_Transactions of the Portuguese in India, from 1581 to 1597_ [405].
Don Francisco Mascarenhas, count of Santa Cruz, was the first viceroy
sent out to India after the revolution by which Philip II of Spain
acquired the sovereignty of Portugal. The honour and advantages
conferred upon him on receiving this important office were greater than
had ever been enjoyed by any of his predecessors. He well deserved all
rewards of honour and profit, having served with great reputation in
India, particularly in the brave defence of Chaul, with an incompetent
garrison, and hardly any fortifications, against the power of the Nizam,
who besieged it with 150,000 men. Yet his advancement on this occasion
proceeded more from the policy of the king of Spain than the merit of
Mascarenhas, to endeavour to gain the hearts of the Portuguese in India
by his bounty. On his arrival at Goa in 1581, the new viceroy found that
all the Portuguese had already submitted to the government of the king
of Spain, so that he had only to attend to the usual affairs of his
viceroyalty.
[Footnote 405: We have here omitted from de Faria several long and
confused dissertations on subjects that will be treated of more
satisfactorily in the sequel of this work, from better sources of
information. These are, 1. Of the religion of Hindostan. 2. Of the
empire of Ethiopia, or Abyssinia. 3. Of Japan. 4. Of China. 5. Of the
traditions respecting the preaching of Christianity in India by St
Thomas. Likewise, in the sequel of the Portuguese transactions in India
from de Faria, we have omitted a vast deal of uninteresting events,
confining our attention only to such as are of some relative
importance.--E.]
Sultan Amodifar, the lawful king of Guzerat, after being long kept
prisoner by the Mogul who had usurped his kingdom, made his escape by
the assistance of some women and came in disguise to a Banian at
Cambaya, by whom he was conveyed to _Jambo_, a person who had
secured himself in a portion of the kingdom of Guzerat in the late
revolution. Jambo not only acknowledged Amodifar as his legitimate
sovereign, but procured the submission of many other chiefs and great
men, so that he was soon at the head of a large army, in which there
were above 30,000 horse, and in a short time Amodifar recovered
possession of almost all Guzerat, either by force or consent. In hopes
of profiting by these confusions, and in particular expecting to acquire
possession of Surat, the viceroy went with 40 sail to Chaul, whence he
sent some intelligent agents to Baroach, which was then besieged by
Amodifar, the wife and children of Cotub oddin Khan having taken refuge
in that place. These agents had instructions to treat secretly both with
Amodifar and the wife of Cotub, without letting either of them know the
correspondence with the other, that the Portuguese interest might be
secured with the party that ultimately prevailed. But a large Mogul army
invaded Guzerat and recovered possession of the whole country, so that
the negociations of the viceroy fell to nothing, and be returned to Goa.
While absent from that city, the subjects of the new king of Visiapour,
provoked by the insolences of Larva Khan the favourite minister, wished
to set up Cufo Khan the son of Meale Khan, who had been long kept
prisoner at Goa; but on this coming to the knowledge of Larva Khan, he
contrived, by means of an infamous Portuguese, named Diego Lopez Bayam,
to inveigle Cufo Khan into his power, who thinking to gain a crown was
made prisoner by Larva Khan and deprived of his eyes.
After Don Francisco de Mascarenhas had enjoyed the viceroyalty for three
years, Don Duarte de Menezes came out in 1581 as his successor. His
first measure was to restore peace at Cochin, where a revolt was
threatened by the natives in consequence of the Portuguese having
usurped the management of the custom-house to the prejudice of the
Rajah; but an accommodation was now entered into, and the people
appeased by restoring matters to their ancient footing. The _naik_ of
Sanguicer, a place dependent upon the king of Visiapour, having
converted his place of residence into a nest of pirates, to the great
injury of the Portuguese trade on the coast of Canara, an agreement was
entered into with the king of Visiapour for his punishment; the governor
of Ponda named Kosti Khan being to march against him by land with 40,000
men, while the Portuguese were to attack the naik by sea. This was
accordingly executed, and the naik being driven to take refuge is the
woods, implored mercy, and was restored to his ruined district.
