their own number.
In the beginning of January 1571, Nizam al Mulk came before Chaul with
his whole army, now consisting of 34,000 horse, 100,000 infantry, 16,000
pioneers, 4000 smiths, masons, carpenters, and other trades, and of
sundry different nations, as Turks, Chorassans, Persians, and
Ethiopians, with 360 elephants, an infinite number of buffaloes and
bullocks, and 40 pieces of cannon, mostly of prodigious size, some of
which carried balls of 100, some of 200, and some even of 300 pounds
weight. These cannon had all appropriate names, as the cruel, the
butcher, the devourer, the furious, and the like[378]. Thus an army of
150,000 men sat down to besiege a town that was defended merely by a
single wall, a fort not much larger than a house, and a handful of men.
Farete Khan took up his quarters near the church of Madre de Dios with
7000 horse and 20 elephants; Agalas Khan in, the house of Juan Lopez
with 6000 horse; Ximiri Khan between that and upper Chaul with 2000
horse; so that the city was beset from sea to sea. The Nizam encamped
with the main body, of the army at the farther end of the town, where
the ground was covered with tents for the space of two leagues; and 5000
horse were detached to ravage the district of Basseen.
[Footnote 378: These names are of course to be considered as
translations of the native or Persian names. That named _the furious_ in
the text, is called the _Orlando furioso_ in the translation of De Faria
by Stevens; but it is not easy to guess how the subjects of the Nizam
should have known any thing of that hero of Christian romance. - E.]
At the commencement of the siege the Portuguese garrison was a mere
handful of men, and the works being very slight no particular posts were
assigned, all acting wherever their services were most wanted. Soon
afterwards, the news of the siege having spread abroad, many officers
and gentlemen flocked thither with reinforcements, so that in a short
time the garrison was augmented to 2000 men. It was then resolved to
maintain particular points besides the general circuit of the walls. The
monastery of St Francis was committed to the charge of Alexander de
Sousa; Nunno Alvarez Pereyra was entrusted to defend some houses near
the shore; those between the Misericordia and the church of St Dominic
were confided to Gonzalo de Menezes; others in that neighbourhood to
Nuno Vello Perreyra; and so in other places. In the mean while it was
generally recommended at Goa that Chaul ought to be abandoned, but the
viceroy thought otherwise, in which opinion he was only seconded by
Ferdinand de Castellobranco, and he immediately sent succours under
Ferdinand Tellez and Duarte de Lima. Before their arrival, Zimiri Khan,
who had promised the Nizam that he would be the first person to enter
Chaul, vigorously assaulted the ports of Henry De Betancour and
Ferdinand de Miranda, who resisted him with great gallantry, and on
receiving reinforcements repulsed him with the slaughter of 300 of his
men, losing seven on their side.
The enemy erected a battery against the monastery of St Francis where
the Portuguese had some cannon; and as the gunners on both sides used
their utmost endeavour to burst or dismount the opposite guns, the
bullets were sometimes seen to meet by the way. On the eve of St
Sebastian, the Portuguese made a sally upon some houses which were
occupied by the Moors, and slew a great number of them without the loss
of one man. Enraged at this affront and the late repulse, the enemy made
that same night an assault on the fort or monastery of St Francis with
5000 men, expecting to surprise the Portuguese, but were soon undeceived
by losing many of their men. This assault lasted with great fury for
five hours; and as the Portuguese suspected the enemy were undermining
the wall, and could not see by reason of the darkness, one Christopher
Curvo thrust himself several times out from a window, with a torch in
one hand and a buckler in the other to discover if possible what they
were doing. During this assault those in the town sent out assistance
to the garrison in the monastery, though with much hazard. When morning
broke and the assailants had retired, the monastery was all stuck full
of arrows, and the dead bodies of 300 Moors were seen around its walls,
while the defenders had not lost a single man. The enemy renewed the
assault on this post for five successive days, and were every time
repulsed by the Portuguese with vast slaughter, the garrison often
sallying out and strewing the field with slain enemies. It was at length
judged expedient to withdraw the men from this place into the town, lest
its loss might occasion greater injury than its defence could do
service. Seventeen of the Portuguese were here slain. One of these used
to stand on a high place to notice when the enemy fired their cannon,
and on one occasion said to the men below; "If these fellows should now
fire _Raspadillo_, a cannon 18 feet long to which that name was given,
it will send me to sup with Christ, to whom I commend my soul, for it
points directly at me." He had hardly spoken these words when he was
torn in pieces by a ball from that very gun. On getting possession of
the monastery of St Francis, the Moors fired a whole street in the town
of Chaul, but on attempting to take post in some houses, they were
driven out with the loss of 400 men. At this time Gonzalez de Camera
went to Goa for reinforcements, as the garrison was much pressed, and
brought a relief in two galleys.
