The voyages and adventures of Fernand Mendez Pinto, a Portugal, during his travels for the space of one and twenty years in the Kingdoms of Ethiopia, China, Tartaria, Cauchinchina, Calaminham, Siam, Pegu, Japan, and a great part of the East-Indiaes with a relation and description of most of the places thereof, their religion, laws, riches, customs, and government in time of peace and war : where he five times suffered shipwrack, was sixteen times sold, and thirteen times made a slave / written originally by himself in the Portugal tongue and dedicated to the Majesty of Philip King of Spain ; done into English by H.C. Gent.

CHAP. LXIX. The King of Bramaa's enterprize upon the Kingdom of Siam; and that which past untill hi•• arrivall at the city of Odiaa, with his besieging of it, and all that ensued thereupon. (Book 69)

* 1.1THe Empire of Siam remaining without a lawfull successor, those two great Lords of the Kingdom, namely, Oyaa Passili••••, and the King of Cambaia, together with four or five more of the trustiest that were left, and which had been confederate with them, thought fit to chuse for King, a certain religious man, named Preti••m, in regard he was the naturall brother of the deceased Prince, husband to that wicked Queen of whom I have spoken; whereupon this religious man, who was Talagrepo of a Pagod••, called Quiay Mitrau, from whence he had not budg'd for the space of thirty years, was the day after drawn forth of it by Oyaa Passilico, who brought him on the seventeenth day of January into the city of Odiaa, where on the nineteenth he was crowned King with a new kind of ceremony, and a world of magnificence, which (to avoid prolixity) I will not make mention of here, having formerly treated of such like things. Withall passing by all that further arrived in this Kingdom of Siam, I will content my self with reporting such things as I imagine will be most agreeable to the curious. It happened then that the King of Bramaa, who at that time reigned tyrannically in Pegu, being ad∣vertised of the deplorable estate whereinto the Empire of S••rnau was reduced; and of the death of the greatest Lords of the Country, as also that the new King of this Monar∣chy was a religious man, who had no knowledge either of arms or war, and withall of

a cowardly disposition, a tyrant, and ill beloved of his subjects, he fell to consult there∣upon with his Lords in the town of Anapleu, where at that time he kept his Court. Desiring their advice then upon so important an enterprize, they all of them told him, that by no means he should desist from it, in regard this Kingdome was one of the best of the world, as well in riches, as in abundance of all things; thereunto they added, that the season which was then so favourable for him, ••romised it to him at so good a rate, as it was likely it would not cost him above the revenue of one only year, what expence soever he should make of his treasure; besides, if he chanced to get it, he should remain Monarch of all the Emperors of the world, and therewithall he should be honored with the soveraign title of Lord of the whi••e Elephant, by which means the seventeene Kings of Capimper, who made profession of his Law, must of necessity render him obe∣dience. They told him moreover, that having made so great a conquest, he might, tho∣rough the same territories, and with the succour of the Princes his Allies, passe into Chi∣na, where was that great City of Pequin, the incomparable pearl of all the world, and against which the great Cham of Tartaria, the Siamon, and the Calaminham, had brought such prodigious Armies into the field. The King of Bramaa, having heard all these reasons, and many others which his great Lords alledged unto him, wherein his in∣terest was especially concerned, which alwayes works powerfully on every man, was perswaded by them, and resolved to undertake this enterprise. For this effect he went directly to Martabano, where in lesse then two moneths and an half, he raised an Army of eight hundred thousand men, wherein there were an hundred thousand strangers, and amongst them a thousand Portugals, which were commanded by Diego Suar••z d' Albergaria, called Galego by way of nick name. This Diego Suarez departed out of the Kingdome of Portugal in the year one thousand five hundred thirty and eight, and went into the Indiaes with the Fleet of the Vice-Roy, Don Garcia de Noronha, in a Junck, whereof Ioano de Sepulveda of the town of Euora was Captain; but in the time of which I speak, namely in the yeare one thousand five hundred forty and eight, he had of this King of Bramaa two hundred thousand duckats a yeare, with the title of his brother, and Governor of the Kingdome of Pegu. The King departed then from the Town of Mar••abano the Sunday after Easter, being the seventh of April 1548. His Army, as I have already said, was eight hundred thousand men, whereof only forty thousand were horse, and all the rest foor, threescore thousand of them being Harque∣buziers; there were moreover five thousand warlike Elephants; with whom they fight in those countries, and also a world of baggage, together with a thousand pieces of Ca∣non, which were drawn by a thousand couple of Buffles and Rhinocerots; withall, there was a like number of yoke of oxen for the carriage of the victualls. Having taken the field then with these forces, he caused his Army to march still on, untill at length he en∣tred into the Territories of the King of Siam, where after five days he came to a for∣tresse called Tapurau, containing some two thousand fires, commanded by a certain Mo∣gor, a valiant man, and well verst in matters of war. The King of Bramaa having inve∣sted it, gave three assaults to it in the open day, and laboured to s••ale it with a world of ladders which he had caused to be brought thither for that purpose; but not being able to carry it, in regard of the great resistance of them within, he retreated for that time. But having by the counsell of Diego Suarez, who was Generall of the Camp, and by whom he was wholly governed, caused forty great pieces of Ordnance, whereof the most of them shot bullets of iron, to be planted against it, he fell to battering it with so much fury, as having made a breach in the wall twelve fathom wide, he assaulted it with ten thousand strangers, Turks, Abyssin••, Moors, Malauares, Ac••ems, Iaaos, and Malayes; whereupon ensued so terrible a conflict between the one and the other, that in lesse then half an hour, the besieged, vvhich vvere six thousand Siamites, were all cut in pieces, for not so much as one of them would render himself. As for the King of Bramaa, he lost above three thousand of his men, vvhereat he vvas inraged, as to be re∣venged for this losse he caused all the women to be put to the sword, vvhich no doubt vvas a strange kind of cruelty: After this execution, he drevv directly tovvards the Tovvn of Saco••ay, vvhich vvas nine leagues beyond, desiring to make himself master of that, as vvell as of the other. He arrived in the sight of this Tovvn one Saturday about Sun-set, and incamped all along the river of Lebrau, vvhich is one of the three that issue

