Ximilixa Afterwards Besieged Siriam In Conjunction
With The King Of Tangu, Who Brought A Great Army Against The Town By
Land, While Ximilixa Shut It Up By Sea With 800 Sail, In Which He Had
10,000 Men.
Paul del Rego went against him with 80 small vessels; and
failing of his former success, set fire to the powder and blew up his
ship, rather than fall into the hands of the enemy.
The siege continued
so long, that the garrison was reduced to extremity, and on the point of
surrendering, when the king of Tangu retired one night with his army
upon some sudden suspicion, on which Ximilixa was likewise obliged to
draw off with his fleet. Several of the neighbouring princes were now so
much alarmed by the success of Nicote, that they solicited his
friendship, and to be admitted into alliance with the king of Portugal.
The first of these was the king of Tangu, and afterwards the king of
Martavan, who gave one of his daughters as a wife to Simon the son of
Nicote. Soon after, the king of Tangu being overcome in battle by the
king of Ova, and rendered tributary, Nicote united with the king of
Martavan, and invaded the dominions of Tangu, though in alliance with
that prince, took him prisoner and plundered him of above a million in
gold, although he protested that he was a faithful vassal to the king of
Portugal.
About this time another low adventurer, Sebastian Gonzalez Tibao, raised
himself by similar arts to great power in Aracan. In the year 1605,
Gonzalez embarked from Portugal for India, and going to Bengal, listed
as a soldier. By dealing in salt, which is an important article of trade
in that country, he soon gained a sufficient sum to purchase a Jalia,
or small vessel, in which he went with salt to Dianga, a great port in
Aracan. At this period, Nicote, who had possessed himself of Siriam, as
before related, wishing to acquire Dianga likewise, sent his son with
several small vessels thither on an embassy to the king of Aracan, to
endeavour to procure a grant of that port. Some Portuguese who then
resided at the court of Aracan, persuaded the king that the object of
Nicote in this demand; was to enable him to usurp the kingdom; upon
which insinuation the son of Nicote; and all his attendants were slain,
after which the same was done with the crews of his vessels, and all the
Portuguese inhabitants at Dianga, to the number of about 600 were put to
death, except a few who escaped on board nine or ten small vessels and
put out to sea. Among these was the vessel belonging to Sebastian
Gonzalez, who assumed the command; and as the fugitives were reduced to
great distress, they subsisted by plunder on the coasts of Aracan,
carrying their booty to the ports of the king of Bacala, who was in
friendship with the Portuguese.
Not long before this had died Emanuel de Mattos, who had been commander
of Bandel of Dianga, and lord of Sundiva[426], an island about 70
leagues in compass, the subordinate command of which he had confided to
a valiant Moor named Fate Khan. On learning the death of Mattos, Fatecan
murdered all the Portuguese on the island of Sundiva, with their wives
and children, and all the Christian natives; and gathering a
considerable force of Moors and Patans, fitted out a fleet of 40 small
vessels, which he maintained by means of the ample revenue of the island
he had now usurped. Understanding that Sebastian Gonzalez and his small
squadron was cruizing near Sundiva, Fatecan went out to seek them with
such assurance of success, that he inscribed upon his colours, "Fate
Khan, by the grace of God, Lord of Sundiva, Shedder of Christian Blood,
and Destroyer of the Portuguese Nation." Sebastian and his companions
had put, into a river called Xavaspur, where they quarrelled about the
division of their spoil, and one Pinto sailed away from the rest in
disquiet; but meeting the fleet of Fatecan, who had hoped to surprize
the Christians he returned and gave his companions notice of their
danger. After a severe conflict, the 10 small vessels in which were only
80 Portuguese, proved victorious over the 40 vessels belonging to
Fatecan, though manned with 600 Moors, not a single vessel or man
escaping. After this great victory, the Portuguese agreed to appoint
Sebastian Gonzalez to command over the rest. Sebastian entered into a
treaty with the king of Bacala for his assistance to reduce the island
of Sundiva, engaging to pay him half the revenues of that island, and
accordingly procured from him some vessels, and 200 auxiliary horse.
Having likewise gathered a number of Portuguese from Bengal and other
parts, he saw himself, in March 1609, at the head of 400 Portuguese
troops, and had mustered a fleet of 40 small ships. In consequence of
the delay necessary for making these preparations, the island of Sundiva
was provided for defence, under a brother of the late Fatecan, who had
raised a respectable force of Moors. Sebastian, however, attempted its
conquest, and had nearly been forced to desist for want of provisions
and ammunition, when he was reinforced by a Spaniard named Gaspar de
Pina, who brought 50 men to his aid, after which they carried the fort
by assault, and put all its garrison to the sword. Having formerly been
subject to the Portuguese under de Mattos, the islanders immediately
submitted to Gonzalez, to whom they delivered upwards of 1000 Moors who
were scattered about the country, all of whom he put to death. Thus
Gonzalez became absolute master of the island, and was obeyed by the
natives and Portuguese like an independent prince.
[Footnote 426: It is highly probable, though not mentioned by De Faria,
that this Portuguese was in the service of the king of Aracan, under
whom he had held these offices.
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