Page:A Comprehensive History of India Vol 1.djvu/213

 Chap. VIIT.] ALMEIDA SUPERSEDED. 'ITU

on the condition of paying a reasonable tribute to Portugal, or to treat him as a d^'iooo. an enemy by declaring war against him.

There was little room to doubt which of the alternatives, thus arbitrarily Aibuquer-

1 • c • n 'l"® attacks

])laced before him, the sovereign of Ormuz would accept, but as his fortinca- onmu. tions were not yet completed, it was important to gain time; and solely with that view, instead of sending a resolute defiance, he entered into negotiation. Albuquerque saw what wtis intended, and at once brought matters to a point, by telling the messenger that when he next came, it must be with either an acceptance of peace, or a declaration of war. There had never been any room for choice, and the message accordingly was, that Ormuz was in use not to pay, but to receive tribute. Albu(iuerque lost not a moment in commencing a cannonade which must have caused feaiful slaughter, as not only were the walls, shore, and vessels crowded with combatants, but even the tops of the houses were covered with spectators. The Persians, in the meantime, were not idle, and made two furious onsets ; but neither in weapons nor discipline could they cope with the Portuguese, and the sea is said to have l^een coloured with their blood. With the loss of only ten men, Albuquerque burned, sunk, or otherwise destroyed all the ships of Ormuz, and received a tiag of tiiice with an offer Siii)mi8«ioii to comply with all his demands. The terms were, the annual pajTuent of Persians. SI bout £2000 as tribute to the Kinfj of Portuo-al, and trround on which to build a fort. No sooner were the terms arranged, than the fort was immediately commenced, and carried on with such ra])idity, as to assume shai)e in the course of a few days.

Khojah Attar, who governed Ormuz in the name of Sailaddin, who was a minor, had no sooner made the arrangement than he re})ented of it. From the destruction which Albuquerque had caused, he had formed an extravagant idea of the force under his command ; and was astonished above measure, on learning that it did not muster above 460 men. He therefore prepared anew for hos- tilities, and dexteroush' av^ailed himself of a mutinous feelinsr amonjj the inferioi- Portuguese commanders, to escape the consequences. Albuquerque, after venting his rage by some very barbaroas proceedings, was obliged to depai-t and si)end the winter at Socotra, which had become a Portuguese conquest. Having again returned, he gave formal notice of his arrival to the government of Ormuz, and was immediately informed that the tribute stipulated would be paid, but that he would not be j^ermitted to build the fort. He would fain have resumed the siege, but more important interests required his presence in India. He iiad been appointed viceroy.

Almeida, in the midst of his preparations to avenge the death of his son, Almeida received the mortifying intelligence that he had ])een superseded in his govern- avenge hu ment. Obedience to the royal mandate wsis, of course, his duty; but both *"* ri'vengeand ambition pointed to an opposite comvse, and he detennined to follow it at all hazards On the pretext that the ])nblic iutere-t would not allow him.