out of the Lake of Chiammay, vvhereof I have formerly made mention, vvith a design to march thorough it directly to Odiaa, the Capitall City of the Empire of Sornau; for he had already been advertised that the King vvas there in person, and that he vvas ma∣king preparation to fight vvith him in the field; he no sooner received this advice, but his Lords counselled him to make no tarrying in any place, as vvell that he might not lose time, as that he might keep himself from insensibly consuming his forces, in lying before places vvhich he pretended to take, that vvere so vvell fortified, as they vvould cost him dear if he amused himself about them, so that at his arrivall at Odiaa he vvould find the most part of his men vvanting, and his victualls quite spent. The King having approved of this advice, caused his Army to march avvay the next day thorough vvoods that vvere cut dovvn by threescore thousand Pioners, vvhom he had sent before to plane the passages and vvays; vvhich vvith much ado they performed. When he vvas come to a place, called Tila••, vvhich is besides Iuncala••, on the South-East Coast, neere to the Kingdome of Quedea, an hundred and forty leagues from Malaca, he took guides that were very well acquainted with the way, by whose means in nine daies jour∣ney he arrived in the sight of Odiaa, where he pitched his Camp, which he invironed with trenches and strong Pallisadoes.

* 1.2During the first five daies that the King of Bramaa had been before the City of Odiaa, he had bestowed labour and pains enough, as well in making of trenches and Pallisa∣does, as in providing all things necessary for this siege, in all which time the besieged ne∣ver offered to stir, whereof Diego Suarez, the Marshall of the Camp being aware, as also of the little reckoning which the Siamites made of so great a power as was there assembled, and not knowing whereunto he should attribute the cause of it, he resolved to execute the design for which he came, to which effect, of the most part of the men which he had under his command, he made two separated Squadrons, in each of which there were six battalions of six thousand a piece. After this manner he marched in bat∣tell array, at the sound of many instruments, towards the two points which the City made on the South-side, because the entrance there seemed more facile to him then any other where. So upon the nineteenth day of Iune, in the year one thousand five hundred forty and eight, an hour before day, all these men of war, having set up above a thou∣sand ladders against the walls, endeavoured to mount up on them; but the besieged op∣posed them so valiantly, that in lesse then half an hour there remained dead on the place above ten thousand on either part. In the mean time the King, who incouraged his soul∣diers, seeing the ill successe of this fight, commanded these to retreat, and then made the wall to be assaulted afresh, making use for that effect of five thousand Elephants of war which he had brought thither, and divided into twenty troops, of two hundred and fifty apiece, upon whom there were twenty thousand Moe••s and Chale••s, choice men, and that had double pay. The wall then was assaulted by these forces with so terrible an impetuosity, as I want words to expresse it. For whereas all the Elephants carried wooden Castles on their backs, from whence they shot with muskets, brasse cul∣verins, and a great number of harquzes a crock, each of them ten or twelve spans long, these guns made such an havock of the besieged, that in lesse then a quarter of an hour the most of them were beaten down; the Elephants withall setting their trunks to the target fences, which served as battlements, and wherewith they within defended them∣selves, tore them down in such sort, as not one of them remained entire, so that by this means the wall was abandoned of all defence, no man daring to shew himself above. In this sort was the entry into the City very easie to the Assailants, who being invited by so good successe to make their profit of so favourable an occasion, set up their ladders a∣gain which they had quitted, and mounting up by them to the top of the wall, with a world of cries and acclamations, they planted thereon in sign of victory a number of Banners and Ensigns. Now because the Turks desired to have therein a better share then the rest, they besought the King to do them so much favour as to give them the vant∣guard, which the King easily granted them, and that by the counsell of Diego Suarez, who desired nothing more then to see their number lessened, always gave them the most dangerous imployments. They in the mean time extraordinarily contented, and proud to see themselves preferred before so many other Nations as were in the Camp, resolved to come off with honor from this service which they had undertaken. For which pur∣pose

