endurance, the Portuguese fleet destroyed many of the paraos belonging
to the enemy, while the besieged garrison of Cananor killed great
numbers of their assailants, besides cutting down above 40,000 palm
trees[375] to the infinite injury of the natives, who depend upon these
trees as their principal sustenance. The natives were so exasperated at
this that, collecting forces from all the surrounding districts, to the
amount of 90,000 men, they assaulted and even scaled the walls of the
fort and city; but after fighting from day-break to sunset, during which
time they lost about 5000 men, they were forced to retire to their camp,
resolving to protract the siege, or rather to convert the siege into a
strict blockade. In the farther prosecution of this war, the Portuguese
utterly destroyed the city belonging to Adderajao[376], who commanded
the besieging enemy, and cut down a large wood of palm trees, making
great slaughter of the enemy, without any loss on their own side, so
that the natives were constrained to raise the siege.
[Footnote 375: Assuredly cocoa-nut trees. This explains a circumstance
repeatedly mentioned on former occasions, of the Portuguese anxiously
cutting down the woods in their war with the natives on the coast of
India. - E.]
[Footnote 376: From the name of the commander of the enemy, probably
_Adde Rajah_, and other circumstances, they were most likely _Nagres_,
and other native Malabars, though called Moors in the text of De
Faria. - E.]
About this time the fort of Daman, towards the frontier of Guzerat, was
threatened by a detachment of 3000 Mogul horse. Juan de Sousa stood
immediately on his defence, and sent advice to the viceroy and the
neighbouring commanders of his danger, trusting however to the strength
of his defences, and particularly to a pallisade or _bound hedge_, which
he had made of the plant named _lechera_ or the _milk plant_, which
throws out when cut a milky liquor which is sure to blind any one if it
touches their eyes. On receiving reinforcements, De Sousa marched out
against the Moguls, who were encamped about three leagues from Daman;
but they fled precipitately, leaving their camp and baggage, in which
the Portuguese found a rich booty.
During the year 1566, the trade of India was reduced to a very low ebb,
owing to a desolating war in the rich and extensive kingdom of Bisnagar,
which then reached from the frontiers of Bengal to that of Sinde. The
kings of the Decan, Nizam al Mulk, Adel Khan, and Cuttub Shah, envious
of the power and grandeur of the king of Bisnagar, entered into a league
to partition his dominions among themselves, and took the field with
50,000 horse and 300,000 foot. To repel this formidable invasion, the
king of Bisnagar, who was then ninety-six years of age, met his enemies
with an army double their numbers. At first the confederates seemed to
have the worst of the war; but fortune favoured them in the end, and the
ancient king of Bisnagar was defeated and slain. The confederates spent
five months in plundering the capital of Bisnagar, although the natives
had previously carried off 1550 elephants loaded with money and jewels
to the value of above an hundred millions of gold, besides the royal
chair of state, which was of inestimable value. Among his share of the
plunder Adel Khan got a diamond as large as an ordinary egg, with
another of extraordinary size though smaller, and other jewels of
prodigious value. The dominions of the old king were partitioned by the
victors among his sons and nephews.
In the year 1567, the great poet Camoens being extremely poor though he
had served sixteen years in India, was prevailed upon to go to Sofala
along with Pedro Barreto, who was going there with the command, and
promised to do great things for him; but after waiting long and
receiving nothing, Camoens resolved to return to Portugal in a ship
which put in at Sofala, in which was Hector de Silveyra and other
gentlemen. Barreto, however, opposed his departure, having promised him
promotion without any intentions of doing so, but only to procure his
company for his own gratification, and now detained him under pretence
of a debt of two hundred ducats. Silveyra and the other Portuguese
gentlemen paid this money and brought Camoens away, so that it may be
said, that the person of Camoens and the honour of Barreto were both
sold for that money. Camoens arrived at Lisbon in 1569, at which time
the plague raged in that city; so that in flying from one plague our
great and famous poet fell into another.
