Having Thus Restored Both
Commanders To Their Forts, De Menezes Left Portuguese Garrisons With
Both For Their Protection.
Nizamoxa sent immediately 5000 men who ruined
both districts, and the owners in despair resigned their titles to the
Portuguese, and withdrew to Basseen, whence De Menezes sent supplies to
the two forts, meaning to defend them.
Nizamoxa sent an additional force
of 6000, men, of which 1000 were musqueteers and 800 well equipped
horse. This great force besieged Sangaza, to which they gave two
assaults in one day, and were repulsed with great slaughter. Menezes
went immediately to relieve the place with 160 Portuguese, 20 of whom
were horse, together with several naigs and 2000 Indians. After a
sharp encounter, in which the Portuguese were nearly defeated, the enemy
fled from Sangaza, leaving all the ground about the fort strewed with
arms and ammunition. In this engagement the enemy lost 500 men and the
Portuguese 20. During the action a Portuguese soldier of prodigious
strength, named Trancoso, laid hold of a Moor wrapped up in a large
veil as if he had been a buckler, and carried him before his breast,
receiving upon him all the strokes from the enemies weapons, and
continued to use this strange shield to the end of the battle.
[Footnote 353: In Portuguese x has the power of sh in English
orthography; hence the name of this prince was perhaps Nizam Shah, and
may be the same prince called in other places of De Faria Nazamaluco or
Nizam al Mulk.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 592 of 809
Words from 161459 to 161712
of 221361
