About This Period The 5000 Men That Had Been Detached By The Nizam To
Ravage The District Of Basseen Attempted To Get Possession Of Some Of
The Portuguese Garrisons.
Being beaten off at Azarim and Daman, they
invested Caranja, a small work between Chaul and Daman on the
water-side, and almost an island, as it is surrounded by several small
brooks.
It was at this time commanded by Stephen Perestrello with a
garrison of only 40 men, but was reinforced on the reappearance of the
enemy by Emanuel de Melo with 30 more. With this small band of only 70
soldiers, Perestrello sallied out against the enemy, and with such
success, that after covering the little island with dead bodies, the
rest fled leaving their cannon, and a considerable quantity of
ammunition and provisions.
In the mean time the Moors continued to batter Chaul without
intermission for a whole month with 70 pieces of large cannon, every
day expending against its weak defences at least 160 balls. This
tremendous cannonade did much damage to the houses of the town, in which
many of the brave defenders were slain. On one occasion six persons who
were eating together were destroyed by a single ball. This furious
battery was commenced against the bastion of the holy cross, and was
carried on for a considerable way along the defences of that front of
the town, levelling every thing with the ground. The besieged used every
precaution to shelter themselves by digging trenches; but the hostile
gunners were so expert[379] that they elevated their guns and made their
balls plunge among those who considered themselves in safety.
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