Some years before the present period a prodigious inundation of Kafrs
or Negro barbarians from the interior of Africa invaded the country of
Monomotapa, in multitudes that were utterly innumerable. They came from
that part of the interior in which the great lake of _Maravi_ is
situated, out of which springs the great rivers whose source was
formerly unknown. Along with this innumerable multitude, a part of whom
were of the tribes called _Macabires_ and _Ambei_, bordering upon
Abyssinia, came their wives, children, and old people, as if emigrating
bodily in search of new habitations, from their own being unable to
contain them. They were a rude and savage people, whose chosen food was
human flesh, only using that of beasts in defect of the other; and such
was the direful effect of their passage through any part of the country,
that they marked their way by the utter ruin of the habitations, leaving
nothing behind but the bones of the inhabitants. When these failed them,
they supplied their craving hunger by feeding on their own people,
beginning with the sick and aged. Even their women, though ugly and
deformed, were as hardy and warlike as their husbands, carrying their
children and household goods on their backs, and going armed with bows
and arrows, which they used with as much courage and dexterity as the
men. These barbarians used defensive armour, and even employed the
precaution of fortifying their camp wherever they happened to halt.
While passing the castle of _Tete_ upon the Zambeze in the interior of
Mocaranga, Jerome de Andrada who commanded the Portuguese garrison sent
out against them a party of musketeers, and in two encounters killed
above 5000 of them, while the multitude fled in the utmost dismay,
having never, before experienced the effects of fire arms. Passing
onwards from thence, the barbarous multitude came to the neighbourhood
of Mozambique, destroying every thing in their course like an inundation
of fire; and as the situation appeared inviting to one of their chiefs
named _Mambea_, who commanded about 6000 warriors, he built a fort and
some towns on the main, about two leagues from Mozambique. As the fort
of Cuama, where Nuno Vello Pereyra commanded, was much incommoded by the
neighbourhood of these barbarians, he sent out Antonio Pimentel against
them with 400 men, four only of whom were Portuguese, who falling
unexpectedly on the barbarians slew many of them and burnt the fort; but
retiring in disorder, the enemy fell upon Pimentel and his men, all of
whom they slew except three Portuguese and a small number of negroes.
All the slain were devoured by the victorious Kafrs, except their
heads, hands, and feet.
The country about Mozambique is full of orchards and fruit trees,
especially citrons, lemons, and oranges, and has all kinds of wild and
tame beasts like those in Europe, together with prodigious numbers of
elephants. The principal food of the people is maize. The woods mostly
consist of ebony, being a very lofty tree with leaves like those of our
apple trees, and fruit resembling medlars, but not eatable, the whole
stem and branches being thickly covered with thorns. The bark is as
susceptible of fire as tinder, and when one of these trees is cut down
it never springs up again. There is another sort of a yellowish colour,
which is reckoned valuable. The best manna is produced in this country.
Among the fish of this river is one equally voracious with the
crocodile, from which no man escapes that gets within their reach, but
they never injure women. One of these of a prodigious size was caught
having gold rings in its ears, which was supposed to have been done as
some species of witchcraft or incantation by the Kafrs to clear the
river from these dangerous animals. In confirmation of this opinion, we
read in an Arabian author named _Matude_, giving an account of
prodigies, that about the year 863 a brazen crocodile was found under
the ruins of an Egyptian temple, on which certain characters or
symbolical letters were impressed, and when this image was broken in
pieces the crocodiles of the Nile began again to devour men.
During the viceroyalty of Don Duarte de Menezes fresh troubles broke out
in the kingdom of Visiapour, in consequence of which the Moguls invaded
the country, and after laying it waste to a great extent possessed
themselves of many of its towns cities and districts. The occasions of
these troubles was this: The king being ill of a contagious distemper,
his two favourite ministers, Acede Khan and Calabate Khan, kept him
concealed in the palace, so that no person was allowed to see him. The
prince and the people had recourse to arms, in order to force these
tyrants to admit them into the kings presence; on which they persuaded
the infirm king that the prince wished to depose him, so that the king
went to war against the prince, and defeated him with great slaughter,
upon which the Moguls were called in to their assistance, and used the
opportunity to plunder the country and appropriate it to themselves.
