The General Of This Army, Named _Chaunigrem_, Lost Many
Of His Men In Several Assaults, After Which He Raised Two Mounts Whence
He Did Much Harm To The City:
But the besieged sallying out, killed at
one time 8000 and at another 5000 of his men.
Leaving this siege for a
time and the affairs of the king of the _Birmans_, we purpose to relate
what was done at _Siam_, in order to treat of them both together.
[Footnote 25: Formerly this was attributed to the king of _Siam_: But
the whole story of this section is so incredible and absurd as not to
merit any observations. It is merely retained from De Faria, as an
instance of the fables of Fernand Mendez de Pinto. - E.]
The king of _Chiammay_, after destroying 30,000 men that had guarded the
frontiers, besieged the city of _Guitivam_ belonging to the king of
_Siam_, who immediately drew together an army of 500,000 men, in which
was a body of 120 Portuguese in which he placed great reliance. This
vast multitude was conveyed along the river in 3000 boats, while 4000
elephants and 200 pieces of cannon were sent by land. He found the enemy
had 300,000 men and 2000 boats. The king of Siam gave the command of his
vast army to three generals, two of whom were Turks, and the third was
Dominic Seixas a Portuguese. At first the _Siamese_ were worsted, but
recovering their order they gained a complete victory, in which 130,000
of the enemy were slain, 40,000 of whom were excellent cavalry, with the
loss of 50,000 Siamese, all of whom were the worst troops in their
army. After this victory the king of Siam marched against the queen of
_Guibem_, who had allowed the enemy to pass through her country; and
entering the city of _Fumbacar_ spared neither age nor sex. Being
besieged in her capital of _Guirar_, the queen agreed to pay an yearly
tribute of 60,000 ducats, and gave her son as an hostage. After this the
king of Siam advanced to the city of _Taysiram_, to which place he
thought the king of Chiammay had fled, destroying every thing in his
course with fire and sword, only sparing the women; but winter coming on
he returned to Siam.
On his return to his court of _Odiaa_ or _Odiaz_, he was poisoned by his
queen, then big with child by one of her servants; but before he died he
caused his eldest son, then young, to be declared king. He left 30,000
ducats to the Portuguese then in his service, and gave orders that they
should pay no duties in any of his ports for three years. The adulterous
queen, being near the time of her delivery, poisoned her lawful son,
married her servant, and caused him to be proclaimed king. But in a
short time they were both slain at a feast by the King of _Cambodia_ and
_Oya Pansilaco_.
There being no lawful heir to the kingdom of Siam, _Pretiel_ a religious
_Talagrepo_, bastard brother to him who was poisoned, was raised to the
throne by common consent in the beginning of the year 1549. Seeing the
affairs of Siam in confusion, the king of the Birmans, who was likewise
king of Pegu, resolved to conquer that kingdom. For this purpose he
raised an army of 800,000 men, of which 40,000 were horse, and 60,000
armed with muskets, 1000 being Portuguese. He had 20,000 elephants, 1000
cannon drawn by oxen and _abadias_[26], and 1000 ammunition waggons
drawn by buffaloes. The Portuguese troops in his service, were commanded
by Diego Suarez de Mello, commonly called the Gallego, who went out to
India in 1538. In 1542 this man became a pirate in the neighbourhood of
Mozambique. In 1547 he was at the relief of Malacca: And now in 1549,
being in the service of the king of the Birmans, was worth four millions
in jewels and other valuables, had a pension of 200,000 ducats yearly,
was stiled the king's brother, and was supreme governor of the kingdom
and general in chief of the army. With this prodigious army the king of
the Birmans, after one repulse, took the fort of _Tapuram_ by assault,
which was defended by 2000 Siamese, all of whom he put to the sword in
revenge for the loss of 3000 of his own men in the two assaults. In the
prosecution of his march, the city of Juvopisam surrendered, after which
he set down before the city of Odiaa the capital of Siam. Diego Suarez
the commander in chief gave a general assault on the city, in which he
was repulsed with the loss of 10,000 men: Another attempt was made by
means of elephants, but with no better success. The king offered 500,000
ducats to any one who would betray one of the gates to him; which coming
to the knowledge of _Oya Pansiloco_, who commanded in the city, he
opened a gate and sent word to the king to bring the money as he waited
to receive it. After spending five months in the siege, during which he
lost 150,000 men, news came that _Xemindoo_ had rebelled at Pegu where
he had slain 15,000 men that opposed him. When this was known in the
camp, 120,000 Peguers deserted, in hatred to the king of the Birmans who
oppressed them, and in revenge of the insolence of Diego Suarez their
general in chief.
[Footnote 26: Rhinoceroses, which are so brutishly ferocious as in
no instance to have been tamed to labour, or to have ever shewn the
slightest degree of docility. Being of enormous strength, the only way
of preserving them when in custody, is in a sling; so that on the first
attempt to more forwards, they are immediately raised from the
ground. - E.]
_Xemindoo_ was of the ancient blood royal of Pegu, and being a priest
was esteemed as a great saint.
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