Page 36 - Anglo Portuguese Rivalry in The Gulf_Neat

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t shattered hulks were towed to Muscat by Ruy Freyre’s announced. He therefore resolved to muster all his
X resources to meet the expected assault, and accordingly
frigates, but any attempt to besiege Ormuz with such
depleted forces was obviously doomed to failure, recalled Dom Gon£alo da Silveira from Qatif at the
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and the proposed expedition was abandoned. By end of February.1 With this reinforcement and the
way of compensation it was decided to despatch a four remaining galleons of Botelho, which had by now
flotilla to the help of the- Sheikh of Qatif who was been refitted, the Portuguese were in a condition to
hard-pressed by the Persians, and anxious to make a offer a formidable resistance to any force which the
.diversion against their valuable pearl fisheries at ’ allies could bring against them. In actual fact,
Bahrein. Accordingly Ruy Freyre and Dom Gon^alo however, there was no serious intention on the part
united their forces off Qatif at the end of July, and of the enemy to attack Muscat, although the English
proceeded to ravage the neighbouring Persian coasts factors at Gombrun admitted “ having from our own
with fire and sword, in the approved ruthless style masters advices reported both to the King and Chaun
I affected by the Portuguese. These operations were that wee should expect to the nomber of 6 or 7 shipps
continued until September when Ruy Freyre returned purposeiie designed bv them for the surprize of
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to Muscat, leaving Dom Gon^alo with six sail to Muskatt; ” although they candidly added that they
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continue the blockade of Bahrein in co-operation with saw “ no possibiilitie for the attempting of anything
5 the Sheikh of Qatif.1 } ourselves and, when the Hollanders shall goe more
i The news of the partial destruction of Botelho’s roundlie to worke, as little hope of preventing them.”
armada was thankfully received by the English arid The Dutch likewise had no particular inclination to
Dutch, so that for the first time since 1624, their pit their strength against Ruy Freyre’s massive
1; Persia fleets ventured to sail separately for Gombrun, fortifications for the sake of the Persians5 beaux yeux>
where eleven sail of allied shipping was assembled in and thus the project was once more allowed to lapse.
: i The allied fleets returned to Swally in February,
the roadstead by the middle of January, 1628.* The
* news of this powerful concentration naturally alarmed followed some weeks later by Botelho’s galleons which
Ruy Freyre, who feared lest it should be employed had remained at Muscat until the menace of the
! expected attack was over.
•« in an attack against Muscat, as the Persians confidently
It With the final departure of Botelho’s galleons, the
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✓ Portuguese had tacitly abandoned all hope of re­
•Documents printed on pp. ioc-120 of Dois CapitSes da India. The
j! orders issued by Ruy Freyre for this expedition are worth reading, as they capturing Ormuz by force of arms, and the remainder
show his tactical and administrative abilities in organizing punitive expeditions
t of this kind. His insistence on the importance of maintaining strict of the: story of Anglo-Portuguese rivalry in the Gulf
discipline is also noteworthy, although, to judge from Della Valle, his captains is soon told. As the English and Dutch were unaware
1 did not always pay due heed to these inj unctions.
•The William, Exchange, Hart and Star (English), and the Groot Mauritius.
;• *s Lands Mauritius, Noon Holland/, ’/ Guide Zeepaeri, Bommel, Weesp and 1 The original order recalling Dom Gongalo, signed by Ruy Freyre, and
•ii: Nieuwcheit (Dutch), the latter under the command of Willem Janszoon. dated 20/11/1628, is in the possession of the present writer, who reproduced
cx-Govemor of Banda. Sir Robert Sherley returned to Persia from England the signature in facsimile on page 112 of the English edition of the
i; Commentaries. The letter itself was reproduced by Senhor Frazio de
in this fleet, accompanied by Sir Dodmore Cotton as envoy from Tames I to
Shah Abbas. Both of these ambassadors died at Qazvin in July of this year. Vasconcelos, in Historia e Arqueologia, (Lisboa, 1921).
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