But Gonzalez, Being A Person Utterly Devoid Of Honour, Cared
Not At Whose Cost He Advanced His Own Interests; Yet
The guilt of so
many villanies began to prey upon his conscience, and he became
apprehensive of some heavy punishment
Falling upon him, which he had
little means to avert, as all men considered him a traitor unworthy of
favour; those of Aracan, because he had betrayed them to the Moguls; and
the Moguls, because he had been false to those that trusted him. He
afterwards met his just reward under the government of Don Jerom de
Azevedo[431].
[Footnote 429: Perhaps the island now called Balonga on the coast of
Aracan. - E.]
[Footnote 430: Probably a desert or uninhabited island among the
Sunderbunds, in the Delta of the Ganges. Indeed the whole geography of
this singular story is obscure, owing to the prodigious change in
dominion and names that have since taken place in this part of
India. - E.]
[Footnote 431: Owing to the want of interest in the transactions of
these times, as related in the Portuguese Asia, and the confused
arrangement of De Faria, we have in this place thrown together the
principal incidents in the extraordinary rise of these two successful
adventurers, Nicote and Gonzalez, leaving their fate to be mentioned in
the succeeding section. - E.]
The Hollanders, becoming powerful at the Molucca islands, and forming an
alliance with these islanders, who were weary of the avarice and tyranny
of the Portuguese, expelled them from Amboyna and established themselves
at Ternate, whence the Portuguese had been formerly expelled by the
natives. By the aid of the king of Ternate, the Hollanders likewise,
about 1604, got possession of the fort of Tidore, whence about 400
Portuguese were permitted to retire by sea to the Phillipine islands,
where they were hospitably received by Don Pedro de Cunna, who commanded
there for the Spaniards. In February 1605, Cunna sailed from the
Philippines with 1000 Spanish and 400 native troops, and recovered the
fort of Ternate, chiefly owing to the bravery of Joam Rodriguez Camelo,
who commanded a company of Portuguese in this expedition. De Cunna
thence proceeded for Tidore, which he likewise reduced, by which
conquest the Molucca islands became subject to Spain.
The viceroy, Don Alfonso de Castro, dying in 1607, was succeeded as
governor by Alexias de Menezes, archbishop of Goa, pursuant to a patent
of succession. Next year, 1608, Don Joam Pereyra Frojas, count de Feyra,
was sent out from Portugal as viceroy of India, but died on the voyage.
After administering the government for two years and a half, the
archbishop was succeeded as governor by Andrew Furtado de Mendoza in
1609, who was soon afterwards superseded in the same year by Ruy Lorenzo
de Tavora, who came out from Portugal as viceroy. At this time, Don
Jerome de Azevedo commanded in Ceylon, who, with an army of 700
Portuguese troops and 25,000 Cingalese took and burnt the city of Candy,
on which the sovereign of that central dominion made peace with the
Portuguese, consenting to the ministry of the Franciscans in his
dominions, and even placed two of his sons in their hands, to be
instructed in the Christian religion.
About this time, a large English ship and a ketch had an engagement
with two Portuguese ships beyond the Cape of Good Hope, which escaped
after suffering a severe loss. These English ships went afterwards to
Surat, where they were found by Nunno de Cunna, who had four well-manned
galleons, but ill provided with gunners, who were ignorant and cowardly.
On descrying these large ships, though the English had reason to be
afraid of their number, they undervalued them as heavy sailors, and
immediately engaged and fought them till evening, killing 30 of the
Portuguese. The engagement recommenced at day-light next morning, and
two of the Portuguese galleons, endeavouring to run on board the large
English ship, got aground, on which the pink or ketch, belonging to the
enemy, kept firing its cannon upon one of the grounded galleons, till it
floated off with the evening tide. The other two galleons fought the
large English ship all day. On the third day, all the four galleons
being afloat, endeavoured to board the enemy, who relied on their cannon
and swiftness, and sailed away to Castelete, a bay of the pirates near
Diu. De Cunna followed them thither, and again fought them for two days,
in all which time the Portuguese ships could never board them by reason
of their unwieldy bulk. At length the English stood away, shewing black
colours in token that their captain was slain. In these long indecisive
actions, the English and Portuguese both lost a number of men. The
English made for Surat, followed still by De Cunna; on which they left
that port, and De Cunna returned to Goa.
SECTION XII.
Continuation of the Portuguese Transactions, from 1512 to 1517.
Towards the close of 1511, orders came to India for Don Jerome de
Azevedo to succeed Tavora as viceroy. Azevedo had acquired a high
character by many years service, eighteen years of which he had spent in
Ceylon, where he had acquired great riches, and yet preserved a good
name. The report of his riches contributed, as much as the fame of his
valour, to his present promotion, as it was thought that he who had so
much already, would be less inclined to covetousness; though experience
shews, that those who have much still covet more. Azevedo had likewise
offered to serve the office of viceroy without the usual salary, but
afterwards accepted it. Among the first actions of his administration
was to send home Danish Beg, ambassador from Shah Abbas, king of Persia,
who had been in Spain at the court of King Philip. Shah Abbas treated,
at the same time, both with King Philip, and James king of England,
endeavouring to influence both to the furtherance of his own designs;
having taken the island of Bahrayn from the Portuguese, and was now
endeavouring to gain Ormuz.
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