Towards the close of the viceroyalty of Don Duarte de Menezes, Raju who
had usurped the sovereignty of Ceylon, determined upon making a conquest
of the Portuguese fortress of Columbo, with a view of expelling them
from that island. For this purpose he collected an immense army, in
which were 50,000 soldiers, 60,000 pioneers, and nearly as many
artificers of various descriptions, with 2200 elephants, 40,000 oxen,
150 pieces of cannon, and 50,000 intrenching tools, axes, shovels,
spades, and mattocks, with an innumerable quantity of spare arms and
ammunition; among which were two wooden castles built upon enormous
carriages, each of which had nine wheels. Added to all which he had
nearly 500 craft of different kinds. Before proceeding upon this
expedition, he deemed it proper to consult the idols respecting its
success; and on this occasion he secretly placed men behind the idols,
who answered to his supplications for a favourable termination to his
great design, _If you, would take Columbo you must shed innocent blood!_
The people were astonished at this familiar and direct intercourse
between their idols and their prince; and he, pretending obedience to
the divine commands which they had all heard, caused 500 children to be
taken from the arms of their mothers, all of whom were sacrificed, and
the idols sprinkled with their blood.
After all his preparations were completed, he marched with his
prodigious army and invested Columbo, choosing the ground which he
deemed most advantageous, as the garrison was not sufficiently strong to
contend with him in the field. Joam de Britto, who then commanded in
Columbo, had sent intimation of his danger to the other Portuguese
possessions, and had arranged every thing for defence as well as he
could. To defend the place against the vast army by which he was now
assailed, he had only 300 Portuguese, a third of whom were useless, as
being old men or children; besides whom he had 700 armed natives and
slaves. This incompetent force he posted to the best advantage around
the walls, which were far too extensive, reserving 50 picked men to
attend upon himself to give relief wherever it was most needed. After
the commencement of the siege, Raju spent a whole month in draining a
lake which secured one side of Columbo from being assailed, and as the
Portuguese had several boats on the lake, there were frequent skirmishes
in which the enemy suffered considerable loss. The side of the fort
which had been covered by the lake was much weakened by the drawing off
its water, which had been its chief defence on that side. In
consequence of the advices sent by Brito to the commanders of the
neighbouring forts, reinforcements were prepared at different quarters.
The first relief, consisting of 40 men, was sent by Juan de Melo the
commander of Manaar, under the command of his nephew Ferdinand de Melo,
who likewise brought a supply of ammunition; and Ferdinand was posted
with his men to strengthen the defence upon the side towards the drained
lake.
On the 4th of August before day-light [406], Raju advanced in silence to
give the first assault, but was discovered by the lighted matches of his
musqueteers. The enemy applied their scaling ladders at the same time to
the three bastions of St Michael, St Gonzalo, and St Francisco, while
2000 pioneers fell to work below to undermine the works. Many of the
assailants were thrown down from their ladders on the heads of the
workmen employed below, while numbers of the enemy who were drawn up in
the field before the town were destroyed by the cannons from the walls.
Everywhere both within and without, the fort resounded with the cries of
women and children, and the groans of the wounded, joined to the noise
of the cannon and musquetry and the shrill cries of elephants, which,
forced to the walls by their conductors, were driven back smarting with
many wounds, and did vast injury in the ranks of the besiegers. Such was
the multitude of the enemy that they did not seem lessened by slaughter,
fresh men still pressing on to supply the places of the killed and
wounded. Brito was present in every place of danger, giving orders and
conveying relief, and after a long and arduous contest, the enemy at
length gave way, leaving 400 men dead or dying at the foot of the walls.
During this assault, some Chingalese who had retired into the fort to
escape the tyranny of Raju, fought with as much bravery as the
Portuguese. Twice afterwards, Raju made repeated attempts to carry the
place by escalade, but was both times repulsed with much slaughter.
