About The End Of February 1532, Emanuel De Vasconcelles Was Sent To The
Red Sea With Two Galliots And Several Brigantines To Cruise Against The
Turks.
Off Xael he captured several Turkish vessels, among which, was a
large ship, named Cufturca, which was sent to Muscat.
The king of
Xael, fearful of danger, made his peace with Vasconcelles. Soon
afterwards Antonio de Saldanna arrived with ten ships to take the
command in the Red Sea, who was dissatisfied with the terms entered into
with the sheikh of Xael, on which that prince sent all the valuables
belonging to the town, together with the women and children into the
interior, that he might provide for defence; but being obliged to quit
the Red Sea on account of the weather, Saldanna sailed first to Muscat
and thence to Diu, where he took several vessels belonging to the enemy,
among which was one in which he got above 60,000 Venetian chequins.
About the same time Diego de Sylveira plundered and burnt Puttun, a city
twelve leagues from Diu, and destroyed four ships that were in the
harbour. He acted in a similar manner at Pate and Mangalore and other
places, and returned to Goa with above 4000 slaves and an infinite
booty.
All this encouraged Nuno de Cuna to continue hostilities against Diu and
the king of Cambaya, in hopes of constraining him to allow of the
construction of a fort in that city. Malek Tocam[187], lord of Diu,
was then fortifying the city of Basseen, and as that place might prove
injurious to the designs of Nuno against Cambaya, he determined to
destroy it. For this purpose he fitted out a fleet of 150 vessels, in
which he embarked with 3000 Portuguese soldiers and 200 native Canarins.
Tocam on hearing of this expedition, left a garrison of 12,000 men in
Basseen and retired to Diu. Despising the danger of attacking such
superior numbers, Nuno landed his troops and took Basseen by assault, in
which action 600 of the enemy were slain, and only eight or nine on the
side of the Portuguese. Having ravaged the surrounding country and razed
the fortifications of Basseen, Emanuel de Albuquerque was sent with
twelve vessels and 300 men to destroy the fort of Daman, which he was
unable to accomplish. He burnt however all the towns upon the coast from
Basseen to Tarapor, and reduced Tanua, Bandora, Maii, and
Bombay to become tributary. About this time orders were sent from
Portugal that all the commanders of forts in India should make oath of
obedience to the governor-general, whence it appears that till then they
were in a great measure independent.
[Footnote 187: The lord of Diu only a little before was named Malek
Saca; but De Faria gives no intimation of any revolution, except by
change of name. Yet from the sequel it is evident this person was the
son of Malek Azz. - E.]
About this time Malek Tocam, lord of Diu, desired Nuno to send a proper
person to him with whom he might treat of an important affair, he being
at that time apprehensive that the king of Cambaya meant to deprive him
of his government.
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