Ghap. XII. 
Malabar and Coromandel 
599 
CHAP. XIL 
De Caftro ccmes to Diu. Takes fome Arabian Veffels. Routs the Indians, P^ho 
leave the Ifle. Rumecan kill d. SoiimanV TranfaBions before Aden. He 
caujes the Kjng of that place to be hanged on his Mafi, and makes himfsh 
Majter of the City. A Defcriftion of Daman, Dabul and Vifiapour 
De Cartro 
fends Acu- 
nia to Diu. 
Ne takes 
fome Ara- 
bian Vef- 
fels. 
De Caftro 
relieves 
Diu in 
Perfon, 
The Porcu- 
gueles 
mal^ a ge- 
veral Sally. 
DE Caftro Viceroy of Goa had no fooner 
receiv'd the unwelcome News of 
the Death of his Son, and the diftrefled 
Condition of Diu., but he fent at the 
beginning of the Spring Alvarcs de Acu- 
nia with five Men of War and 400 Land- 
Men thither, with flrift Orders that they 
Ihould keep within their Fortifications 
till the whole Fleet with the intended 
Succours (hould arrive there. Alvares 
in his Pafiage thither took feveral Ara- 
bian Vefiels, aboard of which were feve- 
ral Perfons of Note belonging to Sofar, 
who, tho they offer'd a great Sum of 
Mony for their Ranfom, were all cut to 
pieces, and their Heads thrown into the 
River. 
The Spring being pretty well ad- 
vanc'd by this time, De Caftro fet fail for 
Baz,ain with 40 Yachts, having aboard 
1400 Portuguefe Land-Soldiers, and 300 
Canarins. With thefe, after having for 
fome time infefled the Coaft of camhaja.^ 
he arriv'd in the llha dos mortos^ whence 
he fent an Exprefs to Ma[carenhai with 
Orders to batter the Enemies Entrench- 
ments near the Sea-fide with his Cannon, 
to facilitate his landing \ which being 
bravely executed by Mafcarenhas^ De 
Caftro enter'd the Harbour without miich 
oppofition, and foon after landed his 
Men. De Caftro being not a little fur- 
priz'd to fee the Fort appear more like 
a heap of Rubbifli than a Fortification, 
the very Ditches being laid level with 
the ground, he call'd a Council of War 
to confult of the moft: proper means to 
put an end to the Siege : Some were of 
opinion, that fome time ought to be al- 
low'd to the Soldiers to refrefa them- 
felves after the Fatigues of the Sea ^ but 
De Caftro telling them, that it would be a 
great difgrace for a Portuguefe Viceroy to 
be lock'd up in a Fort, it was refolved to 
attack the Enemy next day. 
Accordingly they march'd out in good 
order, De Caftro ordering the Draw- 
bridges to be drawn up, to cut off all 
hopes of retreating into the Fort, and 
leaving Anthonio Correa with fome Men to 
guard it againfi: any fudden Attempt. 
The better to diftrad the Enemy's Forces, 
Nicolao Gonfalvo was commanded to make 
a falfe Attack with fome Ships 011 the 
backfide of the Ifland. Rumecan on the 
other hand, truHing to his Number, took 
care to guard his Polls on all fides, a- 
gainft which De Caftro marched v^ith a 
much lefier Force, exhorting his Sol- 
diers in a few words: That they ought toDe d- 
remember that they fervid a King., who ne- ftro'-*" 
ver faiPd to reward fuch of his Soldiers as ^^^''"^^ 
fought bravely for God's Cauft\ and the J' J 
Defence of h'vs Territories in the indies, the 
Prefer vation whereof defended on this Battel ; 
that therefore theyflmld fight like Men^ and 
confider tbat aU their Safety lay in their 
hands., all hopes of retreating being cut off 
by the fhutting up of the Gates of the Fort., 
and the removal of the Fleet to the hackjide 
of the Jfle. 
Things being thus difpos'd, Gonfalvo 
made his falfe Attack on the other fide 
of the Ifland, which fo alarum'd the In- 
dians., that they haftned in whole Troops 
thither, which gave opportunity to the 
Portuguefes (who were about 3000 Urong) 
animated by the Example of De Caftro 
and Mafcarcnhas their Leaders, to break 
in upon the Indians with fuch fury, that 
they were_ not able to refift them. Ku- y^^f^ 
^wc^/;? finding his Forces to give v/ay, and r/;e Indf- 
imagining that the Fort was left dellitute ans. 
of Men to defend it, aflaulted the fame 
full of defpair but being repulfed by 
Correa^ was forced to follow the reft, 
and being clofely purfued by the Portu- 
guefes, quitted the Ifle, and with the 
Remnants of his Forces pafied over to 
the Continent. The Portuguefes enter'd 
the City, where they kill'd all they met 
with, without any regard to Age or Sex, 
where they got an incredible Booty, and 
among other things the Standard of Cam- 
bajaj a prodigious quantity of Arms, and 
3 5 Brafs Cannon, one whereof being of 
an extraordinary fize, is kept to this day 
in the Arfenal at Lisbon, with certain 
Arabick Characters upon it. The Portu- 
guefes loft; not above 60 Men in this 
Adion, whereas of the Indians were kiiPd 
no lefs than 4000, and 600 taken Prifo- 
nefs •, Rumecan himfelf loft; his Life as he Rumean 
was preparing to pals over to the Con-Jltiru 
tinent. 
