a forgotten empire-vijayanagar-第52章

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here　you　would　see　women　and　boys　who　had　left　the　camp；　there　horses　and　men　who　through　clinging　one　to　another　could　not　escape　as　there　was　so　much　water　in　the　river　　and　the　King's　troops　stood　on　the　bank；　so　that　whenever　a　man　appeared　he　was　killed；　and　the　horses　that　tried　to　clamber　up　by　the　bank　of　the　river；　unable　to　do　so；　fell　back　on　the　men；　so　that　neither　one　nor　the　other　escaped；　and　the　elephants　went　into　the　stream；　and　those　that　they　could　seize　were　cruelly　killed　by　them。　Seeing　what　passed；　I　say；　the　King　out　of　compassion　commanded　the　troops　to　retire；　saying　that　numbers　had　died　who　did　not　deserve　death　nor　were　at　all　in　fault；　which　order　was　at　once　obeyed　by　all　the　captains；　so　that　each　one　withdrew　all　his　forces。

The　King　then　advanced　to　the　camp　of　the　Ydallcao　and　rested　himself　in　his　tent；　but　many　of　the　captains　spoke　against　his　action　in　thus　taking　repose；　saying　that　he　ought　rather　to　complete　the　destruction　of　all　his　enemies；　and　they　would　secure　this　for　him；　and　that　if　he　did　not　wish　himself　to　do　this　he　should　at　least　command　some　of　them　to　do　it；　and　that　it　was　not　wise　to　cease　from　pursuit　so　long　as　daylight　should　last。　To　whom　the　King　answered　that　many　had　died　who　were　not　to　blame；　that　if　the　Ydallcao　had　done　him　wrong；　he　had　already　suffered　enough；　and　moreover；　that　it　did　not　seem　to　him　good；　since　Rachol　remained　behind　them　to　be　taken；　that　they　should　go　forward；　but　rather　they　should　make　themselves　ready　for　its　capture；　for　that　the　siege　had　to　be　conducted　henceforth　in　a　new　and　better　manner。　For　the　King　was　persuaded　throughout　that；　since　the　Ydallcao　had　lost　so　many　men　and　so　much　honour；　and　had　lost　indeed　all　his　power；　he　would　not　wish　to　live　any　longer；　and　that　he　must　be　dead　on　the　field。　Which；　however；　was　not　so；　seeing　that　the　Ydallcao　had　not　even　entered　into　the　fight；　but　had　all　the　time　remained　under　guard　of　Sefallarym＇556＇　　he　who　now　calls　himself　Acadacao　and　is　lord　of　Belgaum　　who；　fearing　the　event；　contrived　by　cunning　that　the　Ydallcao　should　select　him　for　his　guard　with　all　his　troops；　among　whom　he　had　four　hundred　cavalry；　and　when　he　saw　how　the　soldiers　fled；　and　how　completely　they　had　been　defeated；　he　said　to　the　Ydallcao；　〃Sire；　if　thou　seekest　to　live　follow　me！〃　and　the　Ydallcao　took　refuge　on　an　elephant　and　followed　him；　leaving　his　camp　and　all　that　he　possessed。　And　as　Acadacao　wished　him　to　travel　by　land；＇557＇　he　took　no　care　to　search　for　the　ford；　but　skirting　the　range　of　hills　on　the　south　he　went　by　that　way。＇558＇

As　it　may　be　asked　what　became　of　the　captain　who　sallied　out　of　Rachol　with　the　two　hundred　horsemen　and　elephants　and　foot…soldiers；　I　say　that　he　ever　kept　himself　advised　of　what　passed　in　the　field；　and　as　soon　as　he　learned　that　the　Ydallcao　was　defeated　he　turned　back　to　take　refuge　again　in　the　citadel。　But　those　within　were　not　of　a　mind　to　receive　him；　there　being　a　quarrel　between　him　and　another　captain　who　was　in　the　city；　and　he；　seeing　that　they　would　not　admit　him；　was　forced　to　think　how　he　could　save　himself；　and　he　did　so　by　passing　the　river　by　another　ford　farther　down；　and　so　saved　himself。　The　belief　of　many　was　that　he　who　was　inside　thought　that　he　would　now　possess　the　city　for　his　own；　and　that　he　would　thereby　become　rich；　and　for　that　reason　refused　to　receive　the　captain。


CHAPTER　10


Of　the　spoil　taken　from　the　Moors；　of　how　the　King　burned　all　the　dead；　and　of　what　Christovao　de　Figueiredo　did。

