Vasco De Cuna Was Accordingly Sent On This Embassy,
With Instructions To Procure The Surrender Of Diu, But Was Unsuccessful.
At the same time Tristan de Ga pressed the king of Cambaya to allow of
building a fort at Diu,
And Badur expressed a desire of conferring with
the governor-general on the subject, though his real design was to kill
him rather than grant permission to build a fort. Nuno went accordingly
to Diu with a fleet of 100 sail and 2000 Portuguese troops; but the king
who was then at Diu delayed the interview on various pretences, and
desired Nuno to send some of his principal captains to wait upon him.
They went accordingly richly dressed and were splendidly received. While
in discourse with the king, Emanuel de Macedo took the liberty, yet in a
respectful manner, to say "That he wondered much his majesty should
deprive Malek Tocam of the government of the city, who had not only
served him faithfully, but was the son of one who had performed many
signal services and had long enjoyed his favour, and that he should
bestow the command on Mustapha Rumi Khan, whose principal merit was
disloyalty to the Grand Turk, his natural prince." He added, that if
Mustapha denied this, he challenged him to combat, either hand to hand,
or in any other manner he might think fit. Rumi Khan was present, but
made no answer, till the king looking angrily at him, he said his
silence proceeded from contempt. Macedo repeated the challenge, and the
Turk, no longer able to shun it with a good grace, agreed to fight him
at sea. But this challenge took no effect, as the parties could not
agree upon the terms of combat. Being unable to come to any agreement
with the king of Cambaya, Nuno de Cuna entered into a league with
Humayun[188] padishah, or emperor of the Moguls, and returned to Goa,
dispatching several of his captains with squadrons to different places.
[Footnote 188: In De Faria called Omaum Patxath, king of the
Moguls. - E.]
At this time, Cunale Marcar, a bold pirate, scoured the seas about
Calicut with eight vessels well equipped and full of men. One night off
Cape Comorin he surprised a Portuguese brigantine at anchor, in which
were twenty-one Portuguese, all so fast asleep that they were bound
before they waked. He caused their heads to be bruised to pieces, to
punish them for daring to sleep while he was at sea, a merry cruelty.
From thence Cunale went to Negapatnam on the coast of Coromandel,
where there were forty Portuguese, who defended themselves to no
purpose, as the degar or governor of that place agreed with Cunale to
rob them. Khojah Marcar, though a relation of Cunale, used his
endeavours to deliver the Portuguese from this danger, by instilling
mutual jealousy into the Degar and Cunale, who however took some
Portuguese vessels then in the river at Negapatnam, and shot eight of
their men.
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