After which he repaired his entrenchments, and prepared to renew the
assaults.
[Footnote 406: The date of the year is omitted by DeTaria, who, always
rather negligent of dates, now; hardly ever gives any more light on this
subject than the years in which the respective viceroys and governors
assumed and laid down their authorities. The siege therefore must have
happened between 1584 and 1588, during the government of Duarte de
Menezes.--E.]
After the commencement of the siege Diego Fernandez Pessoa came from
Negapatnam with a ship of his own, and Antonio de Aguilar brought
another ship, by means of which the besieged were much encouraged. Don
Joam de Austria the _Modeliar_ of Candea[407], and the _Arache_ Don
Alfonzo, did at this time eminent service against the enemy; and a
soldier of vast strength, named Jose Fernandez, having broken his spear,
threw several of the enemy behind him to be slain by those in his rear.
On learning the danger of Colombo, the city of Cochin fitted out six
ships for its relief, with a supply of men and ammunition, which were
placed under the command of Nuno Alvarez de Atouguia. Before their
arrival, Raju gave another general assault by sea and land, in which the
danger was so pressing that even the religious were forced to act as
officers and soldiers to defend the walls, and the enemy were again
repulsed with great slaughter. Immediately after this the relief arrived
under Atouguia from Cochin, and nearly at the same time arrived from St
Thomases and other places several ships brought by private individuals
of their own accord; and in September six ships and a galley arrived
with reinforcements from Goa under Bernardin de Carvallo. On the arrival
of such numerous reinforcements, Raju, giving up all hopes of carrying
the place by assault, endeavoured to undermine the walls; but this
attempt was effectually counteracted by Thomas de Sousa, who found out a
way of destroying the miners while engaged in the work.
[Footnote 407: It will be afterwards seen in the particular history and
travels in Ceylon, that this person was the native sovereign of the
central region or kingdom of Ceylon, called Candy or Candea from the
name of the capital, who had acquired the same in the text in
baptism.--E.]
Foiled in all his attempts to gain possession of Columbo, Raju now
endeavoured to attain his end by treachery, and prevailed on some of his
wizards to pretend discontent, and desert to the town, that they might
poison the water in the garrison and _bewitch_ the defenders. Being
suspected, these men were put to the torture; on which they confessed
their intentions, and were put to death. "While one of the wizards was
on the rack, he uttered certain mysterious words which deprived the
executioners of their senses, and left them struggling under convulsions
for twenty-four hours." Treachery failing, Raju had again recourse to
open force, and ordered his fleet to attack that of the Portuguese
commanded by Thomas de Sousa; but two of the Ceylon ships were sunk and
two taken, in which most of the men were slain, and those who survived
were hanged at the yard-arms. In this naval battle 300 of the enemy were
slain, with the loss of two men only on the side of the Portuguese.
Raju was so enraged at the bad success of the naval attack, that he
ordered two of his principal sea-officers to be beheaded. Soon after
this a ship arrived with ammunition sent by the viceroy, and the enemy
made another assault by night on the works, in which, as in all the
others, they were beat off with great slaughter. After this, Juan de
Gamboa arrived in a galley with a reinforcement of 150 men; and De Brito
finding himself now confident in the strength of his garrison, sent out
Pedro Alfonzo with a squadron to destroy the towns on the coast
belonging to the enemy. In this expedition, the towns of Belicot,
Berberii, and Beligao were plundered and burnt, and the Portuguese in
their haste to get possession of the pendents and bracelets of the women
barbarously cut off their hands and ears. After making prodigious havock
in many other places, Alfonzo returned to Columbo with mach spoil and
many prisoners.
At this time sickness attacked the garrison of Columbo, and threatened
to do more for Raju than all his force had been able to effect. The
disease, which began in the neighbouring towns and spread to Columbo,
baffled every attempt of the physicians for its cure. On opening some
who died of it, the entrails were found impostumated, which was supposed
owing to uncommon heat and drought, which had prevailed that year beyond
any other in remembrance of the people. By the application of _cold and
dry_ remedies the disease decreased. By the beginning of January[408]
Raju made two other attempts to gain Columbo by assault, in the last of
which the bastions of St Sebastian, St Gonzalo, and St Jago were in
great danger, but the enemy were repulsed in both with great slaughter.