having formed a Squadron of twelve hundred men, wherein some Abyssius and Ianizaries were comprised, they mounted with great cries by those ladders up to the top of the wall, which as I have declared, was at that time in the power of the King of Bramaaes people. These Turks then, whither more ••ash, or more infortunate then the rest, sliding down by a pane of the wall, descended thorough a bullwork into a place which was below, with an intent to open a gate, and give an entrance unto the King, to the end they might rightly boast, that they all alone had delivered to him the Capi∣tall City of the Kingdome of Siam, and so might gain the recompence vvhich they might well expect for so brave an action; for the King had before promised to give un∣to whomsoever should deliver up the City unto him, a thousand bisses of gold, which in value are five hundred thousand duckats of our money. These Turks being gotten down, as I have said, laboured to break open a gate with two rammes which they had brought with them for that purpose; but as they were occupied about it, upon a confidence that they alone should gain the thousand bisses of gold, which the King had promised to whomsoever should open him the gates, they saw themselves suddainly charged by three thousand Ia••s, all reso••ute souldiers, who fell upon them with such fury, as little more then a quarter of an hour, there was not so much as one Turk left alive in the place, wherewith not contented, they mounted up immediately to the top of the wall with a wonderfull courage, and so flesht as they were, and covered over with the bloud of the Turks, whom they had newly cut in pieces, they set upon the Bramaaes men which they found there, and fought with them so valiantly, that they durst not make head a∣gainst them, so that most of them were there slain, and the rest tumbled down over the vvall. The King of Bramaa redoubling his courage more then before, would not for all that give over this assault, but contrarily resolved to undertake it anew, so as imagi∣ning that those Elephants alone would be able to give him an entry into the City, he caused them once again to approach unto the wall. At the noyse hereof, Oyaa Pas∣silico, Captain Generall of the City, ran in all hast to this part of the wall, accompani∣ed with fifteen thousand men, whereof the most part were Luzons, B••rn••••s, and Cham∣paa••s, with some Menancabos among, and caused the gate to be presently opened, ••ho∣rough which the Bramaa pretended to enter, and then sent him word, that whereas he was given to understand how his Highnesse had promised to give a thousand biss••s of gold to whomsoever should open him the gates, ••hat so he might thereby enter into the City, he had now performed it, so that h•• might enter if he would, provided that like a great King as he was, he would ma•••• good his word, and send him the thousand bisses of gold which he stayed there to rec••••ve. The King of Bramaa having received this jeer, would not vouchsafe to return an answer, thereby to shew his contempt of Oya•• Passilico; but instantly he commanded the City to be assaulted, which was presently ex∣ecuted with a great deal of fury; for the fight became so terrible, as it was a dreadfull thing to behold, the rather for that the violence of it lasted above three whole hours, during the which time the gate vvas tvvice forced open, and twice the Assailants got an entrance into the City, which the King of Siam no sooner perceived, and that all vvas in danger to be lost, but he ran speedily to oppose them vvith his follovvers, vvhich vvere about thirty thousand in number, and the best souldiers that were in all the City; whereupon the conflict grew much better then before, and continued half an hour and better, during the which I do not know what past, nor can say any other thing, save that we savv streams of bloud running every vvhere, and the ayr all of a light fire; there vvas also on either part such a tumult and noyse, as one would have said the earth had been tottering; for it was a most dreadfull thing to hear the discord and jarring of those barbarous instruments, as bells, drums, and trumpets, intermingled with the noyse of the great Ordnance and smaller shot, and the dreadfull yelling of six thousand Ele∣phants, whence ensued so great a terror, that it took from them that heard it both cou∣rage and sense; withall, that place at the City gate, whereof the Bramaa had been Ma∣ster, was all covered over with bodies drowned in bloud, a spectacle so horrible, that the very sight of it put us almost besides our selves. Diego Suarez then, seeing their for∣ces q••ite repulsed out of the City, the most part of the Elephants hurt, and the rest so scared with the noyse of the great Ordnance, as it was impossible to make them return

unto the vvall; as also that the best men of those that had fought at the gate were slain, and that the Sun was almost down, came to the King, and counselled him to sound a re∣treat, whereunto the King yeelded, though much against his will, because he ob∣served, that both he and the most part of the Portugals were wounded, but it was with a purpose to returne to the same enterprise againe the next morn∣ing.

