Under The Line Two Of His Ships Left Him, And Arrived At
Goa In The End Of August; Another Ship Staid Behind, And It Was Thought
They Shunned His Company Designedly.
At this time six Dutch ships plied
near the islands or Angoxa, or the Comoros, one of which perished in
pursuit of a Portuguese ship; and while standing on for Mozambique, the
viceroy encountered the other five, on the 22d of June.
_His other ships
had now joined him_, and a terrible battle ensued, which fell heaviest
on the vice-admiral, whose ship was entirely disabled, but the viceroy
and Francisco Lobo rescued and brought him off; yet the ship was so much
battered that it sunk, some men and part of the money on board being
saved, but some of the men fell into the hands of the enemy. Night
coming on, the ships of the viceroy and Lobo were cast upon certain
sands and lost, when they saved what goods, rigging, ammunition, and
cannon they were able, and burnt the rest, to prevent them from falling
into the hands of the enemy. The viceroy shipped all the goods that were
saved on board some galliots, with what men they could contain, and went
to Cochin, whence he went to Goa in September. On seeing him replaced in
the dignity of viceroy, his enemies were terrified lest he might revenge
the affronts formerly given him, but he behaved with unexpected
moderation. He wished to have punished Simon de Melo, and Luis de Brito,
for the shameful loss of Ormuz. Melo had fled to the Moors, and Brito
was in prison; so that he only was punished capitally, and the other was
hung in effigy.
About the year 1624, some of the Portuguese missionaries penetrated into
the country of Thibet, in which are the sources of the river Ganges. The
natives are well inclined, and of docile dispositions; zealous of their
salvation, and value much the devotions enjoined them by their priests,
called _Lamas_, who profess poverty and celibacy, and are much given to
prayer. They have churches and convents like the most curious of those
in Europe, and have some knowledge of the Christian religion, but mixed
with many errors, and with strange customs and ceremonies; yet it
plainly appears that they had formerly the light of the true gospel[18];
and they abhor the Mahometans and idolaters, being easily converted to
the Christian faith. The habit of the Lamas is a red cassock, without
sleeves, leaving their arms bare, girt with a piece of red cloth, of
which the ends hang down to their feet. On their shoulders they wear a
striped cloth, which they say was the dress of the Son of God; and they
have a bottle of water hung at their girdle. They keep two fasts, during
the principal of which they eat but once a day, and do not speak a word,
using signs on all necessary occasions. During the other fast they eat
as often as they have a mind, but use flesh only at one meal The people
are called to prayers by the sound of trumpets, some of which are made
of dead men's bones; and they use human skulls as drinking-vessels.
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