A Miracle Was Seen At This Place, As The Moors Had
Been Utterly Unable To Cut Down A Small Wooden Cross Fixed Upon A Stone,
Or Even To Remove It By The Force Of Elephants.
Likewise about this time
a Portuguese soldier bought for a trifle from a jogue in Ceylon, a
brown pebble
About the size of an egg, on which the heavens where
represented in several colours, and in the midst of them the image of
the holy Virgin with the Saviour in her arms; this precious jewel fell
into the hands of Franciso Barreto, who presented it to Queen Catharine,
and through its virtues God wrought many miracles both in India and
Portugal.
[Footnote 373: Named Nizamuxa in De Faria, and perhaps the same prince
called Nizamaluco on former occasions, whom we have always designated
Nizam al Mulk. The Indian officers named in the text a little before
Nazer al Mulk and Murad Khan, are called Nazar Maluco and Moatecan by De
Faria, whose orthography of eastern names is continually vicious. - E.]
About the end of the government of Franciso Barreto, Joam III, king of
Portugal died, in whom ended the good fortune of the Portuguese. In 1558
the regency, during the minority of King Sebastian, sent out Don
Constantin de Braganza as viceroy to India. Don Constantin was younger
brother of Theodosius duke of Braganza, and was only 30 years of age
when appointed to that high office. He arrived at Goa in the beginning
of September 1558, with four ships and 2000 men, having performed the
voyage with unusually favourable weather; and, contrary to the usual
practice, he assumed the government without affronting in any way the
person whom he superseded. Soon after his arrival he went upon an
expedition against Daman, which had been ceded to the former governor by
the king of Guzerat, but which was still retained by Side Bofata, who
was in rebellion against his own prince. On the arrival of the
Portuguese armament, Bofata abandoned the city and fort, which the
viceroy took possession of, as a post of importance to secure the
district of Basseen, and converted the mosque into a Christian church.
Bofata encamped at a place named Parnel, two leagues from Daman,
whence with 2000 horse he infested the Portuguese in their new
possession; but was driven from his encampment by Antonio Moniz Barreto,
leaving thirty-six pieces of cannon, several cart-loads of copper money,
and other plunder. The viceroy behaved with such liberality and
discretion, that he soon attracted abundance of inhabitants to this new
acquisition, and reduced the neighbouring island of Balzar, which he
deemed necessary for the security of Daman, of which he gave the command
to Don Diego de Noronha with a garrison of 1200, appointing Alvaro
Gonzales Pinto to command in Balzar with 120 men and some cannon.
In 1560, the viceroy went against Jafnapatam in the island of Ceylon,
because the king of that place, who was likewise lord of the isle of
Manar, persecuted the Christians, and had usurped the throne from his
brother, who fled to Goa, and was there baptised by the name of Alfonso.
After some considerable successes, and having even forced the king of
Jafnapatam to cede the island of Manar, and to submit to the vassalage
of Portugal, the viceroy was obliged to desist from the enterprise with
considerable loss, but retained the island of Manar, where he built a
fort. Among the treasure belonging to the king of Jafnapatam, taken in
this expedition, was an idol, or relic rather, which was held in high
estimation by all the idolaters on the coast of India, and, in
particular, by the king of Pegu, who used to send ambassadors yearly
with rich presents, merely to get a print of the precious relic. This
holy relic was nothing more than the tooth of a white monkey; and some
say that the cause of its being so much admired was owing to the rarity
of the colour, like the white elephant of Siam. Others say that the
monkey was held in such veneration for having discovered the wife of an
ancient Indian king who had eloped from her husband. Some again alleged
that it was the tooth of a man who had performed that service. However
this may have been, when the king of Pegu heard that this tooth was in
possession of the viceroy, he made an offer of 300,000 ducats for it,
and it was believed his zeal would extend to a million if the bargain
was well managed. Most of the Portuguese were for taking the money, and
some wished to be employed in carrying the tooth to Pegu, expecting to
derive great profit by shewing so precious a treasure by the way. But in
a meeting of the principal clergy and laity of Goa, held on purpose, it
was determined that the tooth should be destroyed; and it was
accordingly pounded in a mortar in presence of the assembly, and reduced
to ashes. All men applauded this act; but, not long afterwards, two
teeth were set up instead of one.
Madrem al Mulk, king of Cambaya, desirous of recovering Daman, was ready
to march against that place with a numerous army; but Don Diego de
Noronha, getting intelligence of the design, contrived to persuade
Cedeme Khan, lord of Surat, that the expedition was intended against
him. Cedeme Khan, giving credit to this fiction, went to visit his
brother-in-law, Madrem al Mulk, and persuaded him, with the principal
leaders of his army, to visit him in the city of Surat, where he killed
them all, and falling upon the camp put the Guzerat army to the rout
with great slaughter. Zingis Khan, the son and successor of Madrem al
Mulk, marched with a numerous army to Surat to revenge the death of his
father. Cedeme Khan abandoned the city and retired into the fort, where
he was besieged by Zingis Khan, and reduced to great extremity; but
hearing that his dominions were invaded by a new enemy, Zingis Khan
patched up an agreement with Cedeme Khan, and returned to defend his own
country.
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