About this period the 5000 men that had been detached by the Nizam to
ravage the district of Basseen attempted to get possession of some of
the Portuguese garrisons. Being beaten off at Azarim and Daman, they
invested Caranja, a small work between Chaul and Daman on the
water-side, and almost an island, as it is surrounded by several small
brooks. It was at this time commanded by Stephen Perestrello with a
garrison of only 40 men, but was reinforced on the reappearance of the
enemy by Emanuel de Melo with 30 more. With this small band of only 70
soldiers, Perestrello sallied out against the enemy, and with such
success, that after covering the little island with dead bodies, the
rest fled leaving their cannon, and a considerable quantity of
ammunition and provisions.
In the mean time the Moors continued to batter Chaul without
intermission for a whole month with 70 pieces of large cannon, every
day expending against its weak defences at least 160 balls. This
tremendous cannonade did much damage to the houses of the town, in which
many of the brave defenders were slain. On one occasion six persons who
were eating together were destroyed by a single ball. This furious
battery was commenced against the bastion of the holy cross, and was
carried on for a considerable way along the defences of that front of
the town, levelling every thing with the ground. The besieged used every
precaution to shelter themselves by digging trenches; but the hostile
gunners were so expert[379] that they elevated their guns and made their
balls plunge among those who considered themselves in safety. Observing
that one of the enemies batteries beyond the church of St Dominic never
ceased its destructive fire, Perestrello detached 120 men under
Alexander de Sousa and Augustino Nunnez, who drove the enemy after a
vigorous resistance from the battery with great slaughter, and set their
works on fire, and levelled them with the ground, without sustaining any
loss. Among the arms taken in this successful sortie was a cymeter
inscribed, Jesus save me.
[Footnote 379: To expert modern gunners it would be an easy matter so
discharge as many balls in _one day_, as were expended in this siege in
a whole month. De Faria mentions that an expedient was fallen upon by
which the danger from the plunging fire was avoided, but gives us no
intimation of its nature. - E.]
Having ruined the defences of the town, the enemy attacked several large
houses in which they endeavoured to establish themselves, but were
repulsed from some of these with considerable loss, while the defenders
lost but one man. On attacking the house of Hector de Sampayio, which
was undermined by the Portuguese with the intention of blowing it up
when occupied by the enemy, some fire accidentally communicated to the
mine during the conflict, and blew it up while still occupied by the
Portuguese, by which 42 of their soldiers were destroyed, and without
injury to the Moors, who planted their colours on the ruins. Ximiri Khan
made an assault by night with 600 men upon the bastion of the holy
cross, in which Ferdinand Pereyra was posted with 30 men, who was
reinforced by Henry de Betancourt with a few more. The assailants were
beaten off and five of their colours taken which they had planted on the
work. In this action Betancourt fought with his left hand, having
previously lost the right; and Dominic del Alama, being lame, caused
himself to be brought out in a chair. April 1571 was now begun, and the
enemy were employed in constructing new works as if determined to
continue the siege all winter. Alexander de Sousa and Gonzalo de Menezes
were appointed to head a sally upon these new works, but their men ran
out without orders to the number of 200, and made a furious assault upon
the enemy, whom they drove from the works after killing fifty of them
and losing a few of their own number. The two commanders hastened to
join their men, and then directed them to destroy the works they had so
gallantly won. Perplexed with so many losses, the Nizam made a general
assault under night with his whole army, attacking all the posts at one
time, every one of which almost they penetrated; but the garrison
exerted themselves with so much vigour that they drove the Moors from
every point of attack, and in the morning above 500 of the enemy were
found slain in and about the ruined defences, while the Portuguese had
only lost four or five men. About this time the defenders received a
reinforcement of above 200 men from Goa, Diu, and Basseen, with a large
supply of ammunition and provisions; but at this time they were much
afflicted by a troublesome though not mortal disease, by which they
became swelled all over so as to lose the use of their limbs.