In the meanwhile the fleet was again sent out under the command of
Thomas de Sousa, who ravaged the coast of Ceylon, and destroyed the
villages of Coscore, Madania, Guinderem, Gale, Beligao, Mature, and
Tanavar. To this last place the idolaters had imagined the Portuguese
arms could never penetrate, as protected by the supposed sanctity of a
pagoda in its neighbourhood. This pagoda was situated on a hill near the
town, and appeared from sea like a city. It was above a league in
circumference, ornamented with numerous domes, all of which were covered
with copper splendidly gilt. In this pagoda there were above 1000 idols
in the several chapels or large cloisters; the temple being surrounded
with streets full of shops for the supply of the pilgrims and votaries
who resorted thither from all quarters. Taking possession of this
temple, Sousa cast down and destroyed all the idols, demolished all the
curious workmanship of the pagoda, and carried away every thing that
could be removed, after which he killed some cows in its most sacred
recesses, which is the greatest possible profanation in the opinion of
the idolaters.
[Footnote 408: Probably of the year 1588; as the death of the viceroy,
who died in that year, is soon afterwards mentioned by De Faria.--E.]
Among the prisoners taken at Cascore was a young woman who happened to
be a bride. When the ships were about to weigh anchor, a young man came
hastily to the place where the young woman was, and embraced her with
much affection. By means of an interpreter, it was learned that this man
was her destined husband, who had been absent when the town was
attacked, and came now to offer himself for a slave rather than live
free in separation from the woman of his affections. When this was told
to Sousa, he determined not to part such true lovers, and ordered them
to be both set at liberty; but they were so much affected by this act of
generosity, that they requested to remain in his service. They lived
afterwards in Columbo, where the man faithfully served the Portuguese on
many occasions.
Scarcely had Sousa returned to Columbo from this last expedition, when
Raju decamped, and began to march away, but the Portuguese fell upon the
rear of his army, and cut off many of his men. In the course of this
siege, some say that Raju lost 10,000 men, while others restrict the
loss to half of that number. Besides the destruction of many towns,
villages, and ships, burnt, plundered, and destroyed, the cannon,
prisoners, and booty taken during this siege from the enemy were of
considerable value. By these losses, and his inability to gain
possession of Columbo with so large an army, Raju lost much reputation
among the neighbouring princes, who waited the success of his
preparations to declare for either side. The loss on the side of the
Portuguese during this siege, consisted of 140 men slain, 50 only of
whom were Portuguese; but 500 died of the sickness formerly mentioned.
On the day after the siege was raised, Don Paul de Lima came to Columbo
with a powerful reinforcement from the viceroy. Eight days were spent in
levelling the works which Raju had thrown up, after which the damage
done to the fort was repaired, and it was furnished with a garrison of
600 men, plentifully supplied with arms and ammunition. Soon after
receiving the joyful news of the glorious and successful defence of
Columbo, the viceroy, Duarte de Menezes, died of a violent sickness in
the beginning of May 1588, to whom succeeded Emanuel de Sousa Coutinno,
in virtue of a patent of succession, being every way well qualified for
the office by his singular bravery and thorough experience in the
affairs of India.
