S e i z e d b y A l b u q
u e r q u e .
great grandeur and fplendor. It ftands elevated, in form o f an
amphitheatre, on the banks o f a moft beautiful bay. The
country rifes gently into hills, finely wooded, and the fcene is
varied with churches, convents, and villas, and the diftance
bounded by the Gbauts, foaring with aweful majefty. The
Algoada fort defends the entrance on the northern fide. All
this is lhewn in Mr. Dalrymple's elegant views. Two rivers
flow from the Balagat mountains, and their mouths nearly
meet oppofite to the harbour. On one, which was called the
Ganges, a few leagues from the fea, flood the Nelcynda. Arrian,
ii. 173, fays, that the fhips which took in part of their lading
there, fell down, and received the reft while they lay at anchor
before Barace, a town near its mouth, or in the modern canal
o f Bardez.
T he Indian name o f Goa was Tricurii, or the ifle o f Thirty
Villages; it is faid to have been peopled by Moorijb merchants,
who had been baniihed from different ports o f Malabar, and
formed foon a very flourilhing fetrlement. This is faid to
have happened at no very diftant period before the arrival of
the Portuguefe.
W hen the great Albuquerque entered on his vice-royalty, it
was a moft opulent place, and ftrongly fortified. It was at
that time fubjeit to Zabaim, a potent monarch, who was then
engaged in war with divers tributary princes. Timoia, a neighboring
pirate, who had fubmitted to the Portuguefe, ftrongly
advifed the Cbrijlian, General to feize the opportunity of attacking
Goa, reprefenting its great opulence, and the honor and
wealth that would attend his fuccefs. Albuquerque liftened to
his
his advice, and after feveral affaults made himfelf matter o f
the city by an agreement with the inhabitants. This happened
on February 16, 1510. The citizens took the oaths of allegiance
to Emmanuel; he found in the place immenfe quantities of
ammunition, forty great cannon, and in the docks forty men Of
war, and in the ftables numbers of fine Perfian and Arabian
fcorfes *. He himfelf refided in the royal palace: the feme of
his valor and prudence fpread far and wide. He received em-
bafiies from feveral o f the Indian monarchs, and even was
encouraged to fend an envoy to the fophy of Perfta,
Unfortuately a mutinous fpirit pervaded his army, and even
his principal officers. This naturally infecfted his new fubjedts,
who, repenting their difloyalty, and difgufted with their fudden
fubmlffion to a foreign and Chrijiian yoke, conveyed their fen-
•timents to their late fovereign. He affembled a mighty army
on the continent, and notwithftanding every endeavor o f the
able Albuquerque, effedted a landing on the iiland. The Portuguefe
defended themfelves with great valor, but finding the
place no longer tenable, their commander determined to retire.
He embarked with great fecrecy every thing that was neceffary ;
when, on the 30th o f May of the fame year, after a fliarp con-
flidt, he made good his retreat to Rapander, a neighboring town,
where he refolved to winter t. Zabaim proved a brave and
adtive enemy : Albuquerque was more than once obliged to remove
his quarters : at length, receiving a ftrong reinforcement
o f Portuguefe, and other fupplies,he renewed his attempt on Goa,
* Oforio, ii. p. 4. j- Oforio, ii. p. 13.
and,