* 1.3The King being retired to his quarter, found himself wounded with the shot of an arrow which he received in that daies conflict, and which he felt not untill then, by rea∣son of the heat of the fight. This accident hindered the executing of the resolution he had taken to give another assault to the City the next day; for he was constrained to keep his bed twelve daies together, but at seventeen days end, when he was fully cured of his hurt, he undertook again the prosecution of his design, and to effect that which he had so resolved upon, namely, not to raise his siege from before the City untill he had made himself Master of it, though it cost him both his life and his whole State. He gave then a second assault unto the City, which proved like unto the former, for he lost a vvorld of men in it, so that he was forced to retreat; but his wilfullnesse was such, as nothing daunted with the great slaughter of his men, he gave five assaults more to it in the open day, wherein he made use of many warlike stratagems, which a Greek Ingineer daily invented for him; but whatsoever he could do, he was always fain to retire with losse, whereat he was greatly troubled. In the mean time, whereas the siege of this City had already indured four moneths and an half, he commanded a generall muster of his souldiers to be made, and he found that an hundred and forty thousand of them were wanting. Whereupon seeing to what estate he was reduced, for the putting of an end to the business, he resolved to assault the City again with another nevv invention, and this assault was the eighth he had already given to it, during the siege, which he enter∣prised by the Councell of war, and that under the favour of the night; for they alledg∣ed unto him, that darknesse would make the assault less dangerous, and the scaling of the walls more facile. This resolution taken, he instantly commanded all preparations necessary for this design to be made, so that in seventeen days they built up six and twen∣ty Castles of strong pieces of timber, whereof each one was set upon six and twenty wheels of iron, which facilitated the motion of so great a frame. Every Castle was fif∣ty foot broad, threescore and five long, and five and twenty high, and all of them were reinforced with double beams, covered over with sheets of lead: Moreover each of them was full of wood, and had fastned to them before great iron chains, and that were very long in regard of the fire. Things thus prepared, one Friday about midnight, being very dark and rainy, the King of Bramaa caused three times one after another all the great Ordnance of the Camp to be discharged, which, as I remember, I have already said, consisted of an hundred and threescore great pieces, vvhereof the most part shot i∣ron bullets, besides a many of Falconets, bases, and muskets, to the number of fifteen hundred, so that from all these guns shot off together three times one after another, proceeded so horrible and dreadfull a noyse, as I cannot think that any vvhere but in hell the like could be; for on whatsoever the imagination can be fixt, it cannot meet with any thing that may be rightly compared thereunto. At this time, it was not only the great pieces of Ordnance, whereof I have spoken before, and the small ones too, which were shot off, but the like was done by all the guns which were both within the City, and without in the Camp, of what bigness soever they vvere, being at least an hundred thousand in all, for whereas there were, as I have already said, threescore thousand Harquebuziers in the King of Bramaaes Army, there vvere thirty thousand also in the City, besides seven or eight thousand Falconets and Bases; so that to hear all these shot off continually for the space of three hours together, and intermingled with thunder, lightning, and the tempest of the night, was, to say the truth, a thing which was never seen, read of, or imagined, and such indeed as put every one almost besides himself; for some fell flat on the ground, some crept behind walls, and others got into walls. During the greatest violence of this horrible and furious tempest, they set fire on the six and twenty Castles which they had before brought close to the walls, so that by the force of the wind, which vvas at that time very great, and

by the means of barrels of pitch that had been put into them, they fel a flaming in such a strange manner, as there was anew to be seen so dreadfull a picture of hell (for it is the only name that can be given it, because there is nothing upon earth that may rightly he resembled unto it) that if even those which were without trembled at it, I leave you to think vvith hovv much more reason vvere they to fear it vvhom necessity constrained to abide the violence of it. Hereupon began a most bloudy conflict on either part, they without falling to scale the walls, and the besieged, who took no less care for all things then they, valiantly to defend themselves, so that no advantage was to be found on ei∣ther side, but rather both of them were in a condition to be utterly destroyed; for whereas the one and other reinforced themselves continually with fresh supplies, and that the King of Bramaaes obstinacy vvas such, as he went himself in person amongst his souldiers, incouraging them with his speeches, and the great promises that he made them, the fight proceeded so far, and increased so mightily, as being unable to deliver the least part of that which passed therein, •• leave it to the understanding of every one to imagine what it might be. Four hours after midnight, the six and tvventy Castles be∣ing quite burned to the ground, with so terrible a blaze, as no man durst come within a stones cast of it, the King of Bramaa caused a retreat to be sounded, at the request of the Captains of the strangers, for there vvere so many hurt men amongst them, as all the day, and most part of the night following was imployed in dressing of them.

Notes

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• * 1.3

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