On the twenty first of March the General came to the Trench, and Council of War held. calling together the Captains, Gallinato, Villagra, Antony Andrea, John Fernandez de Torres, Gonzalo de Sequeyra, Sebastian Suarez de Albergueria, Stephen Texeira, Gaspar Pacheco, the Admiral Thomas de Sousa Ronches, Lewis de Melo Sampayo, Jacome de Morales, Don Lope de Almeyda, Ruy Gonzalez, Trajan Rodriguez Castelbranco, Antony de Brito Fogaza, John Pinto de Moraes, and Don Thomas Bravo, and taking out a Missal, in the first Place desir’d them to take an Oath upon the holy Evangelists, that they would not speak of, nor any otherwise reveal, what he should there propose to them, and what should be resolv’d upon it, till effected. They all swore, and then he propos’d the Matter thus.
Furtado’s Speech to the Council. I have call’d you together, Gentlemen, to acquaint you with the Condition I am in at Present, and this Siege has brought me to. It is two Years since I came from Goa, and during my Voyage, have spent a great Quantity of Ammunition, upon several Occasions; so that when we landed the other Day we had only ten Pipes of Powder, and 29 Barrels sent me from Manila. Since I landed, so much has been consum’d, as is visible, in Skirmishes, and Battery, that I have now much less than half that Quantity. The Dead, Wounded and Sick, of our Foot, now wanting in the Camp, are 130; and the rest, as daily Experience shows, fall Sick very fast of the Distemper call’d Berber. Our Provisions, tho’ we took the Rice the Frigates brought from Manila, are so short, that they can not last beyond the beginning of June. The Ships and other Vessels of the Fleet, in the Opinion of the Pilots, run a great Hazard, where they now lie at Anchor; because, when this Moon is out, there can be no Safety for it, by reason of the high Winds and Storms, unless they remove to another Place, and there is no other but Tydore. We see how resolute, and well fortify’d the Enemy is, since all our Battery has produc’d so little Effect, and if they receive any Damage, it is soon made up by the Multitude of People. The Friendship the King of Tydore promis’d for advancing of his Majesty’s Service, has prov’d so false, that he has perform’d nothing of what was concerted with him, tho’ so reasonable, and beneficial to himself; having only been free in Words, but his Actions have not yet been seen. I have had sufficient Tryal of him. He has no other Design, but to deceive, and amuse us, that our Men may be destroy’d by Degrees, and so Time may consume us if the Enemy cannot. When I press’d him to do something, to show at this Time that he was a Friend, and his Majesty’s Subject, he answer’d, he would; but that we must furnish Provisions for all his Men, because he had none. They demand Powder and Ball, for every trivial Undertaking, that so they may consume the little we have left; and when there is any Work to be done, there are no Men for it. Of the few Amboyneses I brought with me, for this Purpose, their Labour being great, some are return’d home, others gone to the Enemy. Those that remain are not sufficient, and most of what has been hitherto done is owing to the Infantry; which is so harrass’d, that it can do no Service. The Enemy expects Dutch Ships, and knows they are now at Banda. I have Intelligence that they have sent for them, and if they come they will be a great Obstacle to our Designs. Considering what I have discours’d of, I desire you, Gentlemen, and every one of you, still under the Obligation of the Oath, to give me your Opinions, that according to them I may resolve what to do, in pursuance of the great Duty incumbent on me.
Upon the Request of the Captains, the General Furtado gave in these Proposals in writing, tho’ he oppos’d it at first. In short they were written, as were the Opinions of the Councellors, among whom the greater Part, even of the Portugueses oppos’d the General; and tho’ I ought to give some Account of their Votes, because they had all different Views, yet, in Regard that most of them assented to Gallinato’s Opinion, it will suffice to set down his Answer.
John Xuarez Gallinato, Commander of the Provinces of the Pintados, and Gallinato’s Answer to Furtado.
the Officers attending me, do answer to the Proposal made by your Lordship, as follows. That as to the want of Powder you represent, we look upon it as essential, since we can not fight without it, and if that fails, our Cannon and small Fire-Arms, are rather Encumbrances, than Weapons, and therefore it is requisite to resolve and agree, where and when to employ, and how much of what we have may be spent, so as our Enterprize may succeed, since we see how ineffectual that hitherto spent has been; considering, at the same Time, that a great Quantity is to be reserv’d, to fight five Dutch Galeons we expect; which, if they come, part of our Fleet must of necessity go out and ingage. For, if this be not done they will put Succours into the Place, which tho’ never so inconsiderable, as but of 100 Muskets, would be very prejudicial to us; besides that, it will be a great Disreputation, not to meet them out at Sea.
