonging to an
Armenian merchant who had died there, and of 8000 ducats from some
Chinese merchants, under pretence that this sum was due by them to the
deceased.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 174 of 217
Words from 176862 to 177861
of 221361