In 1568, Don Antonio de Noronha was succeeded as viceroy of India by Don
Luis de Ataide, count of Atougaia, who arrived at Goa in the October of
that year. At this time Itimi Khan held the administration of the
Kingdom of Guzerat, having by great artifice persuaded the chiefs that
his own son was son of the former king; but the kingdom was in great
confusion. One Rustum Khan had usurped Baroch, in which he was besieged
by the Moguls, and being in alliance with the Portuguese, a force was
sent to his assistance, which succeeded in obliging the Moguls to raise
the siege; but Rustum now forgot his promises, and refused to become
tributary. At Surat the government had been usurped by one Agalu Khan,
who was loading two large ships at that port without licence from the
Portuguese viceroy; on which the commander of the Portuguese fort at
Daman seized both ships, which were valued at 100,000 ducats. Nunno
Vello de Pereyra, who had gone from Daman to clear the bay of Cambaya
from pirates that infested the Portuguese trade, burnt two villages and
several vessels, and carried away many prisoners. He then landed with
400 men, and went against a body of Moguls who had taken post on the
mountain of Parnel, about three leagues from Daman, a place almost
impregnable by its situation and the strength of its works. Although
unacquainted with the strength of the place or the number of its
defenders, who exceeded 8000 men, Nunno immediately began to climb up
the steep ascent, whence the enemy rolled down great stones upon the
assailants. The soldiers however clambered up on their hands and knees,
and reached the first entrenchment which they carried after a vigorous
opposition; but were forced to retire from the fort after a desperate
assault, in which the Portuguese lost seven men. In their retreat the
Portuguese carried off a considerable quantity of provisions, with fifty
horses and several camels and oxen, and were pursued on their retreat by
500 of the enemy, 100 of whom were cavalry. From Daman, to which he had
retreated, Nunno marched again against the enemy, having now 100
Portuguese and 50 native horse, with 650 foot, half Portuguese, and half
native, and three pieces of cannon. In this new, attempt, they had to
climb the mountain by roads never trod before, and against considerable
opposition from the enemy, who had five pieces of cannon. After three
days of severe labour and almost continual fighting, in which he lost
eight men, six of whom were slain and two made prisoners, Nunno at
length gained the summit of the mountain, and planted his cannon against
the fort, which he battered with such fury, that the enemy abandoned it
on the sixth night, and the fort was razed.
In the year 1580, a dangerous war broke out in India against the
Portuguese, by a confederacy which had been negotiating for five years
with wonderful secrecy. The confederated princes were Adel Khan, Nizam
al Mulk, the Zamorin, and the king of Acheen, and they flattered
themselves in the hope of extirpating the Portuguese from India, making
themselves so sure of success, that they agreed beforehand on the
division of their expected conquests. Adel Khan was to have Goa, Onor,
and Barcalor; Nizam al Mulk to have Chaul, Daman, and Basseen; and
Cananor, Mangalor, Cochin, and Chale were to become the share of the
Zamorin. At the same time, the king of Acheen was to attack Malacca,
that the Portuguese, assailed at once on every important point, might be
incapable of sending succours to the different places. Adel Khan was so
confident of success, that he had assigned the different offices at Goa
among his chiefs, and had even allotted among them certain Portuguese
ladies, who were celebrated for their beauty.
In pursuance of this league, Adel Khan took the field to besiege Goa,
and Nizam al Mulk marched against Chaul. In this great emergency, it was
recommended by many to abandon Chaul for the greater security of Goa;
but the viceroy undauntedly resolved to defend both. Don Francisco
Mascarenhas was sent with six hundred men in four gallies and five small
vessels for the relief of Chaul, about the beginning of September, and
the viceroy took proper precautions for the defence of Goa. The pass of
Benastarim was committed to the care of Ferdinand de Sousa y
Castellobranco with 120 men. Paul de Lima had charge of Rachol with
sixty, and fifteen hundred native troops were distributed in different
parts of the island under approved commanders. At this time there were
only 700 Portuguese troops in Goa, which were kept as a body of reserve,
whenever their services might be most wanted. The defence of the city
was confided to the monks and clergy, to the number of 300, assisted by
1000 slaves. Juan de Sousa with 50 horse was ready to give assistance
where wanted. Don George de Menezes had the defence of the river with 25
vessels; and the viceroy, having procured ammunition and provisions from
all quarters, took post about the middle of December on the bank of the
river.
These measures of defence were hardly completed, when several bodies of
the enemy were seen descending from the _gauts_, and taking up a camp at
Ponda, under the command of Nori Khan, general of the army of Adel Khan.
