Page 27 - Anglo Portuguese Rivalry in The Gulf_Neat
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\ Whilst the Persians were wasting their strength, was won by the Allies. The Dutch had actually
against Basra and Baghdad, Ruy Freyre, having received arrived first on. the 23rd December, followed a few
days later by the English who stood in for Ormuz
s • . fleet of about thirty galliots and terrains, “ a small Armooze.” Ruy Freyre could of course do nothing
some reinforcements and munitions from the Viceroy,
. had resumed the blockade of Ormuz in August with a “where wee met our old freinde Rufrero with 17 or
f
18 frigetts to keepe the Persian from landing one
preparation indeed to take Ormuz withall,” as Della
against such powerful ships, and was compelled to
force, he pressed the blockade so closely and wrought
y Valle scornfully remarks. Nevertheless, with this small • stand over to Larak in order to await the coming of
such havoc amongst Persian shipping in the Gulf, that the galleons, which was not long delayed.
1 sea-borne commerce,practically ceased to exist. With The six galleons which had reached Goa in September
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t! trade thus almost at a standstill, the English were again under the command of the Captain-General Nuno
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earnestly pressed by the Persians to aid them, for the Alvarez Botelho, “ a stout and expert soldier,” had
latter perceived that unless they were relieved by sea, gone north to join two strong India-built vessels at
r Ormuz was bound to fall into the hands of Ruy Freyre Bassein in December ; but owing to the delay in taking
sooner or later.1 Deliverance, however, was at hand. provisions on board, it was not until the 6th of January
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Owing to the slackness of trade, consequent on the that Botelho was able to leave for the Gulf with his
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i Portuguese blockade, only two English ships had gone eight sail. Even then he was none too well supplied .
I to Persia in the winter of 1623, but in November, with water, and he had. a stormy passage, in which the
;! 1624 a really strong combined Anglo-Dutch fleet of flagship sprung her mainmast. Such nevertheless was
ten sail lay in Swally Hole, ready to proceed thither. Botelho’s eagerness to close with his enemies, that he
s
This display of force had been rendered necessary, not would not put into Muscat to water or refit, but made
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so much by the presence of Ruy Freyre’s galliots off all the sail he could to get to Ormuz as soon as possible,
Ormuz, as by the fact that a strong squadron of fighting hoping to catch his opponents unawares. The latter
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I ’ galleons had arrived at Goa from Lisbon in September, however had arranged with the captain of the Persian
which, in conjunction with two other India-built garrison of Kishm Castle, to fire some warning guns
•i ?! vessels, was being fitted out to join Ruy Freyre’s fleet if he should discern any “ crosse sails ” on the horizon ;
at Ormuz, and make a final effort to retake the island . and the discharge of the Persian cannon in the early
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M once and for all. -The fate of Ormuz depended on dawn of February 10th, 1625, told them that their
who got there first, and fortunately for the Persians, r . expected foe was at hand. No doubt the memory
s 1 who were by now in a desperate condition, the race of Amboina was still fresh in the minds of the two
North-sea races, but all differences were sunk in view
i of the common peril, and Anglo-Dutch co-operation
t war between Turkey and Persia had flared up again, and the Persian attack :
on Basra was countered ,by the Turks besieging Baghdad, which was during the ensuing battles left nothing to be desired.
however relieved by Shah Abbas in person in 1625.
A calm prevented the two sides from joining battle
lCal. S.P. East Indies, 1622-1624, pp. 287, 442, 450-451. . Foster, English on the first day, but early next morning the action
Factories, 1624-1629, pp. 42, 80. “ So as it is a misery to think what Ormur
;i hath been, and what it now is/' began in earnest. Full and graphic accounts of the
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