These names are of course to be considered as
translations of the native or Persian names.
That named the furious in
the text, is called the Orlando furioso in the translation of De Faria
by Stevens; but it is not easy to guess how the subjects of the Nizam
should have known any thing of that hero of Christian romance. - E.]
At the commencement of the siege the Portuguese garrison was a mere
handful of men, and the works being very slight no particular posts were
assigned, all acting wherever their services were most wanted. Soon
afterwards, the news of the siege having spread abroad, many officers
and gentlemen flocked thither with reinforcements, so that in a short
time the garrison was augmented to 2000 men. It was then resolved to
maintain particular points besides the general circuit of the walls. The
monastery of St Francis was committed to the charge of Alexander de
Sousa; Nunno Alvarez Pereyra was entrusted to defend some houses near
the shore; those between the Misericordia and the church of St Dominic
were confided to Gonzalo de Menezes; others in that neighbourhood to
Nuno Vello Perreyra; and so in other places. In the mean while it was
generally recommended at Goa that Chaul ought to be abandoned, but the
viceroy thought otherwise, in which opinion he was only seconded by
Ferdinand de Castellobranco, and he immediately sent succours under
Ferdinand Tellez and Duarte de Lima. Before their arrival, Zimiri Khan,
who had promised the Nizam that he would be the first person to enter
Chaul, vigorously assaulted the ports of Henry De Betancour and
Ferdinand de Miranda, who resisted him with great gallantry, and on
receiving reinforcements repulsed him with the slaughter of 300 of his
men, losing seven on their side.
The enemy erected a battery against the monastery of St Francis where
the Portuguese had some cannon; and as the gunners on both sides used
their utmost endeavour to burst or dismount the opposite guns, the
bullets were sometimes seen to meet by the way. On the eve of St
Sebastian, the Portuguese made a sally upon some houses which were
occupied by the Moors, and slew a great number of them without the loss
of one man. Enraged at this affront and the late repulse, the enemy made
that same night an assault on the fort or monastery of St Francis with
5000 men, expecting to surprise the Portuguese, but were soon undeceived
by losing many of their men. This assault lasted with great fury for
five hours; and as the Portuguese suspected the enemy were undermining
the wall, and could not see by reason of the darkness, one Christopher
Curvo thrust himself several times out from a window, with a torch in
one hand and a buckler in the other to discover if possible what they
were doing. During this assault those in the town sent out assistance
to the garrison in the monastery, though with much hazard. When morning
broke and the assailants had retired, the monastery was all stuck full
of arrows, and the dead bodies of 300 Moors were seen around its walls,
while the defenders had not lost a single man.
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