About the end of December, Nori Khan advanced from Ponda, and encamped,
facing the pass of Benastarim, where he pitched the royal tents of Adel
Khan, who spent eight days in descending the gauts, so vast was the army
which now came against Goa. At night, so many fires were lighted up to
illuminate the passes of the mountain, that, though at a great distance,
the multitudes of the enemy could be distinctly seen from the island.
The army of Adel Khan, on this occasion, amounted to 100,000 fighting
men, of whom 36,000 were horse, with 2140 war-elephants, and 350 pieces
of cannon, most of which were of an extraordinary size; and some barks
were brought upon mules to be launched into the river to assist in
getting into the island. The chief commanders of this vast army were
Nori Khan, Rumer Khan, and Coger Khan; the former of whom commanded in
chief under the king, and the other two had charge of advanced posts on
the side of the river. Their encampment was so extensive and regularly
arranged that it resembled a regularly built city. Adel Khan took up his
quarters at Ponda with 4000 horse, 6000 musqueteers, 300 elephants, and
220 pieces of cannon. Rumer Khan, Coger Khan, and Mortaz Khan were
stationed near the mouth of the _Ganja_ channel, with 3000 horse, 130
elephants, and nine cannon. Nori Khan commanded opposite the island of
_Juan Lopez_ with 7000 horse, 130 elephants, and eight large cannon.
Camil Khan and Deliren Khan faced the pass of Benastarim with 9000
horse, 200 elephants, and 32 pieces of battering artillery. Solyman Aga
took post on a hill above Benastarim with 1500 horse and two
field-pieces. Anjoz Khan, opposite the island of _Juan Rangel_, with
2500 horse, 50 elephants, and six cannon. Xatiaryiatan in sight of
_Sapal_, with 1500 horse, six elephants, and six cannon. Daulate Khan,
Xetiatimanaique, Chiti Khan, and Codemena Khan faced the pass of Agazaim
with 9000, 200 elephants, and 26 cannon. The rest of the army, with
innumerable followers, covered the mountains to a vast extent,
sufficient to strike terror into the boldest spirits.
Having carefully examined the dispositions of the enemy, and naturally
considering the means he possessed for defence, now somewhat increased
by the arrival of reinforcements from different quarters, the viceroy
made a new distribution of his force to various posts, his force in all
amounting to 1600 men; besides several small armed vessels, which were
directed to guard the river, and to relieve the several posts as
occasion offered or required[377]. The enemy spent their first efforts
against the fort at the pass of Benastarim, where they did considerable
damage by the constant fire of their heavy guns; but whatever injury
they did during the day was repaired in the ensuing night. Such was the
extent of their cannonade, that only in one small post, occupied by
Alvaro de Mendoza with ten men, 600 bullets were picked up, some of
which were two spans diameter. The Portuguese were unable to answer with
any thing like a correspondent fire, but, being well directed, their
shot did great execution, and the small armed vessels plied from place
to place with much diligence, doing great injury with their small guns.
One night an officer of the enemy was seen with a great number of
torches passing a height opposite the fort of Benastarim, having a
number of young women dancing before him. On this occasion, Ferdinand de
Sousa caused a cannon to be so exactly pointed among them, that the
officer, with several of his torch-bearers and two couple of the dancers
were seen to fly into the air. As this was the time for dispatching the
homeward-bound trade to Portugal, the governor was anxiously advised to
stop that fleet, as it would deprive him of 400 men, who might be of
great use in defending Goa; but ambitions of acquiring greater glory by
conquering every difficulty, he ordered the ships to sail at their usual
time, alleging that their cargoes were much wanted in Portugal, and that
he trusted he should have a sufficient force remaining to defend the
seat of government.
[Footnote 377: In the original, there is along enumeration of
twenty-four several posts, with the names of the officers commanding
each, and the numbers in their respective detachments; all here omitted
as uninteresting. - E.]
