Don Garcia Did Not Want Courage, Of Which He Had Given
Sufficient Demonstrations While Under Alfonso De Albuquerque:
But he
chose rather to commit an error through his own obstinacy, than rightly
to follow the advice of Nuno de Cuna.
It soon appeared indeed, that he
was not at all disposed to take any advice from De Cuna, whom he treated
so disrespectfully at Goa, that he forced him to retire to Cochin to
arrange his affairs previous to his return to Portugal. When at Cochin,
he even refused him a convenient ship which he had chosen for his
accommodation; although he had authority from the king to continue to
act as governor while he remained in India, and liberty to choose any
vessel he thought proper, but Don Garcia forced him to hire a merchant
vessel for himself and family. If the viceroy treated De Cuna ill in
India, no less evil designs were entertained against him in Portugal;
and doubtless the knowledge Don Garcia had of the evil intentions of the
ministers of state, was the cause of the hard usage he gave him in
India. Nuno de Cuna fell sick and died on the voyage. He protested at
his death that he had nothing belonging to the king except five gold
medals found among the treasure of the late king Badur, which he had
selected for their beauty and meant to have presented to the king in
person. Being asked by a chaplain what he would have done with his body
after his death; he said, that since it had pleased God he was to die at
sea, he desired that the sea might be his grave. Nuno de Cuna, who was
an excellent governor of India, died at fifty-two years of age. He was
of large stature and well proportioned, but wanted an eye. Though of
stately manners, he was extremely courteous, not subject to passion,
easily reconciled, a strict observer of justice, loved to do good to all
around him, free from covetousness, prudent in council, and affable in
discourse. He governed for ten years, all but two months, and died in
the beginning of the year 1539.
Don Garcia de Noronha assumed the government of India as viceroy in
November 1538, having arrived from Lisbon with 3000 soldiers, many of
whom were men of note. Although this great armament had been principally
intended for opposing the Turks who besieged the castle of Diu, yet the
viceroy permitted them to continue their operations before that place,
and merely sent hopes of relief to the oppressed garrison. At length
however he sent a second reinforcement under Antonio de Menezes in 24
small vessels. Though this armament came late, yet Menezes contended in
some measure with the great Sylveira for the honour of having occasioned
the retreat of the Turks, as he valued himself much in having witnessed
their flight. The viceroy had indeed made ready to sail for Diu with a
fleet of 160 sail of vessels of different kinds, having 5000 soldiers
and 1000 pieces of cannon, when advice came that the Turks had abandoned
the siege.
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