Storia do Mogor 338.23
Storia do Mogor (Irvine) 338.23
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338.23.1
Let us now talk about the Indian Ocean, and what happened thereon November 7, 1704 (the 5th in Part V., fol. 30). There appeared in the latitude of Chaul (Chanwal) four French ships : The flag-ship of 60 guns called L'Agrèable, commanded by Monsieur le Baron de Palhier (de Pallières) ; the second-in-command, of 60 guns, called La Muttiner (La Mutine), under Monsieur Dudregne (Du Dresnay). These were two royal ships. The other two belonged to the Compagnie Royale. One of them carried 54 guns and the other 50 guns; one was L'Aurore, commanded by Monsieur Houssaby (Houssaye), and the other the St. Louis, commanded by Monsieur Martin. These ships steered for the port of Surat, and opposite the island of Bombahim (Bombay) overhauled a bark flying the English flag, and the property of a Hindu in the service of the governor of that place. From it they learnt that in Surat port there were ten ships of war, seven Dutch and three English. Thereupon Monsieur le Baron [de Pallières] saw that the sides were too unequal, and, turning away, made for Pondicherry, although it was the monsoon. In the latitude of Vingorlã, near the Queimados Islands (Burnt Islands), twelve leagues from Goa, they encountered two Portuguese frigates, one of 28 guns, commanded by Senhor Salvador de Mello, and the other of 24 guns, commanded by Senhor Hieronimo de Mello.
338.23.2
Not wishing to fight them, he (the Baron) sent his boat with a message to Senhor Salvador de Mello, who was flying the commander's pennant, calling on him to surrender, when he should receive favourable treatment.
338.23.3
Salvador de Mello, touched on the point of honour, sent his answer by some volleys of cannon and musketry, which wounded an officer. Upon this [224] Monsieur le Baron [de Pallières] ordered Monsieur Martin to force a surrender. The order was executed, and on approaching Senhor Salvador de Mello's ship a broadside was delivered which dismasted it and killed many of the crew. The commander, finding his frigate disabled, hauled down his flag. His companion at once did the same; [the French boarded at once, when five officers from the chief ship were attacked by the Portuguese soldiers, and although they made a brave defence, some were killed and some wounded. The latter would also have been killed had not the officer highest in rank forced himself into De Mello's cabin, and, pointing his sword at his breast, obliged him to order his men to disarm. Following this, the leading frigate surrendered without a fight. Baron de Pallières was extremely angry at De Mello's conduct, and wanted to punish him. But the latter pleaded in excuse that he had been born in India, and thus was not acquainted with the usages of war. Accordingly he was pardoned], and placing the wounded men in the second captured frigate, it was ordered to proceed to Goa. In it sailed a Jesuit, who on arrival in Goa was put in prison, as they said he was a spy. They found on him seventy thousand patacas, which he said he had brought for trading in diamonds. Upon the first opportunity he was deported to Lisbon.
338.23.4
The Viceroy Gaittano de Mello advised Monsieur Martin [governor of Pondicherry] of this capture, and also sent word that he was fitting out five ships to take his revenge for the captured frigates. Having dismantled it [the other frigate], they [the French] set it on fire, carrying off with them fifty Portuguese volunteers. [They released a Persian merchant vessel, which the said Portuguese frigate had captured, on the ground that it was not carrying a Portuguese passport ;] and on arriving at the latitude of Calicut they came across another ship, an English one, which they took and burnt, [after taking out the best of her contents. This was on December 13, 1704.]
338.23.5
They arrived opposite Porto Novo, a place ten leagues from Pondicherry, and there found a Dutch ship of 54 guns flying a commander's pennant ; it was called the Fenix. Monsieur le Baron [de Pallières] went up to it, and discharged a broadside into it, which killed the captain, the supercargo and ten other persons, besides wounding twenty-five. In spite of this the Fenix defended herself by three broadsides, but this did her little good. The St. Louis came up on the other quarter ready to give her another broadside, and they were not willing to try further conclusions, in spite of their having 240 Europeans on board, in addition to 160 men of India. They gave in at once. In this ship was captured the commissary for this coast (Choromandal), who had come from Batavia, and was on his way to Negapatam. [225] His name was Bernard Foucen (Phoosen), and he was removed to Pondicherry along with the ship, which was very valuable, estimated at fifty thousand patacas, there being in it two chests of gold coins of Japan, and 5,900 [4,900] chests of copper, each one [four] weighing a candil, in addition to other merchandise, such as opium, white cloth of Bengal, et cetera. [The ships finally reached Pondicherry on January 18, 1705.]