In the homeward fleet of this season Don Paul de Lima embarked for
Portugal in the ship called the St Thome, of which Stefano de Vega was
captain. While off the coast of Natal the ship sprung a leak in the
stern during a storm, and though all the rich commodities with which she
was freighted were thrown overboard, it was found impossible to keep her
afloat. In this extremity 120 persons took to the boat, and had hardly
put off when the ship was swallowed up by the waves. Finding the boat
overloaded, it was found necessary to throw some of the people into the
sea. At length the boat reached the shore, on which _ninety-eight_
persons landed, several of whom were men of note with their wives, and
some friars, one of whom after confessing the people who remained in the
ship wished to have staid with them that he might aid their devotions to
the last. After landing, the women put themselves into mens habits,
after the Indian manner, for the greater ease in travelling, and the
whole company set off on their march in good order, a friar going before
carrying a crucifix on high. The place where they landed was on that
part of the coast of _Natal_ called by the Portuguese the country of the
_Fumos_, but by the natives the country of _Macomates_, being inhabited
by Kafirs of that name. It is in the latitude of 27° 20' S. beyond the
river of _Semin Dote_, 50 leagues south of the bay of _Lorenzo
Marquez_[409]. All the lands of the Fumos belongs to the king of
_Virangune_[410], and extends 30 leagues into the interior, bordering on
the south with the country of _Mocalapata_, which again extends to the
river _St Lucia_, in lat. 28° 15' S. and to the kingdom of _Vambe_,
which contains a great part of the _Terra de Natal_[411]. From thence
to the Cape of Good Hope, the natives have no king, being ruled only by
_ancozes_ or chiefs of villages. Next to the kingdom of _Virangune_ to
the north is that of _Innaca_, towards the N.E. to the point of the bay
of _St Laurence_, in lat. 25° 45' S. opposite to which are two islands,
named _Choambone_ and _Setimuro_, the latter of which is uninhabited,
and is the station of the Portuguese who resort to this bay to purchase
ivory. About this bay many great rivers fall into the sea, as those
named _Beligane_, _Mannica_, _Spiritu Santo_, _Vumo_, _Anzate_, and
_Angomane_[412]. _Anzate_ runs long the edge of vast inaccessible
mountains, covered with herds of elephants, and inhabited by a gigantic
race of people[413]. In the latitude of 25° S. the river _De los Reyes_,
or _Del Ouro_, likewise named the river _Inhampura_ falls into the sea,
to the west of which in the interior are the kingdoms of _Innapola_ and
_Mannuco_. From this place to Cape Corientes, the sea makes a great bay,
along which inhabit the _Mocaranges_, a nation much addicted to
thieving[414]. Opposite to Cape St Sebastian are the islands of
_Bazaruto_ or _Bocica_, and not far from it the kingdom of _Innabuze_
which reaches to the river _Innarigue_[415]. After which is the country
of _Pande_, bordering on _Monnibe_, which last extends to _Zavara_ in
the interior. Near these are the kingdoms of _Gamba_ and _Mocuraba_,
which last is near Cape Corientes[416].
[Footnote 409: If the latitude in the text could be depended on, this
shipwreck seems to have taken place on the coast now occupied by the
_Hambonaas_, near the small river _Bagasie_, 85 miles south from the
entrance into _Delagoa_ bay. The river of Semin Dote is probably that
now called _Mafumo_, which agrees with the country of _Fumos_ in the
text; and the bay of Lorenzo Marquez may possibly be _Delagoa_, though
only 28 leagues north from the latitude of the text, but there is no
other bay of any importance for 400 miles farther along this coast.--E.]
[Footnote 410: In modern maps, the country along the south side of the
river _Mafumo_, is said to be the dominions of _Capellah_.--E.]
[Footnote 411: To the south of the _Hambonaas_ at Delagoa bay, the coast
of Natal is inhabited by the _Tambookies_ and _Koussis_. The river St
Lucia still remains in our maps in the latitude indicated, but the other
names in the text are unknown in modern geography.--E.]
[Footnote 412: Of these rivers only that of _Manica_, called likewise
_Spiritu Santo_, retains the name in the text. That circumstance and the
latitude indicated, point out Delagoa bay as that called St Lawrence by
De Faria; unless we may suppose St Lawrence bay includes the whole bend
inwards of the coast from Cape Corientes to point St Lucia on the coast
of Natal, and that Delagoa bay, in the bottom of this large sweep, is
that formerly called the bay of Lorenzo Marquez.--E.]
[Footnote 413: No trace of Anzate can be found in modern maps.--E.]
