e priests had brought
from their church to greet him. He then organised his military
forces, and hearing that Rasul Khan had marched out towards the city
at the head {115} of 3000 men, he resolved on fighting a pitched
battle. He divided his infantry into three divisions, commanded
respectively by Pedro Mascarenhas, Dom Garcia de Noronha, and
himself; and he placed his cavalry, amounting to about thirty
troopers, under Manoel de Lacerda. Owing to the Portuguese general's
skilful dispositions the Musalmans were attacked simultaneously, in
front by Mascarenhas and on the two flanks by the other divisions.
The battle was very fierce, and the Muhammadans were driven into the
castle of Benastarim.

The Portuguese endeavoured to follow them, and some of their leaders
climbed upon the walls. The first who got up was Pedro Mascarenhas,
and the author of the _Commentaries_ states that,

'Affonso de Albuquerque after the rally embraced and kissed him on
the face, whereat some were scandalised, although they had no need
to be, for besides his actions that day like a brave cavalier,
Albuquerque was under an obligation to him, for he had left the
fortress of Cochin, of which he was Captain, and had come to serve
the King in that war.'[4]

[Footnote 4: Albuquerque's _Commentaries_, vol. iii. pp. 226, 227.]

In spite of this gallantry it proved impossible to capture the castle
by escalade, and Albuquerque ordered a retreat to Goa. Many officers
and men were wounded in this engagement, and Albuquerque then
determined to breach the fortress and carry it by storm. The trenches
were pushed forward with much rapidity and an adequate breach was
made, but on {116} the very morning for which Albuquerque had ordered
the assault, Rasul Khan hung out the white flag. The terms which
Albuquerque demanded were that the castle should be surrendered with
all its artillery, ammunition and horses, and that the deserters in
Rasul Khan's camp should be given up to him. The Muhammadan general
consented, but only on condition that the lives of the deserters
should be spared. Benastarim was accordingly evacuated, and the
island of Goa was once more left entirely in the hands of the
Portuguese. The conquest had been made only just in time, for Rasul
Khan, as he retired with his disarmed troops, met a strong
reinforcement coming up from Bijapur under the command of
Yusaf-ul-Araj, whom the Portuguese called Icufularij.

This brilliant victor