338.23.6
When the Dutch at Negapatam heard of this they came to see the said commissary at Pondicherry. He was set at liberty [after fifteen days], and a truce was entered into for two years that neither side should interfere with the other. It was to have effect from Ceylon as far as Bengal. He (the commissary) and all his suite embarked in a small vessel called the Marchand des Indes, under the command of Monsieur Bono (Bouynot). On July 11, 1704, the said French vessel [i.e., Marchand des Indes], carrying 14 guns, had arrived at Pondicherry under the command of Monsieur Bono (Bouynot). He brought the news that four vessels (those already spoken of) were to follow him and go to Surat. In the month of October of the same year [1704] he set sail to avoid the severity of the monsoon on that coast. When in the latitude of the Malabar coast he captured an English sloop from Madras, having as captain Mr. Welly. The captain and his sloop were released, after taking from it half the cargo, with an acknowledgment to be paid at the said place (Madras), which was done accordingly, the amount being 7,000 patacas. This favour was done him by Mr. Bono (Bouynot) because the said captain (Wooley) had married an English Roman Catholic.
338.23.7
Wishing to return to Pondicherry, he (Bouynot) encountered two large Dutch ships, which attacked him. He defended himself bravely, and killed the captain of one of those ships and a number of the crew. He then arrived safely in company of the four [French] ships referred to above, which had overtaken him on the voyage. The [English] sloop and the above-named captain, Mr. Welly (Wooley), were captured a second time by the four ships, but on his showing the passport given him by Monsieur Bono (Bouynot) they received him kindly. Monsieur le Baron [de Pallières] wrote out a second passport [226], and sent him off with great civility and offers of service. Already the careful reader will have beheld in my Fourth Part (IV. 166, 173) the confusion into which the Christians of Madras had been thrown by interested parties who unjustly claimed to take possession of and destroy that congregation. Grieving over these calumnies, I wrote to the Lord Archbishop Primate of Goa, informing him thereof in detail, in the hope of his introducing some cure for these disorders. From him I received a reply, dated on the 22nd of January in this present year, 1705, and it is as follows : Senhor Nicolao Manuchy,
338.23.8
The reputation of Your Honour is so well recognised in these regions that the trouble you take to acquaint me therewith is superfluous, for there survive abundantly in this Portuguese nation's memory the honours with which your exertions were rewarded in the time of the Most Excellent Senhor, the Count of Albor [Alvora] . I am extremely pleased to receive your information and the documents you transmit, and I have had the greatest joy in reading your discreet narration. Yet the subject caused me great grief, being aware of the perturbation aroused in that Christian community by the intrigues of those who are soliciting its favours, and by the private interests which are trying to persuade it. I grieve equally over the small attention paid in the matter to the Canonical Law and the rights of the royal Patronage and of the Primate of the East. They thought that in the submission of the Bishop, who confesses his error, consisted the legalization of their rights, disregarding the fact that the Lord Bishop could do no prejudice to the Primatial rights, and much less to those of the King. [227] When persons act in a form that prejudices these, the Primate has the law on his side if he repels at once any such encroachment made on his suffragan and on the Primacy. I write to the Lord Bishop, and transmit to him a Pastoral, by which I forbid the Patriarch to interfere in this Diocese and this Primacy, or in the patronage rights of the King.
338.23.9
God permitting, they will come in time to understand in this country the laws of the Church and the rights pertaining to each jurisdiction. Offering myself at the same time to serve Your Honour with the promptest goodwill, I pray that God may have you in His keeping.