This Battle Was Resolutely Contested On Both Sides.
A
Turkish captain, thinking to recover the honour which had been lost in
the former action, made a charge with the men he commanded into the
very middle of the Portuguese, and was entirely cut off with all his
followers.
Don Christopher on horseback, led his men with such fury into
the heat of the action, that at length he compelled the enemy to turn
their backs and seek safety in flight. The king of Zeyla had infallibly
been taken in the pursuit, had there been a sufficient body of horse to
pursue and follow up the victory. In this battle the Portuguese lost
eight men. After the victory, the allied army of the Portuguese and
Abyssinians, on marching down to a pleasant river found it possessed by
the enemy, who immediately fled with their king. At this time the king
of Zeyla sent an embassy to the Pacha of Zabit acquainting him with the
distress to which he was reduced, and prevailed upon him by a large
subsidy to send him a reinforcement of almost 1000 Turkish musqueteers.
Don Christopher wintered in the city of Ofar, waiting the arrival of
the Abyssinian emperor. While there a Jew proposed to him, if he were in
want of horses and mules, to shew him a mountain at no great distance,
inhabited by Jews, where he might find a large supply of both. On that
mountain the king of Zeyla had a garrison of 400 men. Having inquired
into the truth of this information, and found that it was to be depended
upon, Don Christopher marched thither with two companies of Portuguese
and some Abyssinians, and came to the foot of the mountain which is
twelve leagues in compass. Some Moors who guarded the passes were slain
in the ascent, and on the top the Moorish commander met him with all his
men, but Don Christopher running at him with his lance thrust him
through the body. The shot of the Portuguese soon constrained the Moors
to make a precipitate flight, after losing a great number of men, and
the mountain was completely reduced. Great numbers of horses and mules
were found in this place, which was inhabited by about 800 Jews in six
or seven villages, who were reduced to obedience. According to
tradition, these Jews, and many others who are dispersed over Ethiopia
and Nubia, are descended from some part of the dispersion of the ten
tribes. The Jew who acted as guide to the Portuguese on this occasion,
was so astonished at their valour that he was converted and baptised,
and by common consent was appointed governor of this mountain. Before
this it had the name of Caloa, but was ever afterwards known by the
name of the Jews mountain.
On the second day after the return of Don Christopher to the army, the
king of Zeyla began to shew himself more bold than usual, trusting to
the great reinforcement of Turkish musqueteers he had procured from
Zabid.
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