The Fort And All Other Works Were Levelled With The
Ground, And Furtado Returned With The Fleet And Army To Goa.
Cuneale was about 50 years of age, of a low stature, but strong and well
made.
He and his nephew Cinale, with other forty Moors of note, were
sent as prisoners on board the fleet, where they well treated; but as
soon as some of them were set on shore at Goa, they were torn in pieces
by the rabble; and Cuneale and his nephew were both publicly beheaded by
order of the viceroy, so that the government and the mob went hand and
hand to commit murder and a flagrant breach of faith. How can those who
are guilty of such enormities give the name of barbarians to the much
more honourable Indians!
In the year 1600, Ayres de Saldanna arrived at Goa as viceroy to
supersede the Count de Vidugueira, who was universally disliked by the
Portuguese inhabitants. The marble statue of the great Vasco de Gama,
his grandfather, stood over the principal gate of the city, fastened to
the wall by a strong bar of iron. At the instigation of some enemies to
the count, a French engineer named Sebastian Tibao applied to the iron
bar during the night a certain herb that has the quality of eating
iron, so that the statue fell down next night, and its quarters were
hung up in different parts of the city. On the day when the count was to
embark for his return to Portugal, a party of armed men went on board
before him, and hung up his effigy at the yard arm, made exactly like
him both in face and habit. Just as he was going on board they returned;
and on seeing the effigy he asked what it was, when someone answered,
"It is your lordship, whom these men have hung up." He made no reply,
but ordered the figure to be thrown into the sea and immediately set
sail; but two days afterwards had to return to port for a new stock of
fowls, as all these he took with him were poisoned. He was better
beloved by the elements than by those whom he had governed; for he went
all the way from India to Lisbon without once needing to furl a sail. By
the constant chafing of the yards on the masts, it was found impossible
to lower the yards in the usual way when the ship arrived at Lisbon,
insomuch that they had to be cut down. Sailing from Goa on the 25th
December 1600, he arrived at Lisbon on the 27th May 1601, having spent
only five months on the voyage.
During the administration of Ayres de Saldana, Xilimixa king of
Aracan, who had possessed himself of the kingdom of Pegu, gave the port
of Siriam to the Portuguese in grateful acknowledgment of their
services. That town and port is at the mouth of the river Siriam which
flows within a league of the city of Bagou, the capital of Pegu.
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