Advice Was Now Brought To Goa That Malacca Was Again In Danger, As The
King Of Acheen Was Before It A Second Time, Assisted By The Queen Of
Japara.
On this intelligence, Moniz desired Leonis Pereyra to set out
for his government, and Leonis demanded of him to
Be supplied with the
same force which Moniz had formerly required from Noronha; yet Moniz,
without considering what he had himself wrote on that subject to the
king, and that India was now free from danger, refused his request.
Leonis, to leave the new governor no excuse for his conduct, would even
have been satisfied with a much smaller force than that formerly
required by Moniz, but even that was refused him, and he went away to
Portugal refusing to assume the government of Malacca. About the end of
this year 1573, orders came from Portugal for the trial and execution of
Don George de Castro for surrendering Chale to the zamorin. He was
accordingly beheaded publicly: Yet in the year following a commission
was sent out from Portugal for employing him in another command.
Scarcely had India begun to enjoy some respite after the late troubles,
when the queen of Japara sent her general Quiaidaman to besiege Malacca
with 15,000 chosen natives of Java, in a fleet of 80 large galleons and
above 220 smaller vessels. Tristan Vaz de Vega happened to be then at
Malacca, and was chosen by common consent to assume the command,
Francisco Enriquez the former commandant being dead. Tristan Vaz sent
immediate notice to Goa of his danger; on which Moniz issued orders to
all the neighbouring places to send succours, and began to fit out a
fleet for its relief. In the mean time the Javanese army landed and
besieged Malacca. Vaz sent Juan Pereyra and Martin Ferreyra with 150 men
to drive the enemy from a post. After killing 70 of the enemy, they
levelled the work and brought off seven pieces of cannon. Pereyra
afterwards burnt 50 of their galleons, and destroyed some great engines
which they had constructed for attacking a bastion. Two other officers
in a sortie burnt the pallisades which the enemy had erected for
straitening the garrison and defending their own quarters. After this,
Pereyra going out of the river with the Portuguese vessels, besieged the
besiegers, and at Jor took a large quantity of provisions that were
going to the Javanese army. Upon these repeated misfortunes, the
Javanese embarked in great consternation, and withdrew under night; but
were pursued by Pereyra, who cut off many of their vessels in the rear.
Almost half of this great army perished by the sword or sickness in this
siege, which lasted three months.
Hardly was the army of the queen of Japara gone from Malacca when the
king of Acheen arrived before it with 40 gallies, and several ships and
smaller vessels, to the number of 100 in all, with a great train of
artillery. Tristan Vaz gave orders to Juan Pereyra in a galley,
Bernardin de Silva in a caravel, and Ferdinand de Palares in a ship,
having each 40 men, to go out of the harbour on purpose to protect a
convoy of provisions then in its way to Malacca, of which the city was
in great want.
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