he had not used them before, and requesting him to do so now; but he
sent all back accompanied with presents. Having fitted out 160 sail of
various kinds of vessels with a large military force, Don Juan sailed
for _Basseen_ and thence to Surat, where Don Alvaro had arrived before
the fleet, and had taken a work with several cannon from the Moors.
Sailing thence to Baroch, the army of the king of Cambaya was seen
covering the whole plain, to the amount of 150,000 men, with 80 large
cannon in front. Don John was anxious to land with his small army of
3000 men to give battle to the king, but was dissuaded from the rash
attempt by his most experienced officers. He went on therefore to Diu,
where he appointed Luis Falcam to command the castle, as Mascarenhas was
then about to return to Portugal. After this he went along the coast of
the Guzerat dominions, landing in many places, and destroying every
thing with fire and sword. The strong and beautiful cities of _Pate_ and
_Patane_, being abandoned by the inhabitants, were utterly destroyed;
two hundred vessels were destroyed in their ports, and a prodigious
booty was obtained. Dabul also, though in the dominions of Adel Khan,
was treated in a similar manner, in revenge for the ravages committed by
the orders of that sovereign in the districts of Salsete and Bardes,
which were occupied by Calabate Khan at the head of 20,000 men.

As Calabate Khan seemed disposed to retain possession of these
districts, Don Juan went against him with 1500 horse and 4000 foot; but
the enemy fled in all haste to the gauts, leaving their tents and
baggage behind. The Portuguese army pursued; and being resisted by
Calabate Khan in person, with 2000 horse at a ford or pass, that general
was unhorsed and slain by a Portuguese officer named Almeyda, after
which the enemy were defeated with great slaughter. The cymeter, dagger,
chain, and rings of the slain general were estimated at the value of
80,000 crowns. After this victory, Don Juan ravaged the whole country
below the gauts belonging to Adel Khan, destroying every thing before
him, burning all the towns and woods, and carrying off the cattle and
provisions. From this destructive expedition he returned to Goa, which
he again entered in triumph.

About this time the king of Acheen in Sumatra, an irreconcilable enemy
to the Portuguese, sent a fleet of sixty vessels against Malacca with
5000 soldiers, among whom were 500 men called _Orobalones_ or _the
golden bracelets_, from wearing that ornament in distinction of their
bravery; but the principal force consisted of a regiment of Turkish
janisaries commanded by a valiant Moor. This man landed in the night
near Malacca, and it is said that the garrison was alarmed and put on
their guard by a flock of geese, as the capitol was in ancient times.
The garrison of Malacca was then very weak, yet the enemy were forced to
reimbark, after burning two Portuguese ships then ready to sail. On
returning from their intended attack on Malacca, the enemy took seven
poor fishermen, whose noses, ears, and feet they cut off and sent them
in that mutilated condition to the commander at Malacca, George de Melo,
with a letter written with their blood, challenging him to come out and
fight them at sea. Melo was by no means disposed to accept this
challenge, having a very inadequate force, and because he had only eight
small vessels which lay aground in a state unfit for service. But the
great St Francis Xavier, who was then in Malacca, prevailed on some
merchants to be at the expence of fitting out these vessels, and upon
Melo to go out against the enemy, promising that two galliots would come
by a certain time to his aid. When the time was near expired, two
galliots actually made their appearance and came into the harbour,
though intended upon a different course. The saint went on board, and
found that they were commanded by Diego Suarez de Melo, commonly called
the _Gallego_, and his son Baltazar, whom he prevailed upon to join in
the attack of the Acheenese. The ten small vessels were accordingly
fitted out and manned by 230 men, and set sail in search of the enemy
under the command of Don Francisco Deza. After ranging about for two
months in search of the Acheen fleet, when at length about to return to
Malacca, Deza found them in the river _Parles_, where he resolutely
attacked them one Sunday morning, and, after an obstinate engagement,
gained a complete victory, in which 4000 of the enemy were slain.
Several of the Acheen ships were sunk, and almost all the rest taken, of
which the Portuguese brought in twenty-five to Malacca, with 300 pieces
of cannon, and about 1000 firelocks, having only lost twenty-five men
according to one account, while some said only four. St Francis was
preaching at Malacca when this battle took place, and suddenly pausing
in the middle of his discourse, he distinctly related all the
particulars of the victory to his auditors, who were in great anxiety
for the fate of their ships, having received no news of them during two
months. His prophecy was verified a few days afterwards by their
triumphant arrival.

