Barreto Understood The
Meaning Of This Superstitious Act, Having Seen Similar Things In India,
And Gave Orders To Level A Field Piece At The Notorious Witch, Which Was
So Well Pointed That She Was Blown To Atoms, At Which The Kafrs Were
Astonished, As They Believed Her Immortal.
The enemy however advanced,
but without any order, either from ignorance or because they relied on
their immense numbers,
And discharged clouds of arrows and darts against
the Portuguese; but finding that the musqueteers slew them by hundreds
at every discharge, they took to flight, and great numbers of them were
slain in the pursuit. Barreto continued his march for the city of the
Mongas, and was opposed by another multitude similar to the former which
was put to flight with equal facility, above 6000 of the Kafrs being
slain with the loss of only two Portuguese soldiers. The city was
abandoned by the enemy and taken possession of by Barreto without
opposition, at which he entrenched his small army. Next morning a
multitude of Kafrs as large as either of the former appeared to assail
the Portuguese; but being again routed with prodigious slaughter, a
messenger arrived to beg for peace. Barreto answered that he would wait
upon the king, when all matters might be adjusted. He accordingly
marched next day, and having encamped in a convenient place, a new
embassy came from the king to solicit peace. While the Kafr ambassadors
were conferring with Barreto, one of the camels belonging to the
Portuguese happened to break loose and came up to where Barreto was, who
stopped it till those who were seeking for it came up. The Kafr
ambassadors had never before seen a camel, and were astonished to see it
come up to the governor, at whom they asked many questions concerning
the strange animal. Taking advantage of their ignorance and credulity,
Barreto told them that those animals fed only on human flesh, devouring
all that were slain in battle; and that this camel had come to him from
the rest to desire that he would not make peace as they would then have
no food. Astonished at this intelligence, they intreated him to desire
the camels to be satisfied with good beef, and they would immediately
supply him with great numbers of cattle. He granted their request and
marched on, still in much distress for provisions.
At this time news was brought of some transactions at Mozambique which
rendered his presence there necessary, on which he assigned the command
of the army to Vasco Fermandez Homem, and departed for Mozambique.
Antonio Pereyra Brandam had committed certain crimes at the Moluccas,
for which on his return to Portugal he was banished into Africa, on
which he requested Barreto to take him to Mozambique, which he did
accordingly, and even gave him the command of the fort at that place.
Though eighty years of age, Brandam wished to secure himself in the
command of the fort by sending false informations to the king against
Barreto his benefactor.
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