On The Death Of Mascarenhas, Which Happened Some Time In 1555, Francisco
De Barreto Succeeded To The Government By Virtue Of A Patent Of
Succession.
He immediately proceeded to Ponda to support the cause of
Meale Khan, who was soon afterwards taken prisoner, and the Portuguese
were utterly disappointed in the hopes of profiting by this intended
revolution.
In the beginning of 1556, Juan Peixoto sailed with two gallies for the
Red Sea, to examine if the Turks were making any preparations at Suez
for attacking the Portuguese in India. Finding every thing quiet, he
landed unperceived during the night in the island of Swakem, whence he
carried off a considerable booty and many prisoners, and returned to Goa
with much honour.
About this time the king of Sinde sent an embassy to the governor
general, desiring assistance in a war against one of his neighbours, and
700 men were dispatched for that purpose in 28 vessels under the command
of Pedro Barreto, who arrived safe at Tatta in the delta of the Indus,
the residence of the king of Sinde. The prince immediately visited the
Portuguese commander, and sent notice of his arrival to the king his
father who was absent in the field against the enemy. As the king made
peace with his enemy, Barreto desired leave to depart, and required that
the Portuguese should be reimbursed for the expences of the expedition,
as had been agreed upon, by the ambassador who solicited it. Receiving
an unsatisfactory answer, Baretto landed his men and entered the city,
where he slew above 8000 persons, destroyed to the value of above eight
millions in gold[372], and loaded his vessels with the richest booty
that had ever been made in India, without losing a single man. He
afterwards spent eight days destroying every thing within reach on both
sides of the river. On this occasion one Gaspar de Monterroyo, going
accidentally into a wood, killed a monstrous serpent thirty feet in
length and of prodigious bigness, which had just devoured a bullock.
Thus victorious over men and monsters, Barreto returned to Chaul, whence
he and Antonio Pereyra Brandam went and destroyed Dabul in revenge for
the injury done by Adel Khan to the Portuguese possessions on the coast.
[Footnote 372: On many occasions, as here, De Faria, or his translator,
gives no intimation of the species of coin to which he alludes. - E.]
In the year 1557, Nazer-al-mulk, the general of Adel Khan, invaded the
districts of Salsete and Bardes with 2000 horse and 81,000 foot.
Francisco Barreto, the governor-general, went against him with 3000
Portuguese infantry, 1000 Canarins, and 200 horse, and defeated him in
the plain country near Ponda. In the district of Bardes, Juan Peixoto
was opposed to another general of the enemy named Murad Khan, and being
much incommoded by a Portuguese renegado who had fortified himself,
assaulted and routed him twice with considerable slaughter. As the
governor-general had retired to Goa after his late victory,
Nazer-al-mulk returned to the flat country and intrenched his army near
Ponda.
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