They Even Attempted To Poison The
Portuguese Army, And Some Of The Men And Horses Actually Died In
Consequence; But The Cause Being Discovered By One Of The Moors, They
Were All Put To The Sword, Their Chiefs Being Blown From The Mouths Of
Cannon, The Informer Only Being Pardoned.
After this Barreto sent an
embassy to the king, desiring permission to march against the chief of
the Mongas, who was then in rebellion, and from thence to continue his
march to the mines of Butua and Mancica.
The first of these requests
was a piece of flattery to obtain leave for the other, as the province
of the Mongas lay between Sena and the mines, and it was necessary to
march thither by force of arms. The king gave his consent to both
requests, and even offered to send 100,000 of his own men along with the
Portuguese; but Barreto declined any assistance, wishing to have the
whole honour of the war to himself, and thinking by that means to gain
favour with the king. He accordingly marched with 23 horse and 560 foot
armed with muskets; and after a march of ten days, mostly along the
rapid river Zambeze, in which the troops suffered excessively from
hunger and thirst, the enemy were descried covering the hills and
vallies with armed men. Though the multitude of the enemy was so great
that the extremity of their army could not be seen, Barreto marched on
giving the command of the van to Vasco Fernandez Homem, while he led the
rear in person, the baggage and a few field pieces being in the centre.
On coming up to engage the cannon were removed to the front and flanks.
The enemy were drawn up in the form of a crescent; and as the Portuguese
marched to the charge, an old woman came forward to meet them scattering
some powder towards them, having persuaded the enemy that she alone
would gain the victory by virtue of that powder. Barreto understood the
meaning of this superstitious act, having seen similar things in India,
and gave orders to level a field piece at the notorious witch, which was
so well pointed that she was blown to atoms, at which the Kafrs were
astonished, as they believed her immortal. The enemy however advanced,
but without any order, either from ignorance or because they relied on
their immense numbers, and discharged clouds of arrows and darts against
the Portuguese; but finding that the musqueteers slew them by hundreds
at every discharge, they took to flight, and great numbers of them were
slain in the pursuit. Barreto continued his march for the city of the
Mongas, and was opposed by another multitude similar to the former which
was put to flight with equal facility, above 6000 of the Kafrs being
slain with the loss of only two Portuguese soldiers. The city was
abandoned by the enemy and taken possession of by Barreto without
opposition, at which he entrenched his small army. Next morning a
multitude of Kafrs as large as either of the former appeared to assail
the Portuguese; but being again routed with prodigious slaughter, a
messenger arrived to beg for peace. Barreto answered that he would wait
upon the king, when all matters might be adjusted. He accordingly
marched next day, and having encamped in a convenient place, a new
embassy came from the king to solicit peace. While the Kafr ambassadors
were conferring with Barreto, one of the camels belonging to the
Portuguese happened to break loose and came up to where Barreto was, who
stopped it till those who were seeking for it came up. The Kafr
ambassadors had never before seen a camel, and were astonished to see it
come up to the governor, at whom they asked many questions concerning
the strange animal. Taking advantage of their ignorance and credulity,
Barreto told them that those animals fed only on human flesh, devouring
all that were slain in battle; and that this camel had come to him from
the rest to desire that he would not make peace as they would then have
no food. Astonished at this intelligence, they intreated him to desire
the camels to be satisfied with good beef, and they would immediately
supply him with great numbers of cattle. He granted their request and
marched on, still in much distress for provisions.
At this time news was brought of some transactions at Mozambique which
rendered his presence there necessary, on which he assigned the command
of the army to Vasco Fermandez Homem, and departed for Mozambique.
Antonio Pereyra Brandam had committed certain crimes at the Moluccas,
for which on his return to Portugal he was banished into Africa, on
which he requested Barreto to take him to Mozambique, which he did
accordingly, and even gave him the command of the fort at that place.
Though eighty years of age, Brandam wished to secure himself in the
command of the fort by sending false informations to the king against
Barreto his benefactor. By some means these papers were intercepted and
sent to Barreto, who on his arrival at Mozambique immediately shewed
them to Brandam, who fell on his knees and asked pardon in the most
humble manner. Barreto forgave him, but deprived him of the command over
the fort at Mozambique, which he committed to the charge of Lorenzo
Godino, and returned to prosecute the expedition in Monomotapa.
On his arrival at Sena, where Homem had halted with the army, Monclaros
accosted him in a violent manner commanding him to desist from that wild
enterprise of conquering the mines, in which he had imposed on the king,
declaring that he should be held responsible for all who had died or
might die in future in this wild and impracticable design. It is certain
that Barreto was not the promoter of this intended conquest, and that
Manclaros was actually to blame for the miscarriage; yet Barreto took
the insolence of this proud priest so much to heart that he died in two
days without any other sickness.
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