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HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY. 27
presenting several breaches. The island of Angazecha vas
not far off, to which she turned with what little sail she could
set, and stood in so near the shore that the English ships
would not venture to follow her close. The English comman-
der, respecting the courage shown by the Portuguese admiral,
sent a boat with a flag of truce. ]\leneses received the officer,
but was not moved, either by the offers or the admiration
expressed for his valour, to alter his first resolve ; and said
that, if able, he would get out to sea again on the morrow,
and renew the fight, when, if taken, he expected the treatment
of a gentleman. In the night the wind and surf grew high
;
the carrack drove, and, for want of sail to weather the danger,
struck and was jammed between two rocks : on these the crew
landed, when they set fire to the carrack, which blazed fiercel}'-
all night. The Portuguese seamen carried off what they chose
of the treasure, and all the jewels. The English ships kept
near throughout the next day, when the}' bore away for sup-
plies to the neighbouring island of Mohilla, where they arrived
on the 10th of August.
The natives of Angazecha regarded the shipwrecked crew as
invaders, and assailed them with stones ; on which the Por-
tuguese employed their firearms, and lost, in the retreat of the
natives, their only hopes of sustenance. In this distress
]\Ieneses yielded to the advice of his gunner, and threw the
arms into the sea, when the natives returned in great numbers
and overpowered them : after stripping them of all their clothes,
we are told they threw away the dollars in order to put their
heads into the empty bags. The Portuguese wandered about
in parties to procure food—many endured great hardships, and
some died. The pilot and a few men went in a boat, and
coasted to find a more hospitable shore, when they fortunately
met two junks belonging to a IMaliomedan, which traded be-
tween the mainland and Madagascar. This man took up the
boat, and having influence with the chief of that part of the
island where the ship was wrecked, sailed thither, collected all
the Portuguese, clothed them, gathered their treasure, secured
their jewels, and sent them away in his own vessels to the
Portuguese port of IMombaza, where they arrived on the 4th
of September, and were afterwards conveyed to Goa. Here
the valour and misfortunes of j\Ieneses ensured a warm welcome
from the Viceroy, Azevedo, and the citizens. He was sent
back to Lisbon in an advice boat, and arrived in safety, to
receive the same acknowledgments in his own country. And,
indeed, his defeat merited a trophy of victory, for his force
bore no proportion to the English ships. Orme, in detailing
this action, does not lail to pay a just tribute to the fine spirit
that animated the crews of the Company's sln'ps. " Either of
the strongest of these," he adds, " would probably have main-