The New Viceroy Had Intended To Execute
Several Important Enterprises; But He Soon Fell Sick, And Finding His
End Fast Approaching, He Appointed Lope Vaz De Sampayo To Act As His
Successor Till Don Enrique De Menezes, Then At Goa, Who Was Next In
Nomination By The King, Might Arrive.
Vasco de Gama died on Christmas
eve 1524, having been only three months viceroy.
He was of middle
stature, somewhat gross, and had a ruddy complexion. He had a natural
boldness for any great undertaking, and was well fitted for every thing
entrusted to him, as a sea captain, as discoverer, and as viceroy; being
patient of fatigue, prompt in the execution of justice, and terrible
when angry.
Immediately after the death of the viceroy, Lope Vaz de Sampayo
dispatched Francisco de Sa to Goa, to carry information to Don Enrique
de Menezes that he had succeeded to the government of Portuguese India.
Leaving De Sa to command in Goa, Menezes went immediately to Cochin to
assume his new situation; having first sent his nephew George Zelo with
a galliot and five armed paraos against a fleet which infested the
coast. Zelo met 38 vessels laden with spice commanded by Cutiale, four
of which were taken and the rest driven on shore. These four were
brought in barbarous triumph to Goa, having many of the enemies hung
upon the shrouds. The Canarin rowers carried thirty heads, in token of
the victory, and twelve prisoners alive, who were given up to the boys
to be stoned to death. Zelo had similar success afterwards against a
ship and nine paraos. He sailed after that to Cochin with his uncle,
who, being accidentally joined by George de Menezes, defeated 36 paraos
belonging to Diu, 17 of which were taken. When at Cananor be hanged a
Moor of quality, on which many of his relations left the city and took
to robbing on the river. But, with consent of the king of Cananor, Don
Enrique sent Hector de Sylveira against them with two gallies and a
brigantine, who destroyed four towns[176] and took all their cannon,
not without considerable difficulty. About the same time Christopher de
Brito went with fourteen row-boats and about an hundred men to scour the
coast of Canara, where he destroyed some of the Moors; but those of
Dabul sent two galliots and seven other vessels against him, with above
three hundred men. In the commencement of the engagement Brito was
slain; but his people exerted themselves so valiantly to revenge the
death of their commander, that after four hours hard fighting most of
the Moors were slain, and their commander and all the rest taken. The
Moorish captain died afterwards of his wounds at Goa, being first
converted to the Christian faith.
[Footnote 176: Perhaps instead of towns we ought to read tonys, a
species of vessel then need by the inhabitants of the Malabar
coast. - E.]
The fort at Calicut was at this time much straitened by the Nayres, yet
the small garrison of fifty Portuguese maintained their post with much
honour.
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