The Ninety Portuguese, Being The Forlorn Hope,
Made A Furious Charge On The Advanced Five Hundred Of The Enemy, Of Whom
They Slew Many, With The Loss Of Two Only On Their Own Side.
The emperor
in person behaved with the utmost bravery, and at length the horse of
the enemy being defeated fled to the wings of their infantry.
The king
of Zeyla acted with the utmost resolution, even shewing his son to the
army, a boy of only ten years old, to stir up his men to fight valiantly
against the Christians. The battle was renewed, and continued for long
in doubt, the emperor being even in great danger of suffering a defeat;
but at length a Portuguese shot the king of Zeyla in the belly by which
he died, but his horse carried him dangling about the field, as he was
tied to the saddle, and his army took to flight. Only a few Turks stood
firm, determined rather to die honourably than seek safety in flight,
and made great slaughter among the Abyssinians: But Juan Fernandez, page
to the unfortunate Don Christopher, slew the Turkish commander with his
lance. In fine, few of the enemy escaped by flight. The head of the king
of Zeyla was cut off, and his son made prisoner. Being highly sensible
of the great merit of the Portuguese to whom he chiefly owed this and
the former victories over his enemies, the emperor conferred great
favours upon them. De Cuna returned to Goa with only fifty men; and the
other survivors of the Portuguese remained in Abyssinia, where they
intermarried with women of that country, and where their progeny still
remains.
CHAPTER IV.
CONTINUATION OF THE PORTUGUESE TRANSACTIONS IN INDIA, AFTER THE RETURN
OF DON STEFANO DE GAMA FROM SUEZ IN 1341, TO THE REDUCTION OF PORTUGAL
UNDER THE DOMINION OF SPAIN IN 1581.
In our remaining account of the early Transactions of the Portuguese in
India, taken chiefly from the Portuguese Asia of De Faria, we have not
deemed it necessary or proper to confine ourselves rigidly to the
arrangement of that author, nor to give his entire narrative, which
often contains a number of trifling incidents confusedly related. We
have therefore selected such incidents only from that work as appeared
important or curious: And, as has been already done in the two
immediately preceding chapters, containing the Voyages of Solyman Pacha,
and Don Stefano de Gama, we propose in the sequel to make such additions
from other authentic and original sources, as may appear proper and
consistent with our plan of arrangement. These additions will be found
distinctly referred to their respective authors as we proceed. - E.
SECTION I.
Incidents during the Government of India by Don Stefano de Gama,
subsequent to his Expedition to the Red Sea.
During the expedition of Don Stephano de Gama up the Red Sea, some
circumstances are related by De Faria which are not noticed in the
Journal of Don Juan de Castro, who either thought proper to confine his
narrative to nautical affairs, or his abreviator Purchas has omitted
such as were military.
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