Don Juan de Castro began his operations in January 1548, by the entire
destruction of all that part of the western coast of India which
belonged to Adel Khan. From the river _Charopa_ two leagues from Goa, to
that of _Cifardam_, which divides the dominions of Adel Khan from that
of the Nizam, he spared neither living creature, vegetable, nor dwelling
of any kind.

When the news of the glorious termination of the siege of Diu was
received at Lisbon, the king sent out a greater fleet than usual to
India, and honoured Don Juan with extraordinary favours for his good
services. Besides a present in money, he continued him in the
government, raising his rank from governor-general to the dignity of
viceroy, and appointed his son Don Alvaro admiral of the Indian seas.
But Don Juan was almost dead when these honours reached him, being sick
of a disease which now-a-days kills no one, for even diseases die! He
was heart-broken by the cowardly behaviour of a Portuguese force that
had been sent to Aden, and the rash conduct of his son at Xael, in both
of which they had suffered severe losses. Finding himself dying, he
publicly asked pardon of many for having written against them to the
king; and being unable to manage the affairs of government, he appointed
a select council to supply his place. Calling the members into his
presence, he said "Though he neither hoped nor wished to live, yet it
behoved him to be at some expence while he remained alive; and having no
money, he entreated they would order him a small supply from the royal
revenues, that he might not die for want." Then laying his hand on a
missal, with his eyes lifted up to heaven, he solemnly swore, "That he
had on no occasion converted the money belonging to the king, or to any
other person, to his own use; and that he had never engaged in trade to
increase his own fortune." He desired that this his solemn declaration
might be recorded. He soon afterwards expired in the arms of St Francis
Xavier, on the 6th of June 1548, in the 48th year of his age. All the
treasure found in his private cabinet was three _ryals_ and a _bloody
scourge_.

Don Juan was an excellent scholar, being particularly skilled in Latin
and the mathematics. During his government of India he did not allow
himself to be actuated by pride, as others had done before and after
him, and always valued and promoted his officers for their merits. He so
much loved that every one should act becomingly, that seeing one day a
fine suit of clothes on passing a tailors shop, and being told that it
was intended for his son, he cut it in pieces, desiring some one to tell
the young man to provide arms, not fine clothes.


SECTION V.

_Transactions of the Portuguese in India, from 1548 to 1564, under
several Governors,[369]_


Immediately on the death of Don Juan the first patent of succession was
opened, in which Don Juan Mascarenhas was named; but he had gone to
Lisbon to seek the reward of his gallant defence of Diu, which he now
missed. The second named Don George Telo, who was also absent. In the
third, Gracia de Sa was nominated to the succession, an officer of much
experience in the affairs of India. Soon afterwards, he received an
embassy from Adel Khan to solicit peace, which was concluded much to the
advantage of the Portuguese. The Zamorin, Nizam-al-mulk, Kothb-al-mulk
king of Golconda, the Rajah of Canara, and several other princes of
India sent splendid embassies to confirm the peace; and at length,
Sultan Mahmud king of Guzerat or Cambaya, tired of the unfortunate war
in which he had been long engaged with the Portuguese, made pacific
overtures, and a treaty was concluded to the credit and advantage of the
Portuguese.

[Footnote 369: The transactions of this period are of so little
importance, and related in so desultory a manner, that in the present
section we have only thought it necessary to give an abbreviated
selection. - E.]

In the course of this year, 1548, a bloody war broke out between the
kings of Siam and Pegu on the following occasion: The king of Siam
happened to possess _a white elephant_, a singular curiosity, much
coveted by all the princes of the east, and the king of Pegu demanded
that it should be given up to him in token of superiority. This was
refused by the king of Siam, and the king of Pegu invaded Siam with a
numerous army, reducing the king of Siam to such straits that he was
willing to make peace on any conditions, except delivering up the white
elephant, even agreeing to give up one of his own daughters, and to send
a woman of noble birth yearly as an acknowledgement of vassalage. But as
the terms were not performed, the king of Pegu again marched into the
kingdom of Siam with a prodigious army of a million and a half of men
and 4000 elephants. Above 2000 workmen preceded the king, and set up
every night for his lodgment a stately wooden palace, richly painted and
adorned with gold. On this march the king of Pegu constructed a
prodigious bridge of boats over the rapid river _Menam_, a full league
in length, for the passage of his army.