Having ineffectually endeavoured to stir up enemies against the
Portuguese in Cambaya on purpose to prevent relief being sent to the
brave defenders of Chaul, the Nizam used every effort to bring his
arduous enterprize to a favourable conclusion. The house of Nuno Alvarez
Pereyra being used as a strong-hold by the Portuguese, was battered
during forty-two days by the enemy, who then assaulted it with 5000 men.
At first the defenders of this post were only forty in number, but
twenty more came to their assistance immediately, and several others
afterwards. The Moors were repulsed with the loss of 50 men, while the
Portuguese only lost one. The house of Nuno Vello was battered for
thirty days and assaulted with the same success, only the Portuguese
lest ten men in its defence. Judging it no longer expedient to defend
this house, it was undermined and evacuated, on which the enemy hastened
to take possession and it was blown up, doing considerable execution
among the enemy, but not so much as was expected. The summer was now
almost spent; above 6000 cannon-balls had been thrown into the town,
some of which were of prodigious size, and the Nizam seemed determined
to continue the siege during the winter. About 200 Portuguese, appalled
by the dangers of the siege, had already, deserted; but instead of them
300 men had come from Goa, so that the garrison was even stronger than
before. On the 11th of April, Gonzalez de Camara made a sortie upon 500
Moors in an orchard, only fifty of whom escaped.
Fortune could not be always favourable to the besieged. By a chance ball
from the enemy, one of the galleys which brought relief was sunk
downright with 40 men and goods to the value of 40,000 ducats. But, next
day, Ferdinand Tellez made a sally with 400 men, and gained a victory
equal to that of Gonzalez de Camara, and brought away one piece of
cannon with some ammunition, arms, and other booty. This action was seen
by the Nizam in person, who mounted his horse and threatened to join in
it in person, for which purpose he seized a lance, which he soon changed
for a whip, with which he threatened to chastise his men, and upbraided
them as cowards. The Portuguese were now so inured to danger that
nothing could terrify them, and they seemed to court death instead of
shunning it on all occasions. Some of them being employed to level some
works from which the enemy had been driven near the monastery of St
Francis, and being more handy at the sword than the spade, drew upon
themselves a large party of the enemy of whom they slew above 200, yet
not without some loss on their side. About this time Farete Khan, one of
the Nizams generals, made some overtures towards peace, but without any
apparent authority from his sovereign, who caused him to be arrested on
suspicion of being corrupted by the Portuguese, though assuredly he had
secret orders for what he had done. Indeed it was not wonderful that the
Nizam should be desirous of peace, as he had now lain seven months
before Chaul to no purpose, and had lost many thousand men; neither was
it strange in the Portuguese to have the same wish, as they had lost 400
men besides Indians.
When the siege had continued to the beginning of June the attacks and
batteries were carried on by both sides with as much obstinacy and
vigour as if then only begun. The house of Nunno Alvarez was at this
time taken by the enemy through the carelessness of the defenders, and
on an attempt to recover it 20 of the Portuguese lost their lives
without doing much injury to the enemy. The Moors in the next place got
possession of the monastery of St Dominic, but not without a heavy loss;
and then gained the house of Gonzalo de Menezes, in which the Portuguese
suffered severely. The hostile batteries kept up a constant fire from
the end of May to the end of June, as the Nizam had resolved to make a
breach fit for the whole army to try its fortune in a general assault.
On the 28th of June, every thing being in readiness, the Nizams whole
army was drawn out for the assault, all his elephants appearing in the
front with castles on their backs full of armed men. While the whole
army stood in expectation of the signal of assault, an officer of note
belonging to the enemy was slain by a random shot from one of the
Portuguese cannon, which the Nizam considered as an evil omen, and
ordered the attack to be deferred till next day. On this occasion six of
the garrison ventured beyond the works and drew a multitude of the enemy
within reach of the Portuguese fire, which was so well bestowed that 118
of the enemy were slain and 500 wounded, without any loss on the side of
the defenders.
