Being In Danger Of Perishing In The
Castle By His Own Men, Mascarenhas Chose Rather To Die In The Field
Among the enemy, and made a sally with almost 500 men in three bodies.
At the first push the advanced
Post of the enemy was gained, and they
were forced to retire to their main works. Those who had insolently
compelled their commander to this extravagant measure, now stood
heartless at the foot of the trenches, while others who had taken no
part in the mutiny acted courageously. After a severe reproof from
Mascarenhas they took heart and mounted the works, but the whole army of
the enemy attacking them, the Portuguese were forced to retire in
disorder. The enemy followed up the runaways, and 5000 of them under
Mojate Khan endeavoured to gain possession of the bastion of St Thomas,
but were bravely repulsed by Luis de Sousa. In this action sixty men
were slain on the side of the Portuguese, among whom were Don Alvaro de
Castro, who was mortally wounded in the head. About this time likewise
the enemy gained temporary possession of the bastion of St James and
even turned its cannon against the garrison, but were driven out by
Vasco de Cuna and Luis de Almeida, who had just arrived with a
reinforcement. The latter went out soon afterwards with Payo Rodriguez
and Pedro Alfonso in three caravels, and soon returned with two great
ships belonging to Mecca and several other vessels, whose cargoes were
worth 50,000 ducats.
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