[Footnote 414: The text in this place is assuredly erroneous, as the
Mocaranges have been formerly described by De Faria as the ruling nation
in Monomotapa, which runs along the great bay of Sofala to _the north_
of Cape Corientes.--E.]
[Footnote 415: Probably the country and river now called Inhambane.--E.]
[Footnote 416: These five last mentioned kingdoms, probably named from
the barbarous chiefs of roving savage tribes, are now unknown to
geography.--E.]
After suffering much from hunger thirst and fatigue, the survivors from
the San Thome arrived at the town of _Manica_, where they were
courteously received by the king, who offered them permission either to
live in his town or in the island where we have formerly said the
Portuguese used to reside during their trade for ivory on this coast, at
which place they might remain till the arrival of the Portuguese
merchants[417]. They preferred the island, where some of them died; and
as they were ill accommodated here, they passed over in boats to the
continent and renewed their weary pilgrimage to the northward, but
separated. Some got to the fort of _Sofala_, and others to the town of
the king of _Innaca_, where they found some Portuguese traders who like
themselves had suffered shipwreck. After enduring great hardships, many
of them died, and among these was Don Paul de Lima. Those who survived,
returned after a long time to Goa, among whom were three ladies. Two of
these, Donna Mariana and Donna Joanna Mendoza dedicated themselves to a
religious life; but Donna Beatrix, the widow of Don Paul de Lima, having
conveyed her husbands remains to Goa, returned into Portugal, and was
afterwards married at Oporto.
[Footnote 417: Manica is far inland, but the place indicated in the text
was probably near the mouth of the river of that name, on the north,
side of Delagoa bay.--E.]
In May 1591, Matthew de Albuquerque arrived in India as viceroy. About
this time the Portuguese met with a heavy loss in Monomotapa in a war
with the _Muzimbas_, a savage nation of Kafrs. _Tete_, a fort belonging
to the Portuguese high up the river Zambeze, has the command of all the
neighbouring district for three leagues round, which is divided among
eleven native chiefs, who are all obliged to repair with their armed
followers to the fort when ordered by the Portuguese commandant, to the
number of 2000 men. Pedro Fernandez de Chaves, who commanded in Tete,
with these Kafrs and some Portuguese marched against _Quisura_ chief of
the _Mumbos_ at _Chicaronga_, a town on the north of the Zambeze about
30 miles from Tete. He defeated these Mumbos in battle and relieved many
prisoners who would otherwise have been slaughtered like cattle for the
shambles, as the Mumbos feed on human flesh. The chief _Quisara_ was
slain, who used to pave the way to his dwelling with the skulls of those
be had overcome. About the same time Andrew de Santiago, who commanded
in _Sena_, another Portuguese fort lower down the Zambeze, marched
against the _Muzimbas_ a barbarous race of Kafrs on the river _Suabo_
which runs into the northern side of the Zambeze; but found them so
strongly fortified that he sent to Chaves for aid. Chaves accordingly
marched from _Tete_ with some Portuguese and the Kafrs under his
command; but the Muzimbas fell upon him unexpectedly and slew him and
all his Portuguese, being advanced a considerable way before the Kafrs,
who got time to escape. The victorious Muzimbas quartered the slain for
food, and returned to their fortified post. Next day the Muzimbas
marched out against Santiago, carrying the head of Chaves on a spear.
Santiago was so astonished at this sight that he endeavoured to retire
in the night, but was attacked by the Muzimbas in his retreat, and he
and most of his men slain. In these two unfortunate actions, above 130
of the Portuguese were cut in pieces and buried in the bellies of these
savage cannibals.
