Immediately To The North Of
The Portuguese Fortress Of Chaul, From Which It Was Divided By The River
Of That
Name, is a noted promontory called Morro, on which the eunuch
took post with 4000 horse and 7000 foot, and
Cannonaded the Portuguese
fort of Chaul from that commanding ground with 65 pieces of large
cannon. These hostilities were countenanced by the Nizam, though
contrary to the peace which had been established when Francisco Barreto
was governor, but were now justified by some complaints against the
conduct of Albuquerque the present viceroy, and in addition to, the
siege of Chaul several military parties belonging to the Nizam infested
the districts, dependent upon the Portuguese forts of Basseen and Chaul.
As the Moors considered the capture of Chaul to be near at hand, seeing
that their cannon had made considerable impression on its walls,
fourteen Mogul chiefs came to be present at its reduction; but in a
sortie made by the Portuguese, nine of these were slain and two
taken. Talador the eunuch commander of the besiegers was wounded, and
died soon afterwards, as did a Turk who was next in command, on which
Farete Khan succeeded in the conduct of the siege, and gave the
Portuguese no respite by day or night, continually battering their works
with his powerful artillery. The garrison in Chaul consisted of 1000
men, to which place Alvaro de Abranches brought 300 from Basseen and 200
from Salcete; and being now at the head of 1500 Portuguese troops and an
equal number of natives, so brave and faithful that they often
voluntarily interposed their own bodies to protect their masters,
Abranches appointed a day for making an attack upon the enemy.
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