A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 06: Arranged in Systematic Order: Forming a Complete History of the Origin and Progress of Navigation, Discovery, and Commerce, by Sea and Land, from the Earliest Ages to the Present TimeKerr, Robert
History
A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 06: Arranged in Systematic Order: Forming a Complete History of the Origin and Progress of Navigation, Discovery, and Commerce, by Sea and Land, from the Earliest Ages to the Present Time
Kerr, Robert
Voyages and travels
The same day on which we anchored near Diu, one Khojah Zaffer came on
board in a galley. This man was a native of Otranto in Italy, but had
turned Turk and was captain of a galley in the former fleet sent to
India by the sultan. When that fleet was defeated and destroyed, Zaffer
entered into the service of the king of Diu or Kambachia, who gave him
lands and made him chief governor of his kingdom. Zaffer had also
insinuated himself into the confidence of the Portuguese; but when he
learnt that the Turkish fleet was coming, he and the vizier or viceroy
of the kingdom came with 8000 Indians, took the city of Diu from the
Portuguese, and besieged them in the castle which was now closely begirt
by their troops, not a day passing without a skirmish. Zaffer was
accompanied on this visit to the Pacha by the prime vizier of Cambaya,
and both were received with much honour. They informed the Pacha that
there were 500 soldiers and 300 others in the castle, which they had
besieged for 26 days, and had no doubt of being able to reduce it with
their Indian troops, if the Pacha would furnish them with artillery and
ammunition. The Pacha presented each of them with two vests; but while
they remained on board, the Turkish troops landed with their arms and
plundered the city of Diu, doing infinite injury to the Indian
inhabitants, and not even sparing the palace of the viceroy, whence they
took three fine horses, together with, some treasure and furniture,
carrying away every thing they could lay hands upon. They likewise
advanced towards the castle, and skirmished with the Portuguese
garrison. When the viceroy returned and was made acquainted with the
outrages committed by the Turks, he gave immediate orders to his
officers to have every thing in readiness, and retired from Diu with
6000 men, going immediately to the king who was about two days journey
up the country. That same night a foist came from the city to our fleet
with a supply of fresh bread, nuts, flesh, boiled rice, and other
things, sent in the name of the king of Cambaya, all of which were taken
into the Pachas galley. On the 5th of September, the Pacha sent the
Moorish captain and his Kiahya to join these on shore; and all the
gallies sent their boats filled with janizaries to assist the native
troops who were encamped round the castle, these being now reduced to
not more than 2000 men, as all the rest had departed along with the
viceroy and Khojah Zaffer. On the 7th, the fleet removed to a very good
port, thirty miles from Diu, called _Muda Burack_[226], where we got
abundance of water.
[Footnote 226: This place is afterwards called Mudafar-aba, and perhaps
ought to be written Madaffer-abad.--Ast. I. 93. e.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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