Don
Juan, However Exerted Himself To Admiration, And Restoring His Men To
Order Renewed The Battle.
At this time a stone or bullet broke off an
arm from the crucifix, and the priest calling on
The soldiers to avenge
the sacrilege, they fell on with such fury, that after incredible
efforts they drove the enemy into the city with vast slaughter.
Mascarenhas, Don Alvaro de Lima, and Don Juan de Castro, successively
forced their way into the city with their respective battalions, by
several avenues, making the streets and houses run with blood. The
women shared the fate of the men, and even children were slain at their
mothers breasts. In plundering the houses, gold, silver, and jewels were
alone attended to by the soldiery, other things though of value being
slighted as cumbrous.
Rumi Khan and the other officers of the enemy sallied with about 8000
men, against whom Don Juan de Castro, with the assistance of his son and
Mascarenhas again engaged, and after a bloody battle gained a complete
victory. In this last engagement, Gabriel Teixeyra killed the
standard-bearer of the enemy, and dragged the standard of Cambaya about
the field proclaiming victory. George Nunez brought out the head of Rumi
Khan from among the dead, and presented it to Don Juan. Juzar Khan was
wounded and made prisoner. In this great battle the enemy lost 5000 men,
among whom, besides Rumi Khan, Azede Khan, Lu Khan, and other men of
note were slain. The Portuguese, according to one account, lost 100 men,
while others say only 34. Many thousands were taken, with forty pieces
of cannon of extraordinary size, besides 160 others, and a prodigious
quantity of ammunition. Free plunder was allowed to the troops, by which
many acquired great riches and all were satisfied. Many of the
Portuguese signalized their valour in this action. The governor-general
acted the part of a valiant soldier, as well as that of a prudent
general. Mascarenhas, after sustaining a siege of eight months,
distinguished himself above all others. Of Don Alvaro de Castro, it is
sufficient to say that he acted like his father. The ensign Barbado,
though several times thrown down, as often remounted the works of the
enemy. Father Antonio del Cazal, by presenting to view the image of
life banished the fear of death. Many others distinguished their
valour, some of whom survived and others were slain. The enemy confessed
that, one day during the siege, they saw over the church in the castle a
beautiful woman in the air, clothed in white, and so brilliantly
illuminated with rays of light that they could not look upon her; and
that this day there were some men in the field armed with lances who did
them much harm. The king of Cambaya was so enraged with the loss he had
sustained in this siege, that he ordered twenty-eight Portuguese
prisoners to be torn in pieces in his presence.
Great was the joy at Goa on the news being received of the events at
Diu, which were carried thither by Diego Rodriguez de Azevedo, who
likewise carried a message from Don Juan de Castro requesting the city
to lend him 20,000 pardaos for the use of the army, sending a lock of
his whiskers in pawn for the faithful repayment of the money.
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