On The 2d Of February 1509, The Viceroy Arrived At Diu, Which From The
Ships Appeared A Grand And Spacious
Place, girt with strong walls and
lofty towers, all handsomely built and well laid out like towns in
Portugal, which
Recalled in the men the memory of their own country, and
animated their courage to achieve the conquest. Malek Azz the lord of
Diu was at this time with his army about twenty leagues distant, making
war upon the Rajaputs; but immediately on receiving notice of the
approach of the Portuguese fleet, he hastened to his capital with all
possible celerity. He had already used such precautions as not to excite
suspicions in Husseyn of his fidelity, though little inclined to assist
him, and he was now anxious not to exasperate the viceroy in case of his
proving victorious. Taking into consideration the strength of the place,
the courage and conduct of Azz and Husseyn, and above all that there
were above two hundred vessels well manned and armed, he thought it
necessary to proceed with the greatest circumspection, and accordingly
it was settled in a council of war, that Nunna Vaz Pereyra should lead
in with his ship, in which there were 120 fighting men, many of them
gentlemen of tried valour. Pereyra was to be seconded by George de Melo,
whose crew was equally numerous; after which the rest of the ships were
to follow in succession, having from 80 down to 25 men in each according
to their size. The night was spent by the Portuguese in anxious
preparation for the approaching conflict, by exercises of religion and
putting their arms of all kinds in order.
Between nine and ten next morning, when the tide had risen sufficiently
to float the ships over the bar, the viceroy gave the signal for
entering the port in the appointed order, and the fleet moved on amid
the noise of loud shouts and the din of warlike instruments from both
sides. The vessels belonging to Malek Azz made haste to oppose the
entrance of the Portuguese, and poured in a shower of bullets and arrows
into the galley commanded by Diego Perez who led the way for Nunno Vaz,
by which ten men were slain; yet Nunno courageously continued his
course, pouring his shot among the large ships of the enemy and sunk one
of them. Vaz was in great danger between two ships of the enemy, when
Melo came up gallantly to his rescue, and ran so furiously upon one of
these ships that he drove it up against the ship commanded by Vaz, so
much disabled that it was immediately boarded and taken by the next ship
in succession commanded by Sebastian de Miranda. All the ships having
penetrated into the harbour, pushed on in emulation of each other who
should do most damage to the enemy; while the viceroy, placing himself
in the midst of the enemy, directed his shot wherever it seemed most
calculated to annoy the enemy and to aid his own ships.
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