Don Alvaro De Castro, Son To The Governor-General, Was At This Time Sent
With Supplies And Reinforcements, And Had To Contend Against The Winds
And Waves Through Almost Incredible Storms, Yet Arrived At Bassen
Without Loss.
From thence Antonio Moniz Baretto with eight gentlemen
crossed over to Diu in a boat, being the first reinforcement; who though
few were no small comfort to the besieged by their bravery.
Next came
Luis de Melo with nine men; then Don George and Don Duarte de Menezes
with seventeen; after them Antonio de Ataide and Francisco Guillerme
with fifty each; and Ruy Freyre the factor of Chaul with twenty-four.
With these reinforcements Mascarenhas fell upon the enemy who then
possessed some of the works of the castle, and had even established
themselves in the bastion of St James. The enemy had now lost 5000 men
and the besieged 200, but having as many more left, scarcely half of
whom were fit for duty, when Don Alvaro de Castro arrived with 400 men
and a sufficient supply of ammunition, having taken by the way a ship
belonging to Cambaya richly laden.
The joy of this relief was soon damped by the mutinous disposition of
the soldiers brought by Don Alvaro; who fearful of the mines of the
enemy, clamorously demanded to be led into the field against the enemy;
and when the governor prudently refused compliance, they broke out into
open mutiny in defiance of all discipline, then scarce known or at least
not respected by the Portuguese. Being in danger of perishing in the
castle by his own men, Mascarenhas chose rather to die in the field
among the enemy, and made a sally with almost 500 men in three bodies.
At the first push the advanced post of the enemy was gained, and they
were forced to retire to their main works. Those who had insolently
compelled their commander to this extravagant measure, now stood
heartless at the foot of the trenches, while others who had taken no
part in the mutiny acted courageously. After a severe reproof from
Mascarenhas they took heart and mounted the works, but the whole army of
the enemy attacking them, the Portuguese were forced to retire in
disorder. The enemy followed up the runaways, and 5000 of them under
Mojate Khan endeavoured to gain possession of the bastion of St Thomas,
but were bravely repulsed by Luis de Sousa. In this action sixty men
were slain on the side of the Portuguese, among whom were Don Alvaro de
Castro, who was mortally wounded in the head. About this time likewise
the enemy gained temporary possession of the bastion of St James and
even turned its cannon against the garrison, but were driven out by
Vasco de Cuna and Luis de Almeida, who had just arrived with a
reinforcement. The latter went out soon afterwards with Payo Rodriguez
and Pedro Alfonso in three caravels, and soon returned with two great
ships belonging to Mecca and several other vessels, whose cargoes were
worth 50,000 ducats.
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