About noon on the 29th of June 1571, the Nizam gave the signal of
assault, when the whole of his men and elephants moved forwards with
horrible cries and a prodigious noise of warlike instruments. The
Portuguese were drawn up in their several posts to defend the ruined
works, and Don Francisco Mascarenhas, the commander in chief[380],
placed himself opposite the Nizam with a body of reserve to relieve the
posts wherever he might see necessary. The day was darkened with smoke,
and alternately lighted up with flames. The slaughter and confusion was
great on both sides. Some of the colours of the enemy were planted on
the works, but were soon taken or thrown down along with those who had
set them up. The elephants were made drunk by the nayres who conducted
them that they might be the fiercer; but being burnt and wounded, many
of them ran madly about the field. One that was much valued by the
Nizam, having his housings all in flames, plunged into the sea and swam
over the bar, where he was killed by a cannon ball from one of the
Portuguese vessels. The Moors continued the assault till night, unable
to gain possession of any of the works, and then drew off, after losing
above 3000 men, among whom were many officers of note. On the side of
the Portuguese eight gentleman were slain and a small number of private
soldiers.
[Footnote 380: At the commencement of this siege, according to De Faria,
Luis Ferreyra de Andrada commanded in Chaul; and Mascarenhas is said to
have brought a reinforcement of 600 men; it would now appear that he had
assumed the command. - E.]
Next day the Moors asked leave to bury their dead, and a truce was
granted for that purpose. While employed in removing their dead, some of
the Moors asked the Portuguese, _What woman it was that went before them
in the fight, and if she were alive?_ One of the Portuguese answered,
_Certainly she was alive for she was immortal!_ On this the Moors
observed that it must have been the _Lady Marian_, for so they call the
blessed Virgin. Many of them declared that they saw her at the house of
Lorenzo de Brito, and that she was so bright that she blinded them. Some
of them even went to see her image in the churches of Chaul, where they
were converted and remained in the town. The Nizam was now seriously
disposed for peace, and the Portuguese commander equally so, yet neither
wished to make the first overture. At length however advances were made
and a treaty set on foot. Farete Khan and Azaf Khan were commissioners
from the Nizam, while Pedro de Silva and Antonio de Teyva were deputed
by the Portuguese commander in chief, and Francisco Mascarenhas by the
captain of the city. Accordingly a league offensive and defensive was
concluded in the name of the Nizam and the king of Portugal, which was
celebrated by great rejoicings on both sides and the interchange of rich
presents. This however might easily have been accomplished without the
effusion of so much blood. The Nizam now raised his camp and returned to
his own dominions.
The zamorin of Calicut, who was one of the contracting parties in this
extensive confederacy for driving the Portuguese from India, performed
his part of the agreement very coldly. After Goa and Chaul had been
besieged for near a month, instead of sending his fleet to sea according
to his engagements, he sent to treat with the viceroy for a separate
peace, either on purpose to mislead him, or in expectation of gaining
some advantages for himself in the present emergency. Few princes follow
the dictates of honour, when it interferes with their interest. When
this affair was laid before the council at Goa, it was their unanimous
opinion to agree to peace with the zamorin even on hard terms; but the
viceroy was determined to lose all or nothing, and declared he would
make no peace unless on such terms as he could expect when in the most
flourishing condition. Finding his designs fail, the zamorin sent out a
fleet about the end of February under the command of _Catiproca_, who
made his appearance before Chaul with 21 sail, having on board a large
land force, of which above 1000 were armed with firelocks. Though the
harbour of Chaul was then occupied by a considerable number of
Portuguese galleys and galliots, Catiproca and his fleet entered the
harbour under night without opposition. The Nizam was much pleased with
the arrival of this naval force, and having ordered a great number of
his small vessels named _calemutes_ to join the Malabar fleet, he
prevailed on Catiproca to attack the Portuguese ships, which were
commanded by Lionel de Sousa. They accordingly made the attempt, but
were so warmly received by De Sousa and his gallies as to be beat off
with considerable loss. The Nizam, who had witnessed this naval battle
from an adjoining eminence, used every argument to prevail upon
Catiproca to make another attempt, but to no purpose; for after
remaining twenty days in the harbour, he stole away one night, and got
away as fortunately as he had got in.
