The Moors Endeavoured With Much Valour To Rescue Their Wounded
Chief, But He And Eight More Were Slain, On Which The Rest Fled To The
Castle.
This was immediately scaled by a party of the Portuguese, who
opened the gate for the rest, who now rushed into the large outer court.
[Footnote 94: By a marginal note in Faria, it appears to have been now
the year 1508; but the particular place or town in Socotora attacked by
De Cunna is not mentioned. I am disposed however to believe that date an
error of the press, for 1507. - E.]
The Moors bravely defended their inner fort to the last man, so that of
eighty-three men only one was taken alive, besides a blind man who was
found hidden in a well. Being asked how he had got there, being blind,
he answered that blind men saw only one thing, which was the way to
liberty. He was set free. In this assault the Portuguese lost six men.
During the assault the natives of the island kept at a distance, but now
came with their wives and children, joyfully returning thanks to the
Portuguese commander for having delivered them from the heavy yoke of
the infidels; and De Cunna received them to their great satisfaction
under the protection of the crown of Portugal[95]. The Mosque was
purified by the solemnities of the Catholic church, and converted into a
church dedicated to the Invocation of Neustra Sennora della Vittoria,
in which many were baptised by the labours of Father Antonio of the
order of St Francis. De Cunna gave the command of the fort, now named
San Miguel, to Don Alfonso de Noronha, his nephew, who had well deserved
it by his valour, even if he had not been nominated to the command by
the king. Noronha was provided with a garrison of an hundred men, with
proper officers; after which De Cunna wintered at the island of
Socotora, though very ill accommodated, and then sailed for India,
sending Albuquerque, according to the royal orders, to cruise on the
coast of Arabia[96].
[Footnote 95: Little did these poor Jacobite Christians suspect, that in
exchanging masters they were subjected to the more dreadful yoke of the
Portuguese Inquisition! The zeal of the Portuguese for the liberty of
the Christian inhabitants of Socotora soon cooled, when it was found
unable to pay the expence of a garrison, and it was soon abandoned to
the milder oppression of its former Mahometan masters. - E.]
[Footnote 96: From an after part of the text of Faria, we learn that
this fort in the island of Socotora was taken on the 20th of August,
probably of the year 1507.]
While these things occurred at Socotora, the zamorin of Calicut was
arming afresh against the Portuguese, relying on the promises of his
wizards and soothsayers; who, finding that the succours under Tristan de
Cunna were long delayed, assured him of success in that lucky
opportunity, and predicted a great change of affairs, as indicated by an
earthquake and a great eclipse of the sun, so complete that the stars
were seen at noon for a considerable time, and which they pretended was
a sure sign of the approaching destruction of the Portuguese.
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