Don Pedro de Sousa commanded at this time in Mozambique; and as Tete and
Sena were under his jurisdiction, he set out with 200 Portuguese
soldiers and 1500 armed Kafrs to take revenge upon the Muzimbas and
succour the two forts on the Zambeze. He battered the entrenchments of
the barbarians to no purpose, and was repulsed in an attempt to take
them by assault. Having nearly succeeded by raising a mount of fascines
as high as the works of the enemy, he was induced to desist by some
cowards among his men, who pretended that the fort of Sena was in danger
of being taken. He drew off therefore to its relief, and was attacked by
the Muzimbas who slew many of his men, and took all his cannon and
baggage. Yet the enemy offered peace, which was concluded. Soon
afterwards one of the chiefs of the Muzimbas, having gathered about
15,000 men, marched to the southwards destroying every thing in the way
that had life, and invested _Quiloa_, which he gained possession of
through the treachery of one of the inhabitants, and put all to the
sword. After this he caused the traitor and all his family to be thrown
into the river, saying that those who had betrayed their country
deserved to die, yet were unfit to be eaten, as they were venomous, and
therefore fit food for the fishes. The Mozimba chief endeavoured to
destroy Melinda in the same manner, but the sheikh was assisted by 30
Portuguese, which enabled him to hold out till 3000 _Mosseguejo_ Kafrs
came to his relief, when the Mozimbas were defeated with such slaughter
that only 100 of them escaped along with their chief, after they had
ravaged 300 leagues of country.
We now return to the affairs of India, where Chaul was again besieged.
_Malek_[418] had erected a new city opposite to Chaul and bearing the
same name, well peopled with Moors who carried on an extensive trade, as
it had an excellent port and the inhabitants were famous silk-weavers.
The commander of this new city was an eunuch, who had been formerly a
slave to the Portuguese and now to Malek. Immediately to the north of
the Portuguese fortress of Chaul, from which it was divided by the river
of that name, is a noted promontory called _Morro_, on which the eunuch
took post with 4000 horse and 7000 foot, and cannonaded the Portuguese
fort of Chaul from that commanding ground with 65 pieces of large
cannon. These hostilities were countenanced by the Nizam, though
contrary to the peace which had been established when Francisco Barreto
was governor, but were now justified by some complaints against the
conduct of Albuquerque the present viceroy, and in addition to, the
siege of Chaul several military parties belonging to the Nizam infested
the districts, dependent upon the Portuguese forts of Basseen and Chaul.
As the Moors considered the capture of Chaul to be near at hand, seeing
that their cannon had made considerable impression on its walls,
_fourteen_ Mogul chiefs came to be present at its reduction; but in a
sortie made by the Portuguese, _nine_ of these were slain and _two_
taken. Talador the eunuch commander of the besiegers was wounded, and
died soon afterwards, as did a Turk who was next in command, on which
Farete Khan succeeded in the conduct of the siege, and gave the
Portuguese no respite by day or night, continually battering their works
with his powerful artillery. The garrison in Chaul consisted of 1000
men, to which place Alvaro de Abranches brought 300 from Basseen and 200
from Salcete; and being now at the head of 1500 Portuguese troops and an
equal number of natives, so brave and faithful that they often
voluntarily interposed their own bodies to protect their masters,
Abranches appointed a day for making an attack upon the enemy. Having
all confessed, the Portuguese embarked in a number of small vessels and
crossed the river after which they forced their way to the plain of
Morro on the top of the promontary, where the battle was renewed. Ten
elephants were turned loose by the Moors, in expectation that they would
force the Portuguese troops into disorder; but one of these being
severely wounded by a Portuguese soldier, turned back and trampled down
the enemy, till falling into the ditch he made a way like a bridge for
passing over. Another of the elephants forcing his way in at a wicket in
the works of the enemy, enabled the Portuguese to enter likewise, where
they slaughtered the enemy almost without opposition. Some accounts say
that 10,000 men were slain on this occasion, and others say no less than
60,000. Farate Khan with his wife and daughter were made prisoners, and
only 21 Portuguese were slain in this decisive action. The principal
booty consisted of 75 pieces of cannon of extraordinary size, a vast
quantity of ammunition, many horses, and five elephants. Farate Khan
became a Christian before he died, as did his daughter, who was sent to
Portugal, but his wife was ransomed.
[Footnote 418: This unusual name seems from the context to be here given
to the Nizam-al-mulk or sovereign of the Decan.--E.]