The Portuguese had often the boldness to cross over and attack the enemy
in their posts in the main-land, whence they brought away many prisoners
and many heads of those they slew, with various arms and standards. On
one occasion, Don George de Menezes who commanded the armed vessels, and
Don Pedro de Castro who landed with 200 Portuguese, made so great
slaughter that the viceroy sent two carts loaded with heads to the city,
to animate the inhabitants with this barbarous proof of the energy of
the defence. One night Gaspar and Lancelot Diaz penetrated four or five
miles up the country with eighty men, burnt two villages with many
detached houses, and brought away many prisoners, many heads of the
slain enemy, and much cattle. At another time these two brothers, with
one hundred and thirty men, attacked the quarters of Coger Khan and
Rumer Khan, where they made great havock, and destroyed all the
preparations they had made for passing over into the island of Juan
Lopez. The enemy were astonished at the exploits performed by such small
numbers, and still more so when they learnt that the viceroy had sent
off Don Diego de Menezes with his squadron to the Malabar coast, and Don
Ferdinand de Vasconcellos with four gallies and two small vessels, on an
expedition to destroy Dabul.
Don Ferdinand burnt two large ships belonging to Mecca at that place,
where he likewise landed and destroyed several villages, and would even
have done the same to Dabul if he had not been opposed by his officers.
On his return to Goa he attacked the quarters of Anjoz Khan, which were
three miles from the post of the viceroy. He forced an entrance with
great slaughter of the enemy; but his men falling into confusion for the
sake of plunder, the enemy rallied and fell upon them, so that they were
constrained to seek their safety in flight, with some loss, while Don
Ferdinand was weakened with loss of blood and wearied by the weight of
his armour, so that he was surrounded and slain. On this occasion 40 of
the Portuguese were slain, and the ship of Don Ferdinand was taken by
the enemy; but the viceroy sent Don George de Menezes with 100 men, who
set the ship on fire, and brought away her guns.
At this time the zamorin made proposals for renewing the peace, either
in hopes of deriving some advantage during the present state of affairs,
or of covering his real designs of hostility; but the viceroy replied,
that he would not yield a single point of difference, and even
persisted in that resolution, although the queen of _Quarcopa_ declared
war at Onor. Even under all the difficulties of his situation, the
viceroy sent succours to Onor to oppose this new enemy, to the great
astonishment of Adel Khan, who thought the force in Goa had been already
too small for defence against his numerous army. At this time likewise,
the viceroy sent reinforcements to the Moluccas and Mozambique, both of
which places were much straitened by the enemy. The grand object of the
enemy was to get across into the island of Goa, for which purpose the
great general Nori Khan began to construct a bridge, in which he
employed a vast number of workmen; but the viceroy fell upon them and
made great havock, destroying all their preparations and materials. It
was reported that Adel Khan designed to go over into the island in
person, and that he was extremely desirous to get possession of a fine
horse belonging to the viceroy, for which he had formerly offered a
large sum of money. On this being made known to the viceroy, he sent the
horse as a present to Adel Khan, with a complimentary message, saying
"that it would give him much satisfaction to see his majesty on the
island." Adel Khan accepted the horse, and caused him to be bedded with
silken quilts, under a canopy of cloth of gold, to be covered with
embroidered damask, and all his caparisons to be ornamented with massy
gold, while his provender was mixed with preserves and other dainties.
But the horse was soon afterwards killed by a cannon-ball.
After the siege had continued above two months to the beginning of
March, during which time many of the buildings in the island had been
beaten down by the cannon of the enemy, who had lost numbers of their
men, Adel Khan began to despair of success, especially as the Portuguese
were now considerably increased in strength by the arrival of several
squadrons from different places. He wished, therefore, for peace, yet
was loath to propose it himself; but the viceroy was acquainted with his
most secret councils, as he used all possible means to procure
intelligence from the hostile camp, where he had in his pay several
renegado Portuguese who served under Adel khan, and had even corrupted
the favourite wife of Adel Khan. He so converted these secret advices to
advantage, that he contrived to get a treaty of pacification begun
without its appearing who was its author, and at length even Adel Khan
stooped to make proposals. Still, however, the siege was continued unto
the month of April, at which time considerable reinforcements arrived at
Goa, under Don George de Menezes, who brought back 1500 men from the
Moluccas, and Lorenzo de Barbuda from Cochin. At one time, 3000 of the
enemy began to enter the island of Juan Lopez, but were repulsed with
great slaughter by 120 men under two Portuguese commanders. In many
expeditions from the island, the Portuguese attacked the various posts
of the enemy on the main-land, mostly by night, ruining the works they
had thrown up, burning the villages, and destroying great numbers of
their men. Yet though Adel Khan had hardly any hopes of ultimate
success, he caused gardens to be laid out at his quarters, and made such
other demonstrations as if he had resolved to dwell in his present camp
till Goa were reduced.
