Then Calling In The Aid
Of The King Of Pram, Xilimixa Beset The Fort With 1200 Vessels By
Water, While
40,000 men surrounded it by land; but as Ribeyra learnt
that the enemy observed no order or discipline, he
Boldly fell upon them
with his handful of men, and having slain their general put that army to
flight. Bannadala rallied 8000 of the fugitives, with which be again
besieged the fort, lodging his men in good order, and having battered
the place for some days, he ventured to make a fierce assault in the
dead of night; but he was bravely repelled by the Portuguese, and above
1000 of his men were found dead next morning in the ditch. The enemy
continued the siege however for eight months, and though some of the
garrison deserted, Ribeyra defended the place with great resolution; and
to take away all hopes of escape from his men, burnt all the vessels
that were in the port. Hearing of these proceedings, Ayres de Saldanna
the viceroy, sent a considerable reinforcement, along with which came so
many volunteers, ambitions either of honour or profit, that Ribeyra
found himself at the head of 800 men. With these he attacked the enemy,
whom he drove from their works with great slaughter, and Bannadala had
the mortification to see the works which he had been constructing for
almost a year destroyed in a day. After this success, the Portuguese
volunteers withdrew, only 200 that had been sent by the viceroy
remaining in the fort with Ribeyra.
The enemy returned a fourth time against the fort, which they now
assailed with many moving castles and various kinds of fire works, and
soon reduced the fort to great extremity; but were so terrified by a
fiery meteor, that they fled leaving their castles behind, which were
soon reduced to ashes by the garrison. Soon afterwards the Portuguese
obtained a great victory over king Massinga in the province of
Camelan; after which the natives flocked to their standard to the
number of above 20,000 men, and proclaimed Nicote king of Pegu, calling
him Changa, which signifies good man. Nicote was at this time absent,
but Ribeyra accepted the proffered crown in his name, on which account
it was reported in Spain that Ribeyra had been proclaimed king. Nicote
afterwards, as a loyal subject, received the kingdom in the name of his
sovereign, and was the first of the Portuguese that rose to such high
fortune in Asia. Rodrigo Alvarez de Sequeyra succeeded Ribeyra in
command of the fort of Siriam, and defended it bravely till it took fire
by accident, only the bare walls being left standing.
In the mean time Nicote solicited succours at Goa, where the viceroy
married him to a niece he had born in Goa of a woman of Java; after
which he gave him powerful succours, and sent him to Siriam with six
ships, with the title of Commander of Siriam, and General for the
conquest of Pegu. On his arrival at Siriam, Nicote repaired the fort,
built a church, and sent a splendid present to the king of Aracan who
had sent a complimentary message on his arrival. At Siriam Nicote
regulated the custom-house pursuant to the instructions of the viceroy,
obliging all vessels that traded on the coast of Pegu to make entry at
Siriam, and pay certain duties. As some of the Coromandel traders
refused obedience to these orders, Nicote sent Francisco de Moura
against them with six vessels, who took two ships of Acheen on the coast
of Tanacerim richly laden. As the king of Aracan was desirous of
recovering possession of the fort and custom-house of Siriam, he sent an
ambassador to the king of Tangu with twenty jalias or small ships,
to prevail upon him to join in that enterprize. But Nicote sent
Bartholomew Ferreyra, who command the small craft, who put them to
flight, and they were forced to take refuge in the dominions of the king
of Jangona. Upon this, the enemy collected 700 small vessels and 40,000
men, under the command of the son of the king of Aracan, accompanied by
Ximicalia and Marquetam, sons to the reigning emperor of Pegu. Paul del
Rego went against them with seven ships and a number of war boats, and
defeated the prince with great loss, taking all his vessels, and
obliging him to make his escape by land. After this Paul took the fort
of Chinim with a great number of prisoners, among whom was the wife of
Bannadala.
At this time Nicote was abroad with fourteen small vessels, in which
were 60 Portuguese, and 200 Peguers; and learning that the prince was on
shore with 4000 men, 900 of whom were armed with firelocks, he landed
and attacked him, gaining a complete victory, and even taking the
prince. When the Peguers saw their prince carried off, they were all
eager to have accompanied him into captivity, and entreated to be
received into the Portuguese vessels, such as were refused bewailing
that they could not follow, as prisoners, him whom they had served
faithfully while at liberty. On this occasion Nicote gave a notable
example how brave men ought to use their victories. Remembering that he
had formerly been slave to the prince who was now his prisoner, he
served him with as much respect as he had done formerly; watching him
while asleep, and holding his baskins in his hands with his arms across,
as is done by the meanest servants of princes in that country, and
continually attended him on all occasions.
While these transactions were going on in Pegu, Don Martin Alfonzo de
Castro came to Goa as viceroy, to replace Ayres de Saldanna, in 1604.
Ximilixa, king of Aracan, sent to treat with Nicote for the ransom of
the prince, his son, and accordingly paid 50,000 crowns on that account,
although Nicote was ordered by the viceroy to set the prince free
without any ransom.
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