The Viceroy Accordingly Submitted
To Their Opinion, But Neglected To Make Them Give It Under Their Hands;
And When He Was Afterwards Accused For Having Neglected To Do What The
Gunner Proposed, They Denied Having Ever Given Him Any Such Advice.
The
English were so thankful for this forbearance, that they fired their
cannons without ball as if saluting.
In the year 1615, Sebastian Gonzalez Tibao, formerly mentioned, who had
raised himself from a poor dealer in salt to be an absolute sovereign by
treachery and ingratitude, and who had neglected to submit himself to
the Portuguese viceroy in the height of his prosperity, finding himself
now in danger of losing his ill got power, sent to request succour; but
even now proposed terms like an independent prince, and offered in
return for assistance and protection to deliver a large ship load of
rice yearly at Goa as an acknowledgement of vassalage. He urged that all
he had done was to revenge the murder of the Portuguese in Banguel of
Dianga by the king of Aracan, and hinted that the vast treasures of the
king might easily be taken by a very moderate effort. This blinded the
viceroy, who immediately fitted out 14 of the largest galliots with a
fliboat and a pink, and sent them to Aracan under the command of
Francisco de Menezes Roxo, who had formerly commanded in Ceylon. Roxo
sailed from Goa about the middle of September 1615. On the 2d of October
he arrived at Aracan, the chief port and residence of the king, having
detached a galleon to Sundiva to give notice to Gonzalez of his
arrival and intentions. Having opened his instructions in presence of
all the captains, they directed him to proceed against Aracan without
waiting for Gonzalez; which was highly improper, as that man knew the
country and was acquainted with their manner of fighting, besides that
the force he was able to bring was of importance. But God confounded
their councils, having decreed the ruin of that vile wretch, and of the
unjust succours that were now sent to his aid.
On the 15th of October, the Aracan fleet was observed coming down the
river to attack, so numerous that they could not be counted. The
foremost vessel was a Dutch pink, and many of the other vessels were
commanded by Hollanders. All that could be seen appeared full of men
well armed and equipped, and seemed a prodigious overmatch for the small
number the Portuguese had to oppose them, as besides the galliot sent to
Sundiva another had been dispatched in search of the pink, so that only
12 galliots remained and the fliboat. The Dutch pink fired the first
gun, and then the fight began with great fury, the Portuguese galliots
bravely advancing against the vast hostile fleet. Four of the galliots
got before the rest, and in the very beginning of the action their
captains and many of their men were slain, but the other eight came up
to their rescue, and great execution was done among the enemy, many of
whom were drowned by oversetting their vessels in their haste to escape
from the destructive fire of the Portuguese. The battle raged the whole
day, but the enemy drew off in the evening, thinking that a
reinforcement was coming to the Portuguese, as they saw the galliot
approaching which had been sent in search of the pink. In this
engagement the Portuguese lost 25 men of note besides others.
Next morning the pink joined the fleet, on board of which all the
wounded men were put, and those that were fit for service in that vessel
were distributed among the others. Roxo now resolved to remain at anchor
at the mouth of the river till Gonzalez came to join him, and then to
attack the enemy. At length Gonzalez made his appearance, with 50
vessels well manned and equipped, and on being told the orders of the
viceroy and what had been already done, he expressed much displeasure at
the viceroy for giving such orders, and at Roxo for imprudently fighting
before his arrival. About the middle of November: the combined fleets
sailed up the river and discovered the vast fleet of Aracan at anchor in
a well chosen situation, where it was resolved immediately to attack
them. Roxo took half of the ships belonging to Gonzalez under his
immediate command, giving Gonzalez half of these he had brought from
Goa, so as to make two equal squadrons. Thus arranged they advanced
against the enemy, firing against those vessels they could reach, but
none of the enemy ventured to advance. The king of Aracan viewed the
engagement from the shore to encourage his people, and caused the heads
of such as fled to be cut off and exposed on spears as a terror to the
rest. About noon when the heat of the sun was so great as to scorch the
Portuguese; the Aracan ships came on in three numerous squadrons.
Sebastian Gonzalez put to flight those of the enemy that were opposed to
him, and the Portuguese pink compelled that belonging to the Hollanders
to draw off. On that side where Roxo commanded there was much slaughter
on both sides without any evident superiority; but about sunset, when
the advantage was obviously leaning to the Portuguese, Roxo was slain.
Being informed by signal of this mischance, Gonzalez was obliged to
discontinue following up his good fortune; and on the tide ebbing the
fleet separated, one of the Portuguese galliots being left aground among
the enemy, who tore her to pieces and slew all her crew; The Portuguese
fleet retired to the mouth of the river, where care was taken of the
wounded men, and above 200 dead bodies were thrown into the sea. Don
Luis de Azevedo succeeded in the command of the Portuguese squadron, and
they all retired to Sundiva, whence Don Luis sailed back to Goa, in
spite of everything that Gonzalez could say to detain him.
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