Account of the Forces of the Portuguese, their hostile Attempts,
and Fight with the English, in which they are disgracefully repulsed.
On the 16th of December, 1613, Mr Elkington wrote me, That the nabob had
told him the Portuguese frigates had burnt Gogo, with many gouges or
villages in its vicinity, together with ten large ships, of which the
Rehemee was one, and an hundred and twenty small vessels. He said
likewise, that the nabob was much displeased with me for not having
fired upon the Portuguese vessels, as they passed our anchorage, which
circumstance had renewed his suspicions of our friendly intelligence
with the Portuguese; and, although Mr Elkington had said every thing he
could to explain the reason of our conduct, as stated formerly, he could
not satisfy the nabob of its propriety. The 23d two boats came off to us
for lead; and on the same day we saw twenty-two Portuguese frigates,
which came to anchor in the night between, us and the mouth of the
river, where they continued most part of next day.
The 24th, in the morning, we saw four boats coming down the river
towards us; but, on seeing the Portuguese frigates, they immediately
turned back, and were chased up the river by two of the frigates.
Finding they could not get up with the boats, the Portuguese landed and
set fire to two or three poor cottages, and carried off two or three
cattle, and then returned to their squadron at the mouth of the river.
In the afternoon, they all went up the river in company.
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