The　King　being　thus　in　the　camp；　he　commanded　the　spoil　that　remained　of　the　Moors　to　be　collected；　and　there　were　found　five　captains　who　were　taken　prisoners　（those　of　highest　rank　were　found　amongst　the　dead）；　the　chiefest　of　them　was　Salabatacao；＇559＇　who　was　captain…general　of　all　the　troops　of　the　Ydallcao　He　had　taken　for　his　guard　in　the　battle　five　hundred　Portuguese　of　the　renegades　who　were　with　the　Moors；　and　as　soon　as　this　Salabatacao　saw　that　his　army　was　defeated；　he　strove　to　collect　and　form　a　body　of　men；　but　could　not　do　it　because　there　was　not　one　amongst　them　who　thought　of　aught　but　to　save　himself。　And　thinking　it　worse　to　be　conquered　than　to　die；　he　threw　himself　amongst　the　King's　troops；　slaughtering　them；　and　doing　such　wonderful　deeds　that　ever　after　he　and　his　Portuguese　were　remembered；　so　much　were　their　terrible　strokes　feared；　and　the　deeds　they　did；　so　that　they　let　them　pass　on；　and　they　penetrated　so　far　amongst　the　troops　that　they　found　themselves　close　to　the　King's　bodyguard。　There　the　horse　of　Salabatacao　was　killed。　In　order　to　succour　him　the　Portuguese　did　great　deeds　and　killed　so　many　men　that　they　left　a　broad　road　behind　them　which　no　one　dared　to　enter；　and　they　fought　so　well　that　they　got　another　horse　for　Salabatacao。　As　soon　as　he　was　on　its　back　he　seemed　like　nothing　but　a　furious　wolf　amongst　sheep；　but　since　already　they　were　all　so　exhausted；　so　wounded　all　over；　and　so　encircled　by　the　enemy　（for　they　were　attacked　at　every　point）；　Salabatacao　was　at　length　overthrown；　and　his　horse　with　him。　And　as　the　Portuguese　who　tried　to　succour　him　were　all　killed；　not　one　escaping；　and　he　himself　was　wounded　in　many　places；　he　was　taken　prisoner。

The　spoil　was　four　thousand　horses　of　Ormuz；　and　a　hundred　elephants；　and　four　hundred　heavy　cannon；　besides　small　ones；　the　number　of　gun…carriages　for　them　was　nine　hundred；　and　there　were　many　tents　and　pavilions。　I　take　no　account　of　the　sumpter…horses　and　oxen　and　other　beasts；　for　they　were　numberless；　nor　of　the　numbers　of　men　and　boys；　nor　yet　of　some　women；　whom　the　King　ordered　to　be　released。

Here　the　King　stayed　till　all　the　dead　had　been　burned；　and　the　customary　honours　had　been　paid　to　them；　and　here　he　gave　much　alms　for　the　souls　of　those　who　had　been　killed　in　battle　on　his　side。　These　numbered　sixteen　thousand　and　odd。　These　things　done；　he　turned　again　upon　Rachol　and　pitched　his　camp　as　he　had　done　before。

During　this　return　of　the　King　there　came　to　meet　him　Christovao　de　Figueiredo；＇560＇　who　was　at　that　time　in　the　city　of　Bisnaga　with　horses；　and　he　took　with　him　twenty　Portuguese　musqueteers；　he　also　himself　having　his　musquet。　The　King　took　much　pleasure　in　his　company；　glad　that　he　should　see　the　war　and　his　great　power；　and　he　ordered　some　tents　to　be　given　to　him　of　those　taken　from　the　Ydallcao；　and　commanded　that　he　should　be　lodged　close　to　his　own　quarters。　One　day　Christovao　de　Figueiredo　told　the　King　that　he　wanted　to　go　and　see　the　city；　but　the　King　said　that　he　should　not　set　his　heart　upon　that　because　he　did　not　want　any　disaster　to　befall　him。　But　Christovao　de　Figueiredo　replied　that　the　whole　business　of　the　Portuguese　was　war；　and　that　this　would　be　the　greatest　favour　that　he　could　do　him；　namely　that　His　Highness　should　permit　him　to　go　and　see　the　Moors。　So　the　King　gave　him　leave　and　sent　some　people　with　him。　Christovao　de　Figueiredo　went　close　to　the　trench　before　the　walls；　keeping　himself　as　much　concealed　as　possible；　and　seeing　how　fearlessly　the　Moors　exposed　themselves　on　the　wall；　began；　with　the　musqueteers　whom　he　had　brought；　to　open　fire　on　them　in　such　a　way　that　he　slew　many；　the　Moors　being　careless　and　free　from　fear；　as　men　who　up　to　then　had　never　seen　men　killed　with　firearms　nor　with　other　such　weapons。　So　they　began　to　forsake　the　wall　（at　this　point）；　and　the　king's　troops　found　an　opportunity　of　coming　in　safety　to　it；　and　they　began　to　destroy　much　of　the　masonry；　and　so　many　people　collected　on　this　side　that　all　the　camp　was　put　in　commotion；　saying　that　Christovao　de　Figueiredo　had　entered　the　city　with　his　Portuguese。　This　was　told　to　the　King。　Those　in　the　city　could　not　understand　what　was　going　on；　nor　how　these　people　came　to　be　in　the　King's　service；　until　they　recollected　how　on　the　day　of　the　other　fight　the　Portuguese　had　come；　and　then　they　considered　themselves　lost。　For　by　the　aid　of　those　men　the　King's　people　came　without　fear　to　the　wall；　where　already　it　was　damaged　in　many　places；　because　the　city　had　its　cannon　so　high　up　that　these　could　do　no　injury　to　the　men　who　were　at　the　foot　of　the　wall。　The　wall　also　was　filled　up　inside　with　earth；　and　there　were　no　cannon　in　the　breaches。　The　people　of　the　city　whom　up　to　that　time　they　had　killed　had　been　supplied　with　stones　which　they　had　flung　on　the　besiegers　from　the　top　of　the　wall；　and　with　musquets　and　arrows；　so　that　even　if　the　King's　men　were　able　to　reach　the　wall　at　all　they　were　at　least　wounded；　but　as　Christovao　de　Figueiredo　with　the　Portuguese　prevented　the　enemy　from　appearing　at　all　on　the　wall；　the　Hindus　were　enabled　to　reach　it　at　their　ease。