While on his return, Catiproca was applied to by the queen of Mangalore
to assist her in surprizing the Portuguese fort at that place, which she
alleged might be easily taken. Catiproca agreed to this, in hopes of
regaining the reputation he had lost at Chaul. He accordingly landed his
men secretly, and made an attempt under night to scale the walls. While
his men were mounting the ladders some servants of Antonio Pereyra, who
commanded in that fort, were awakened by the noise, and seeing the enemy
on the ladders threw out of a window the first thing that came to hand,
which happened to be a chest of silver; with which they beat down those
who were on the ladder. Pereyra waking with the noise, threw down those
who had mounted, and the rest fled carrying his chest of silver on board
their ships. While passing Cananor, Don Diego de Menezes fell upon the
Malabar squadron, which he totally routed and drove up the river
Tiracole, where every one of the ships were taken or destroyed, the
admiral Catiproca slain, his nephew Cutiale made prisoner, and the chest
of money belonging to Pereyra recovered.
Even by the fitting out of this unfortunate fleet, the zamorin did not
fulfil the conditions of the confederacy against the Portuguese, as each
of the high contracting parties had engaged to undertake some
considerable enterprize against them in person; but he had been hitherto
deterred by the presence of Diego de Menezes with a squadron in their
seas, who burned several of his maritime towns and took many of his
ships. Towards the end of June 1571, Diego de Menezes having withdrawn
from the coast with his squadron, and when Adel Khan and the Nizam were
both about to desist from their enterprises upon Goa and Chaul, the
zamorin took the field with an army of 100,000 men, most of them armed
with firelocks, with which he invested the fort of _Chale_ about two
leagues from Calicut, which was then under the command of Don George de
Castro. Having planted forty pieces of brass cannon against the fort and
straitly invested it with his numerous army so as to shut out all
apparent hope of relief, a small reinforcement under Noronha was unable
to penetrate; but soon afterwards Francisco Pereyra succeeded by an
effort of astonishing bravery to force his way into Chale with a few
men.
Advice being sent to the viceroy of the dangerous situation of Chale,
Diego de Menezes was sent with 18 sail to carry supplies and
reinforcements to the besieged. De Menezes got to Chale with great
difficulty about the end of September, at which time the besieged were
reduced to great extremity, having not above 70 men able to bear arms
out of 600 persons then in the fort. The relief of the fort seemed
impracticable, as the mouth of the harbour was very narrow, and was
commanded on all sides by numbers of cannon on surrounding eminences.
Diego resolved however to surmount all difficulties. A large ship was
filled with sufficient provisions to serve the garrison for two months,
and carried likewise fifty soldiers as a reinforcement. One galley
preceded to clear the way and two others followed the large ship to
defend her against the enemy. By this means, but with incredible
difficulty and danger, the relief was thrown in, but it was found
impossible to bring away the useless people from the fort as had been
intended. Thus, by the valour and good fortune of the viceroy, this
formidable confederacy was dissipated, which had threatened to subvert
the Portuguese power in India, and their reputation was restored among
the native princes.
SECTION VII.
_Portuguese Transactions in India from 1571 to 1576._
At this period Sebastian king of Portugal made a great alteration in the
government of the Portuguese possessions in the east, which he deemed
too extensive to be under the management of one person. He divided them
therefore into three separate governments, which were designated
respectively, India, Monotmotapa, and Malacca. The first, or India,
extended from Gape Guardafu, or the north-east extremity of Africa on
the Indian ocean, to the island of Ceylon inclusive. The second, or
Monomotapa, from Cape Corrientes to Cape Guardafu; and the third, or
Malacca, from Pegu to China both inclusive. To the command of the first,
or India, Don Antonio de Noronha was sent with the title of viceroy.
Francisco de Barreto was appointed to Monomotapa, and Antonio Moniz
Barreto to Malacca, both stiled governors. It will be necessary
therefore to treat of these governments separately, though by this we
must necessarily in some measure neglect the consideration of regular
chronology in the distribution of events. We begin therefore with the
viceroyalty of Noronha.