Travels in the Mogul Empire (Bernier) 3.12.1

3.12.1

The pirates about this period had assassinated one of the King of Rakan's principal officers, and it is not known whether they were more struck with terror by the punishment awaiting them for that crime, or moved by the promises and threats contained in Chah-hest's communication. Certain it is, however, that these unworthy Portuguese were one day seized with so strange a panic as to embark in forty or fifty galleasses and sail over to Bengale, and they adopted this measure with so much precipitation that they had scarcely time to take their families and valuable effects on board.