In the course of this march, the army of Pegu was obstructed by a strong
entrenchment defended by 25,000 Siamese troops. Diego Suarez de Melo,
who served in the army of Pegu with 180 Portuguese, went against this
entrenchment with his own small battalion and 30,000 Peguers; and
carried the work with a prodigious slaughter of the Siamese. The army of
Pegu at length besieged the city of _Odia_, in which the king of Siam
resided. Odia is eight leagues in circumference, and was surrounded by a
strong wall on which 4000 cannon were mounted, and was farther defended
by a wide and deep wet ditch, and by a garrison of 60,000 combatants,
among whom were 50 Portuguese commanded by Diego Pereyra. After
continuing the siege for some time, being unable to prevail on the
Portuguese under Pereyra to desert the service of the king of Siam, the
king of Pegu abandoned Odia, and besieged the city of _Camambee_; in
which the treasures of Siam were deposited. That place was strongly
fortified, and defended by 20,000 men with so much valour that the
Peguers were again obliged to desist. At this time Xemindoo rebelled
against the king of Pegu, who sent Diego Suarez against him with 200
Portuguese. Suarez pursued the rebel to the city of _Cevadi_, but
Xemindoo slipped past him and took possession of the city of Pegu, where
he was favoured by the inhabitants. The queen fled into the castle,
where she was defended by twenty Portuguese, till the king came up with
his army and put the rebels to flight. The army then entered the city,
and put all to the sword, men, women, and children, and every living
thing, sparing those only who took refuge in the house of Suarez, which
the king had ordered to be exempted from this military execution, and in
which above 12,000 saved themselves. The plunder on this occasion was
immense, of which three millions fell to the share of Suarez, who was so
much in favour with the king, that he pardoned a Portuguese at his
intercession who had supplied the rebels with ammunition.

The king of Pegu was soon afterwards murdered in the beautiful city of
_Zatan_ by the _Ximi_ or governor of that place, who immediately had
himself proclaimed king; but was in his turn taken and beheaded by the
former rebel _Xemindoo_, who usurped the crown. One _Mandaragri_, who
had married a sister of the former king, raised an army and claimed the
crown in right of his wife; and having defeated that first rebel in
battle, he fled to the mountains, where he married the daughter of a
peasant, to whom he revealed his name and rank. She communicated this
intelligence to her father, who delivered him up to the new king by whom
he was beheaded. Being much displeased with the people of Pegu,
Mandaragri built a new city near that place. He soon afterwards raised
an immense army, with which he reduced many of the neighbouring
provinces. But a new rebellion broke out at Pegu in his absence, by
which the queen was forced to take refuge in the castle, where she
chiefly owed her safety to about forty Portuguese, who defended her till
the king came up and vanquished the rebels; after which he rewarded the
brave Portuguese with riches and honour.

About this time likewise, the inhabitants of _Chincheo_, the _second_
Portuguese colony in China, being in a flourishing condition, became
forgetful of the sad fate of _Liampo_, formerly mentioned, which had
been destroyed through their insolence and cupidity. Ayres Coello de
Sousa, who was judge of the orphans and _proveditar_ for the dead,
committed many villanies to get hold of 12,000 ducats belonging to an
Armenian merchant who had died there, and of 8000 ducats from some
Chinese merchants, under pretence that this sum was due by them to the
deceased. By these and other insolencies, the Chinese were so provoked
that they destroyed _Chincheo_, as they had formerly done Liampo, only
30 Portuguese escaping out of 500 who lived there. These and some other
Portuguese went over to the island of _Lampezau_; and they afterwards,
in 1557, obtained leave to settle in the island of _Goaxam_, where they
built the city of _Macao_.

