The Engagement Recommenced At Day-Light Next Morning, And
Two Of The Portuguese Galleons, Endeavouring To Run On Board The
Large
English ship, got aground, on which the pink or ketch, belonging to the
enemy, kept firing its cannon upon
One of the grounded galleons, till it
floated off with the evening tide. The other two galleons fought the
large English ship all day. On the third day, all the four galleons
being afloat, endeavoured to board the enemy, who relied on their cannon
and swiftness, and sailed away to Castelete, a bay of the pirates near
Diu. De Cunna followed them thither, and again fought them for two days,
in all which time the Portuguese ships could never board them by reason
of their unwieldy bulk. At length the English stood away, shewing black
colours in token that their captain was slain. In these long indecisive
actions, the English and Portuguese both lost a number of men. The
English made for Surat, followed still by De Cunna; on which they left
that port, and De Cunna returned to Goa.
SECTION XII.
Continuation of the Portuguese Transactions, from 1512 to 1517.
Towards the close of 1511, orders came to India for Don Jerome de
Azevedo to succeed Tavora as viceroy. Azevedo had acquired a high
character by many years service, eighteen years of which he had spent in
Ceylon, where he had acquired great riches, and yet preserved a good
name. The report of his riches contributed, as much as the fame of his
valour, to his present promotion, as it was thought that he who had so
much already, would be less inclined to covetousness; though experience
shews, that those who have much still covet more. Azevedo had likewise
offered to serve the office of viceroy without the usual salary, but
afterwards accepted it. Among the first actions of his administration
was to send home Danish Beg, ambassador from Shah Abbas, king of Persia,
who had been in Spain at the court of King Philip. Shah Abbas treated,
at the same time, both with King Philip, and James king of England,
endeavouring to influence both to the furtherance of his own designs;
having taken the island of Bahrayn from the Portuguese, and was now
endeavouring to gain Ormuz. Along with this Persian ambassador, Antonio
de Guovea, titular bishop of Sirene, went for the purpose of
propagating Christianity in Persia; but, finding that the Persian
government was inimical to his mission, he went no farther than Ormuz.
Shah Abbas was so much displeased with his ambassador for not succeeding
in his negotiation for the surrender of Ormuz, that he caused him to be
beheaded; and was so much exasperated against the Christians, that he
forced many of his Armenian subjects to renounce the faith.
The fortune of Nicote in Pegu now declined as swiftly as it had risen.
In 1513, the king of Ova, being provoked at the violence which Nicote
had been guilty of against the king of Tangu, who was under his
protection, made a vow that he would revenge his injuries.
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