Storia do Mogor 265.18.7

265.18.7

When the king saw that he could not obtain his rights pacifically, he dispatched an army against Goa, destroying the country in Salsette and Bardes. Finding himself in this danger, and the contumacious Jesuits declining to hand over the stone, the viceroy was obliged to post sentries round the Jesuit college, and stop all supplies. Finally he made preparation by posting artillery round the college to knock down its walls if they did not yield up the stone. Most assuredly he would have done it. But at last, being in this extremity, they surrendered the stone, though very much against the grain. The viceroy sent it to the King of Bijapur, and thereby the investment was raised and the priests released. The story of this affair spread through the city, creating great astonishment everywhere, and there were many murmurings. As a diversion to these murmurs they invented colouring a donkey they had in use a green colour, and then tying some thorns beneath its tail. They let it loose at the gate of the bull-ring. Hurt by the thorns, the donkey went plunging and lashing out through the city. Thus in those days talk about the stone ceased, and nothing was heard of except the green donkey. This affair was notorious throughout India, and I knew Father Gonsallo Martins in the year one thousand six hundred and sixty-six (1666), when he was procurator for the Queen of Portugal.