But When Francisco De Sa Came
To Build The Fort, He Met With Such Opposition From The Moors That He
Was Obliged To Return To Malacca.
In the same year 1526, Martin Iniguez de Carchisano arrived in the port
of Kamafo in Tidore with a Spanish ship, one of six which had been sent
the year before from Spain to those parts which belonged of right to the
Portuguese.
Don Garcia Enriquez, who then commanded at the Moluccas, on
learning the arrival of these Spaniards, and finding that they
occasioned the spice to rise in price, went in person to expel them, but
was obliged to retire with considerable damage from the Spanish cannon;
yet the Spanish ship afterwards sunk. At this time Don George de
Menezes, formerly mentioned as having lost his hand in the glorious
action at Calicut, arrived at the Moluccas, having discovered the island
of Borneo and many other islands by the way. Soon afterwards two ships
were sent to Borneo with presents for the king, among which was a piece
of tapestry adorned with figures of men. On seeing these, the ignorant
barbarian cried out that they were enchanted men, who would kill him in
the night; and no persuasions could convince him of his error, nor
would he receive the presents or permit the Portuguese to remain in his
port.
In the year 1527, it being understood at Cochin that Pedro de Mascarenas
was on his way from Malacca to assume the government, Lope Vaz de
Sampayo who acted ad interim, held a council of the principal
officers, at which it was resolved not to admit Mascarenas to that high
office. After this determination, Sampayo sailed for Goa, leaving
Alphonso Mexia to command at Cochin, with orders to execute the
resolutions of the council. On landing unarmed at Cochin, Mascarenas was
opposed and wounded by Mexia; and proceeding afterwards to Goa, be was
made prisoner and put in irons by order of Sampayo. These violent
proceedings had nearly occasioned a civil war among the Portuguese in
India; but at length, in the end of December 1527, Sampayo was confirmed
in the government, and Mascarenas went home to Portugal, where he was
appointed to the command of Azamor in Africa.
In the year 1528, Don Joan Deza was sent to cruise on the coast of
Calicut, where in several rencounters he took fifty vessels laden with
various commodities. He burnt the town of Mangalore; and falling in with
the fleet of Calicut, consisting of seventy paraos well manned and armed
under the command of the Chinese admiral Cutiale, Deza took most of
them killing 1500 Moors, and taking nearly as many prisoners, among whom
was Cutiale.
Antonio Miranda de Azevedo was sent in the end of January 1528 to the
Red Sea, with twenty ships and above 1000 soldiers, to endeavour to burn
the Turkish gallies in the port of Kamaran which had formerly belonged
to Reis Soliman. After taking some prizes by the way, be met with
Enrique de Macedo in the mouth of the Red Sea, who had engaged a large
Turkish galleon. The Turks had boarded him, and threw a burning dart
which stuck in his main-sail and began to set it on fire; but in
consequence of a strong gust of wind shaking the sail, the dart fell
back into the Turkish vessel, where it set fire to the powder and the
ship and all her crew were blown up. Several other valuable ships
belonging to the Moors were taken, but the main object of this
expedition completely failed, as the wind did not allow the fleet to get
up the Red Sea to Kamaran.
In consequence of the civil discord among the Portuguese, the Moors had
been enabled to annoy their trade in different parts: And as Lope Vaz
understood that a successor to the government was on his way from
Portugal, he prepared to be revenged on the Moors, wishing to deliver up
the government in prosperity, by clearing the sea from pirates. With
this view he fitted out eighteen ships at Cochin, with which he
encountered 130 armed paraos at Cananor; and as the wind did not allow
his large ships to get into action, he went against that numerous fleet
with only thirteen paraos. Even with this disproportionate force he did
considerable damage to the Malabar fleet. On seeing two paraos coming
from Cananor to the aid of Sampayo, and that the large Portuguese ships
were enabled to make sail by means of a breeze springing up, the
Malabars fled as fast as possible. In the pursuit eighteen of them were
sunk and twenty-two taken, in which were fifty pieces of cannon. Eight
hundred of the enemy were slain, and many made prisoners. Those that
fled, and others who joined them, fell afterwards into a snare near
Cochin.
With the same fleet, Sampayo went immediately in search of Arel, lord
of Porca. In this expedition, Simon de Melo burnt twenty-six ships
belonging to the enemy, and set the town of Chatua on fire. Afterwards
with a thousand men he assaulted Porca; and though Arel was not there at
the time, the inhabitants made a brave but unavailing defence, as the
place was taken, plundered, and destroyed. At this place the wife of
Arel was taken, with a great spoil in gold, silver, jewels, silks, and
other valuables, and thirteen considerable vessels. On his return to
Cochin, as his successor was not yet arrived, Sampayo went back to
Cananor, whence he dispatched his nephew Simon de Melo against Marabia
and Mount Dely, both of which places were taken, plundered, and,
destroyed, with many piratical paraos. About this time, the king of
Cambaya fitted out a fleet of eighty barks, under the command of a
valiant Moor named Alexiath, who did much injury to the subjects of
Nizam-al-mulk, and to the Portuguese trade at Chaul, in consequence of
which aid was demanded from Sampayo by both.
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