In Both Actions
Emanuel De Sousa Was Conspicuously Valiant, Being The First To Land With
Much Danger, Especially In The Latter, Where He Was Opposed By A
Numerous Artillery.
On returning to the mouth of the river, Sylveira
found, that Vasconcelles had taken six vessels bound with provisions for
Diu.
After this, Antonio de Sylveira destroyed the towns of Daman and
Agazem on the coast, at the latter of which places 300 vessels belonging
to the enemy were burnt.
[Footnote 183: Called Bancanes in the text of De Faria; perhaps an error
of the press for Banianes or Banzanes. - E.]
On the 21st of January 1530, Hector de Sylveira sailed from Goa for the
Red Sea with ten ships and 600 men. Spreading his fleet across the mouth
of that sea, that no enemy might escape, several rich ships were
captured. Appearing afterwards before Aden, Hector induced the sheikh
of that place to submit to the crown of Portugal, and to an yearly
tribute of 12,000 Xerephines. The sheikh of Zael, who had only a short
time before accompanied Mustapha, a Turkish captain, with 20,000 men
to make war upon Aden, submitted to similar terms.
Having completed his preparations for the expedition against Diu, Nuno
de Cuna sailed early in the year 1531 with a great fleet and army for
that place. In a general review at the Island of Bombay, the fleet
consisted of above 400 sail of all kinds of vessels, many of which were
large, more indifferent, and most of them small; some being only
sutlers, fitted out by the natives for private gain. On board this
fleet were 3600 soldiers and 1450 seamen all Portuguese, besides above
2000 Canara and Malabar soldiers, 8000 slaves, and about 5000 native
seamen. Landing at Daman, a fort belonging to the king of Cairibaya,
which was immediately evacuated by the Moors, advice was brought that
the Arabs, Turks, and others, to the number of 2000 men, had fortified
themselves in the Island of Beth, seven leagues from Diu. This place
was so strong by art and nature, environed with rocks and
fortifications, that Nuno gave no credit to the accounts respecting it
till convinced by inspection. Coming before Beth on the 7th of February,
he summoned the garrison to surrender; but many of them shaved their
heads, as devoting themselves to death or victory, which they call
making themselves amoucos[184]. The commandant of the barbarians gave
a brutal example of determined and savage resolution, by throwing his
wife, son, and goods into a fire made on purpose, in which they were all
consumed; that if the Portuguese succeeded in the enterprise, they might
only gain a heap of ashes. His example was followed by others. Being
resolved to carry this place, Nuno made dispositions for an assault,
dividing his force into six bodies, which were ordered to attack in six
different places at the same time. After a desperate conflict the place
was taken, in which 1800 of the enemy were slain, and sixty cannons
taken.
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