The Side Of The Fort
Which Had Been Covered By The Lake Was Much Weakened By The Drawing Off
Its Water, Which Had Been Its Chief Defence On That Side.
In
consequence of the advices sent by Brito to the commanders of the
neighbouring forts, reinforcements were prepared at
Different quarters.
The first relief, consisting of 40 men, was sent by Juan de Melo the
commander of Manaar, under the command of his nephew Ferdinand de Melo,
who likewise brought a supply of ammunition; and Ferdinand was posted
with his men to strengthen the defence upon the side towards the drained
lake.
On the 4th of August before day-light [406], Raju advanced in silence to
give the first assault, but was discovered by the lighted matches of his
musqueteers. The enemy applied their scaling ladders at the same time to
the three bastions of St Michael, St Gonzalo, and St Francisco, while
2000 pioneers fell to work below to undermine the works. Many of the
assailants were thrown down from their ladders on the heads of the
workmen employed below, while numbers of the enemy who were drawn up in
the field before the town were destroyed by the cannons from the walls.
Everywhere both within and without, the fort resounded with the cries of
women and children, and the groans of the wounded, joined to the noise
of the cannon and musquetry and the shrill cries of elephants, which,
forced to the walls by their conductors, were driven back smarting with
many wounds, and did vast injury in the ranks of the besiegers. Such was
the multitude of the enemy that they did not seem lessened by slaughter,
fresh men still pressing on to supply the places of the killed and
wounded. Brito was present in every place of danger, giving orders and
conveying relief, and after a long and arduous contest, the enemy at
length gave way, leaving 400 men dead or dying at the foot of the walls.
During this assault, some Chingalese who had retired into the fort to
escape the tyranny of Raju, fought with as much bravery as the
Portuguese. Twice afterwards, Raju made repeated attempts to carry the
place by escalade, but was both times repulsed with much slaughter.
After which he repaired his entrenchments, and prepared to renew the
assaults.
[Footnote 406: The date of the year is omitted by DeTaria, who, always
rather negligent of dates, now; hardly ever gives any more light on this
subject than the years in which the respective viceroys and governors
assumed and laid down their authorities. The siege therefore must have
happened between 1584 and 1588, during the government of Duarte de
Menezes. - E.]
After the commencement of the siege Diego Fernandez Pessoa came from
Negapatnam with a ship of his own, and Antonio de Aguilar brought
another ship, by means of which the besieged were much encouraged. Don
Joam de Austria the Modeliar of Candea[407], and the Arache Don
Alfonzo, did at this time eminent service against the enemy; and a
soldier of vast strength, named Jose Fernandez, having broken his spear,
threw several of the enemy behind him to be slain by those in his rear.
On learning the danger of Colombo, the city of Cochin fitted out six
ships for its relief, with a supply of men and ammunition, which were
placed under the command of Nuno Alvarez de Atouguia.
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