Winter being near at hand, Adel Khan determined upon a great effort to
gain possession of the island; for which purpose 9000 men were brought
to the pass of _Mercantor_, which had not been fortified by the
Portuguese as the river was very wide at that place. Fortunately the
Portuguese heard the sound of a great drum in that direction, which is
never beat but when the king marches in person; upon which they ran
thither and saw Adel Khan on the opposite side encouraging his men.
Advice of this was immediately conveyed to the viceroy, who sent several
parties to defend the pass, and marched thither himself, sending orders
for assistance to the various posts and quarters. In spite of every
opposition, five thousand of the enemy got over under the command of
Solyman Aga, a Turk who was captain of the guards of Adel Khan. By the
time the viceroy got to the place, he had collected a force of 2000 men,
with which he immediately attacked the enemy. The battle continued the
whole of the 13th of April from morning to night, and from the morning
of the 14th to that of the following day. During all this time, Adel
Khan surveyed the engagement from the opposite side of the river, often
cursing his prophet and throwing his turban on the ground in his rage;
and at length had the mortification of seeing his troops entirely
defeated, with the loss of Solyman Aga and 4000 men, while the
Portuguese scarcely lost twenty. Though in public he vowed never to stir
from before Goa still it was taken, he privately made overtures for
peace, in which he even ridiculously demanded the surrender of Goa.
About this time, the viceroy secretly entered into a treaty with Nori
Khan, the grand general of Adel Khan, whom he instigated to kill the
king, offering to support him in assuming the crown, or at least in
acquiring a preponderating influence in the government under the
successor. Nori Khan agreed to these proposals; but when the conspiracy
was ripe for execution it was detected, and Nori Khan, with all his
adherents, were secured.
When the siege had continued to the middle of July, the viceroy
endeavoured to stir up other princes to invade the dominions of Adel
Khan, that he might be constrained to abandon the siege. Both he and the
king were desirous of peace, but both endeavoured to conceal their
wishes; the viceroy giving out that he cared not how long the king
continued the siege, and the king pretending that he would persevere
till he gained the place. At length, towards the end of August 1571,
when the summer or fine weather had begun, and when the enemy might
still better have been able to keep the field, and to recommence active
operations, the number of the hostile tents could be seen plainly to
decrease, then the cannon were drawn off from the posts of the enemy,
and at last the men entirely disappeared; Adel Khan having abandoned the
siege without coming to any accommodation, after a siege of ten months,
in which he lost 12,000 men, 300 elephants, 4000 horses, and 6000
draught bullocks, partly by the sword and partly by the weather.
Exactly at the same time when Adel Khan invested Goa, Nizam al Mulk sat
down before Chaul. Being suspicious of each other, the two sovereigns
kept time exactly in their preparations, in the commencement of their
march, and in all their subsequent operations. Farete Khan the general
of Nizam al Mulk sat down before Chaul with 8000 horse, 20 elephants and
20,000 foot, on the last day of November 1570, breaking ground with a
prodigious noise of warlike instruments of music. At this time Chaul was
under the command of Luis Fereiyra de Andrada, an officer well deserving
of such a charge, who long laboured under great want of almost every
necessary for conducting the defence, supplying these defects by his own
genius and the valour of his men, till reinforced by Don Francisco
Mascarenhas, who brought him 500 men in four gallies and provisions.
Desirous of distinguishing himself before the arrival of Nizam his
sovereign, Farete Khan resolved upon giving an assault, in which he
employed his elephants with castles on their backs, and with scythes
tied to their trunks. The fight lasted three hours; but the Moors were
repulsed with great slaughter, both by sea and land, and forced to
retire to the church of Madre de Dios. Nothing remarkable happened after
this till the commencement of the year 1571, when some Moors were
observed gathering fruit in an orchard at a short distance from the
garrison, on which Nuno Vello went out against them with only five
soldiers and killed one of the Moors. Both parties were gradually
increased till the enemy amounted to 6000 men, and the Portuguese to
200; but notwithstanding this disparity of force, the Portuguese drove
that vast multitude to flight and slew 180 of them, only losing two of