As to the Mens sickning, being kill’d and wounded, we say, those are Misfortunes always attending War; and that we are sensible how fast the Army grows weak, for which Reason, it will be necessary to be the more expeditious in the Work we have in Hand; yet so that neither too much Precipitation may expose it to Hazards, nor Delay give Time for all the Army to fall Sick. As for the Scarcity of Provisions, our Opinion is, that an Account be taken of what we have, how much is consum’d in a Month, and thus the necessary Distribution may be made in Time; for otherwise we shall fall short, when we least expect it; and Hunger will do us more Harm than the Enemy.
To the Danger of the Ships threatned by the Pilots, and their Advice to go over to Tydore, we answer. That if the Fleet quits the Station where it is, it will be a manifest Detriment to the Army, which is supply’d from it with all it Wants, and must want every Thing upon its Absence. Besides, that if the Enemy see it once gone, they will take fresh Courage; and if the Dutch come and find the Harbour empty, it is plain they will possess themselves of it. Again, if the Fleet makes off, must not a considerable Number of the Soldiers go for its Security? Now how can it be proper to divide our Forces; especially considering they are so small, and the Men so sickly? Besides that here is no Place to lay up the Provisions, for the Waters destroy them by Day and Night. Whilst aboard the Fleet, the Soldiers have it daily brought fresh and wholesome. Farther, the Pilots, and Natives of Tydore, say the Ships are safe in the Harbour till after the Middle of April.
We have had Tryal of the Enemies Power, and believe they have Men, Ammunition, and Cannon to spare, considering our Condition; and the Commanders, and Deserters from them confirm it. But neither can it be deny’d, that the very first Day we ingag’d as we have been told by Prisoners, and wounded Men, 1000 of the best Men they had in Ternate came out to stop our Passage with five Pieces of Cannon, and so posted, that only two of our Men could come up a Breast to charge them; and yet they with all these Odds, were beaten off with the Loss of many Men, as appear’d by the dead Bodies, scatter’d along the Shore, where they also lost their Artillery. The same Day we saw them sally upon the Fort of Santiago, where Captain Villagra commanded, and tho’ our Men were surpriz’d, yet they repuls’d them and slew the Flower of their Commanders; so that they were certainly much weakned; and streightned by Hunger and Sickness. And tho’ with the Help of the Dutch, and their own Hardiness they repair the Breaches, and fortify themselves with Artillery, Means may be found to surmount these Difficulties, for if there were none, it would be no War we are ingag’d in.
We are sensible of the King of Tydore’s Want of Faith; but what discreet Commander has not made the best of such Accidents, and wink’d at disloyal, and unsteady Persons till a more favourable Opportunity; Besides, before we landed, Notice was taken of this Princes Indifferency, and that his Design is to protract the War, rather in Hatred to Ternate, than out of any Love to our Nation. We our selves will make amends for the Want of Labourers; we will be both Soldiers and Pioniers, as we have hitherto been; for the Sword and the Spade are equally honourable in so just a War; and we again offer our selves, and our Soldiers, to perform whatsoever shall be for the Service of God and the King.
It is therefore our Opinion, that the Galeons remove immediately; that two of them Anchor between our Ladies Cavalier, and S. Paul, and batter the inside of the Cavalier, and the other two, the House of S. Paul, the Fort, and the Town. Then of Necessity the Defendants within must fly, since the Defence of the Stone Parapet, is but a meer Show, except only where it looks upon the open Country. As soon as the Galeons begin to batter, we will also batter the Ravelin before the Cavalier, where the seven Pieces of Cannon are, which will certainly be ruin’d in two Hours, because our Fort of S. Christopher commands them, and the Thickness is not above a Fathom. To conclude, My Lord, the Want of Provisions, and of Health, the coming of the Dutch, the Resolution of the Besieged, of all other Difficulties will be surmounted by Celerity. We are ready to perform all Things on our Part; it belongs to your Lordship to make Tryal of our Promise. It will not be reasonable immediately to abandon the small Remains of Christianity in the Moluccos, and the Hopes of regaining what has been lost, in vain endeavour’d for so many Years, at the Expence of so many Millions of Money, so many Lives, and the Honour of European Nations, by turning our Backs upon so holy an Undertaking.