The Two Commanders Hastened To
Join Their Men, And Then Directed Them To Destroy The Works They Had So
Gallantly Won.
Perplexed with so many losses, the Nizam made a general
assault under night with his whole army, attacking all
The posts at one
time, every one of which almost they penetrated; but the garrison
exerted themselves with so much vigour that they drove the Moors from
every point of attack, and in the morning above 500 of the enemy were
found slain in and about the ruined defences, while the Portuguese had
only lost four or five men. About this time the defenders received a
reinforcement of above 200 men from Goa, Diu, and Basseen, with a large
supply of ammunition and provisions; but at this time they were much
afflicted by a troublesome though not mortal disease, by which they
became swelled all over so as to lose the use of their limbs.
Having ineffectually endeavoured to stir up enemies against the
Portuguese in Cambaya on purpose to prevent relief being sent to the
brave defenders of Chaul, the Nizam used every effort to bring his
arduous enterprize to a favourable conclusion. The house of Nuno Alvarez
Pereyra being used as a strong-hold by the Portuguese, was battered
during forty-two days by the enemy, who then assaulted it with 5000 men.
At first the defenders of this post were only forty in number, but
twenty more came to their assistance immediately, and several others
afterwards. The Moors were repulsed with the loss of 50 men, while the
Portuguese only lost one. The house of Nuno Vello was battered for
thirty days and assaulted with the same success, only the Portuguese
lest ten men in its defence. Judging it no longer expedient to defend
this house, it was undermined and evacuated, on which the enemy hastened
to take possession and it was blown up, doing considerable execution
among the enemy, but not so much as was expected. The summer was now
almost spent; above 6000 cannon-balls had been thrown into the town,
some of which were of prodigious size, and the Nizam seemed determined
to continue the siege during the winter. About 200 Portuguese, appalled
by the dangers of the siege, had already, deserted; but instead of them
300 men had come from Goa, so that the garrison was even stronger than
before. On the 11th of April, Gonzalez de Camara made a sortie upon 500
Moors in an orchard, only fifty of whom escaped.
Fortune could not be always favourable to the besieged. By a chance ball
from the enemy, one of the galleys which brought relief was sunk
downright with 40 men and goods to the value of 40,000 ducats. But, next
day, Ferdinand Tellez made a sally with 400 men, and gained a victory
equal to that of Gonzalez de Camara, and brought away one piece of
cannon with some ammunition, arms, and other booty. This action was seen
by the Nizam in person, who mounted his horse and threatened to join in
it in person, for which purpose he seized a lance, which he soon changed
for a whip, with which he threatened to chastise his men, and upbraided
them as cowards. The Portuguese were now so inured to danger that
nothing could terrify them, and they seemed to court death instead of
shunning it on all occasions. Some of them being employed to level some
works from which the enemy had been driven near the monastery of St
Francis, and being more handy at the sword than the spade, drew upon
themselves a large party of the enemy of whom they slew above 200, yet
not without some loss on their side. About this time Farete Khan, one of
the Nizams generals, made some overtures towards peace, but without any
apparent authority from his sovereign, who caused him to be arrested on
suspicion of being corrupted by the Portuguese, though assuredly he had
secret orders for what he had done. Indeed it was not wonderful that the
Nizam should be desirous of peace, as he had now lain seven months
before Chaul to no purpose, and had lost many thousand men; neither was
it strange in the Portuguese to have the same wish, as they had lost 400
men besides Indians.
When the siege had continued to the beginning of June the attacks and
batteries were carried on by both sides with as much obstinacy and
vigour as if then only begun. The house of Nunno Alvarez was at this
time taken by the enemy through the carelessness of the defenders, and
on an attempt to recover it 20 of the Portuguese lost their lives
without doing much injury to the enemy. The Moors in the next place got
possession of the monastery of St Dominic, but not without a heavy loss;
and then gained the house of Gonzalo de Menezes, in which the Portuguese
suffered severely. The hostile batteries kept up a constant fire from
the end of May to the end of June, as the Nizam had resolved to make a
breach fit for the whole army to try its fortune in a general assault.
On the 28th of June, every thing being in readiness, the Nizams whole
army was drawn out for the assault, all his elephants appearing in the
front with castles on their backs full of armed men. While the whole
army stood in expectation of the signal of assault, an officer of note
belonging to the enemy was slain by a random shot from one of the
Portuguese cannon, which the Nizam considered as an evil omen, and
ordered the attack to be deferred till next day. On this occasion six of
the garrison ventured beyond the works and drew a multitude of the enemy
within reach of the Portuguese fire, which was so well bestowed that 118
of the enemy were slain and 500 wounded, without any loss on the side of
the defenders.
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