Here　you　would　have　seen　how　the　King's　captains　begged　Christovao　de　Figueiredo　to　permit　them　one　day　to　attack　the　Moors　in　his　company；　and　he；　in　order　to　content　the　more　honourable　of　them；　went　with　them　on　those　days。　One　day　he　divided　his　musqueteers　into　three　companies　and　began　to　kill　several　amongst　the　Moors　who　showed　themselves；　insomuch　that　none　durst　be　seen；　and　then　the　King's　troops　began；　in　these　three　divisions；　to　attack　the　wall　with　many　pickaxes　and　crowbars；＇561＇　and　he　sent　to　tell　the　rest　that　they　should　attack　on　their　own　account；　and　such　was　the　result　that　the　defenders　of　the　city　began　to　abandon　the　first　line　of　fortification；　and　the　women　and　children　took　refuge　in　the　citadel。　The　captain　of　the　city；　seeing　the　dismay　that　had　spread　amongst　his　people；　began　to　turn　them　back　with　encouraging　words；　and　with　some　of　them　betook　himself　to　that　part　of　the　wall　which　he　saw　was　most　severely　pressed；　begging　them　that　they　would　come　back　to　the　wall　and　not　be　afraid。　He　was　answered　by　some　that　at　that　point　were　those　Franks＇562＇　who　were　helping；　and　that　as　soon　as　any　one　showed　himself　he　was　a　dead　man；　and　he；　wishing　to　see　for　himself　where　the　Portuguese　were；　reached　over　with　his　body　in　front　one　of　the　embrasures　and　was　killed　with　a　musquet…shot　that　struck　him　in　the　middle　of　his　forehead。　It　was　said　by　the　Moors　that　Christovao　de　Figueyredo　had　killed　him；　and　they　took　notice　of　him　（DERAO　SYGNAES　D　ELLE）。　As　soon　as　the　captain　was　thus　killed　there　was　great　lamentation　in　the　city；　and　soon　the　wall　was　deserted；　so　that　the　men　from　the　King's　camp　were　left　to　do　as　they　pleased　with　it；　and　they　noticed　the　outcry　that　arose　within　and　saw　that　there　was　no　one　defending　the　wall。　They　therefore　retired　to　see　what　should　happen；　and　left　off　fighting　for　that　day。



CHAPTER　11


How　those　in　the　city　asked　for　terms；　and　the　king　granted　them　quarter。

Next　day；　which　was　twenty　days　since　the　battle　had　taken　place　in　which　the　Ydallcao　had　been　defeated；　the　men　of　the　city　opened　a　gate；　and　with　a　white　flag　carried　in　front　of　them　went　the　way　of　the　King's　camp　with　their　hands　uplifted；　begging　the　King's　mercy。

When　the　King　was　advised　of　their　coming；　he　commanded　Solestema；＇563＇　his　minister；　to　receive　them；　and　when　they　saw　that　he　came　out　to　receive　them　they　began　to　hope　that　they　should　experience　kindness　at　the　King's　hands。

Thus　they　came　to　the　place　where　he　was；　and　there　they　prostrated　themselves　on　the　ground