While endeavouring to devise means for the relief of the soldiers, who
were in great want, Gracia de Sa died suddenly in July 1549, at 70 years
of age, being much regretted for his prudence, affability, and
integrity. On the patents of succession being opened, George Cabral was
found first in nomination. This officer was a man of good birth and
known worth, and had gone a short while before to assume the command at
Basseen. He was very unwilling to assume the government, as it deprived
him of the command which he was to have held for four years, and was
afraid that another would soon come from Portugal to supersede him in
the supreme authority; but his lady Donna Lucretia Fiallo, prevailed
upon him to accept the honour to which he seemed so averse, and which
she ardently desired; and he accordingly returned to Goa to assume the
high office. Cabral deserved to have long enjoyed the post of
governor-general, and Portuguese India was indebted to his wife for the
short period of his rule. Soon after his installation, news was brought
that the Turks were fitting out an hundred sail at Suez to transport an
army to India; on which Cabral diligently prepared to meet the storm, by
collecting ships from the different ports.

At this time the zamorin and the rajah of Pimienta entered into a league
against the rajah of Cochin. The rajah of Pimienta took the field with
10,000 Nayres, and was opposed by the rajah of Cochin with his men,
assisted by 600 Portuguese troops under Francisco de Sylva, who
commanded in the fort at Cochin. Sylva pressed for an accommodation,
which was consented to by the rajah on reasonable terms; but the treaty
was broken off by the rash and violent conduct of Sylva. The armies
engaged in battle, in which the rajah of Pimienta was mortally wounded
and carried off the field, upon which his troops fled and were pursued
into their city with great slaughter, and the royal palace set on fire.
This was considered as a heinous affront by the Nayres of Pimienta, who
rallied and fell with such fury on the victors that they were forced to
a disorderly retreat, in which Sylva and above fifty Portuguese were
slain. About 5000 of the Pimienta Nayres, who had taken an oath to
revenge the death of their rajah or to die in the attempt, made an
irruption into the territory of Cochin where they did much damage; and
while engaged with the Cochin troops, Henry de Sousa marched against
them with some Portuguese troops, and defeated them with great
slaughter. The joy occasioned by this victory was soon damped by the
approach of the zamorin at the head of 140,000 men. The zamorin
encamped with 100,000 of these at _Chembe_, while the tributary or
allied Malabar princes with the other 40,000 took post in the island of
_Bardela_.

Upon the first advice of this invasion, Cabral collected the armament
which had been destined against the Turks, consisting of above 100 sail
of different kinds, with 4000 soldiers. He sent on Emanuel de Sousa with
four ships, ordering him with these and the force already at Cochin to
use every effort to confine the Malabar princes to the island of
Bardela, till he should be able to get there with the main army, which
orders he effectually executed. Having destroyed _Tiracole, Coulete_,
and _Paniane_, Cabral landed at Cochin, where his army was increased to
6000 men, and where the Rajah, was ready with 40,000 of his subjects.
Being ready to attack the island, the Malabar princes hung out a white
flag for a parley, and even agreed to put themselves into the hands of
the governor on promise of their lives; but they delayed, and Cabral
resolved to attack them next day. When next day came, he was again
hindered by a violent flood. And the next day after, when on the point
of performing one of the most brilliant actions that had ever been done
in India, he was stopt by the sudden arrival at Cochin of Don Alfonso de
Noronha as viceroy of India; who would neither allow him to proceed, nor
would he execute what was so well begun, but allowed the Malabar princes
to escape with their whole army[370].

[Footnote 370: We only learn incidentally from De Faria that this
happened in the year 1550. - E.]

While Cabral remained at Cochin, waiting for an opportunity to embark
for Portugal in the homeward bound ships, there was a report one night
about the middle of February 1550, that 8000 sworn Nayres were on their
march to assault the city. He hastened to the gates with Emanuel de
Sousa, intending to march against the enemy at day-break; but being
hindered by the council of Cochin, he remained with a competent force to
defend the city, and sent Emanuel with the native troops and 1500
Portuguese against the invaders, who were doing every thing that rage
and malice could suggest in a neighbouring town. After a desperate
engagement, the _amoucos_ or devoted Nayres were defeated with great
slaughter with the loss of 50 Portuguese. Cabral embarked well-pleased
with this successful exploit against the sworn Nayres, and was well
received in Portugal, as he justly merited, though contrary to the usual
custom of that court.

This year there was born at Goa, of Canarin parents, a hairy monster
like a monkey, having a round head and only one eye in the forehead,
over which it had horns, and its ears were like those of a kid. When
received by the midwife, it cried with a loud voice, and stood up on its
feet. The father put it into a hencoop, whence it got out and flew upon
its mother; on which the father killed it by pouring scalding water on
its head, and could scarcely cut off the head it was so hard. He burnt
it. But when the story came to be known, he was punished for the murder,
and the body was exposed to public view[371].

