administration of the
Kingdom of Guzerat, having by great artifice persuaded the chiefs that
his own son was son of the former king; but the kingdom was in great
confusion. One Rustum Khan had usurped Baroch, in which he was besieged
by the Moguls, and being in alliance with the Portuguese, a force was
sent to his assistance, which succeeded in obliging the Moguls to raise
the siege; but Rustum now forgot his promises, and refused to become
tributary. At Surat the government had been usurped by one Agalu Khan,
who was loading two large ships at that port without licence from the
Portuguese viceroy; on which the commander of the Portuguese fort at
Daman seized both ships, which were valued at 100,000 ducats. Nunno
Vello de Pereyra, who had gone from Daman to clear the bay of Cambaya
from pirates that infested the Portuguese trade, burnt two villages and
several vessels, and carried away many prisoners. He then landed with
400 men, and went against a body of Moguls who had taken post on the
mountain of Parnel, about three leagues from Daman, a place almost
impregnable by its situation and the strength of its works. Although
unacquainted with the strength of the place or the number of its
defenders, who exceeded 8000 men, Nunno immediately began to climb up
the steep ascent, whence the enemy rolled down great stones upon the
assailants. The soldiers however clambered up on their hands and knees,
and reached the first entrenchment which they carried after a vigorous
opposition; but were forced to retire from the fort after a desperate
assault, in which the Portuguese lost seven men. In their retreat the
Portuguese carried off a considerable quantity of provisions, with fifty
horses and several camels and oxen, and were pursued on their retreat by
500 of the enemy, 100 of whom were cavalry. From Daman, to which he had
retreated, Nunno marched again against the enemy, having now 100
Portuguese and 50 native horse, with 650 foot, half Portuguese, and half
native, and three pieces of cannon. In this new, attempt, they had to
climb the mountain by roads never trod before, and against considerable
opposition from the enemy, who had five pieces of cannon. After three
days of severe labour and almost continual fighting, in which he lost
eight men, six of whom were slain and two made prisoners, Nunno at
length gained the summit of the mountain, and planted his cannon against
the fort, which he battered with such fury, that the enemy a