[Footnote 371: This silly story has been retained, perhaps very
unnecessarily. It is perhaps an instance of embellishment founded on the
love of the marvellous, and the whole truth may lie in a very narrow
compass "_an infant coming into the world covered with hair_," while all
the rest is fiction. - E.]

Don Alfonso de Noronha was promoted to the viceroyalty of India from
being governor of Ceuta, but was subjected to the control of a council,
by whose advice he was ordered to conduct the government of India. He
had orders from court to send back to Portugal all the _new Christians
or converted Jews_, many of whom had gone out to India with their
families. It had been better to have banished them from both countries.
The new viceroy was received at Goa with universal joy, more owing
perhaps to the general dislike towards him who lays down authority than
from love for him who takes it up. The Arabs of _Catifa_ in the Persian
Gulf had admitted the Turks to take possession of the fort in that city,
to the great displeasure of the King of Ormuz, on whom it had been
dependent, and who therefore applied for aid to the viceroy to reduce
the refractory or revolted vassals. The king of Basrah had also been
expelled from his kingdom by the Turks, yet kept the field with an army
of 30,000 men, and sent for assistance from the viceroy, to whom he
offered leave to erect a fort at his capital, and to grant many valuable
privileges to the Portuguese. The viceroy accordingly sent his nephew,
Antonio de Norenha, to the assistance of these two kings with 1200 men
in nineteen vessels. Antonio was joined at Ormuz by 3000 native troops,
in conjunction with whom he besieged Catifa, which was defended by 400
Turks. After a brave but unavailing resistance, the garrison fled by
night, but were pursued and routed. As the general of the troops of
Ormuz was unwilling to engage for the future defence of this fort, it
was undermined for the purpose of destroying it; but being unskilfully
managed, the mine exploded unexpectedly, and forty of the Portuguese
were buried under its ruins. Noronha then sailed to the mouth of the
Euphrates, on purpose to assist the king of Basrah; but he was induced
to believe, by a cunning Turkish pacha, that the king of Basrah meant to
betray him, on which he ingloriously returned to Ormuz, where he learnt
the deceit when too late.

The sultan of the Turks was so much displeased with the Portuguese for
what they had done at Catifa and attempted at Basrah, that he sent an
expedition against Ormuz of 16,000 men, commanded by an old pirate named
_Pirbec_. The Turk in the first place besieged Muscat for near a month,
and at length obliged the garrison to capitulate; but broke the articles
and chained the captain and sixty men to the oars. He afterwards
proceeded against Ormuz, where Don Alvaro de Noronha commanded with
nine-hundred men in the fort, where he had provided ammunition and
provisions for a long siege, and into which the king with his wife and
children and some of the chief people of the court had gone for shelter.
The Turk landed his men and raised batteries against the fort, which he
cannonaded incessantly for a whole month; but finding that he lost many
of his men and had no prospect of success, he plundered the city, and
went over to the island of Kishom, to which many of the principal people
of Ormuz had withdrawn, where he got a considerable booty and then
retired to Basrah. The viceroy had been informed of the danger to which
Ormuz was exposed, and fitted out a fleet in which he embarked in person
for its relief; but hearing at Diu, on his way to the Persian Gulf, that
Ormuz was out of danger, he sailed back to Goa. On his return
unsuccessful from Ormuz, _Pirbec_ was beheaded for having acted beyond
his instructions, and _Morad-beg_ was sent in 1553 with fifteen gallies
to cruise in the Persian Gulf against the Portuguese. An encounter took
place between this Turkish squadron and one belonging to the Portuguese
under Don Diego de Noronha, which ended without material loss on either
side; but the Turks were forced to take shelter in the Euphrates, where
the water was too shallow to admit the Portuguese galleons. In the
course of this year 1553, _Luis Camoens_, the admirable Portuguese poet,
went out to India, to endeavour to advance his fortune by the sword,
which had been so little favoured by his pen.

About this time new troubles took place at Diu in consequence of the
death of Sultan Mahmud, king of Guzerat or Cambaya. Like Mithridates, he
had accustomed himself to the use of poison, to guard against being