EXPEDITION OF SEIDI ALI TO THE EASTERN OCEAN.
In the month of Moharrem (December), A. H. 961 (A. D. 1553), the Capudan Seidi Ali, following the orders he had received, left Aleppo and proceeded to Bassora by way of Mousul and Baghdad. Favourable winds now began to blow, and the capudan, in order to avail himself of them, hastened to equip the five[45] barges that were lying there. Mustapha Pasha, the governor of Bassora, and a distinguished seaman, was absent from the city when Seidi Ali arrived; having been ordered by the Porte to sail with a frigate to Ormuz, and was at this moment on his way thither. Being informed that the infidels had only four ships, he immediately communicated the intelligence to Seidi Ali, who thereupon embarked his troops and quitted Bassora early in the month of Shaban (July), and joined Mustapha Pasha near Ormuz. Passing Abadan, Desboul, and Shutar, and coasting Harek and Katif in the neighbourhood of Lahsa, they arrived at Bahrein, where they had an interview with the governor, Murad Reis. Here the sailors, by sinking leathern bottles about eight fathoms into the sea obtained fresh water. They sailed hence to old Ormuz, Barkhet and Ormuz; after which the sherif Mustapha returned to the Porte. Seidi Ali then passed the coast of Zaffar, and early on the morning of the fortieth day, which was the tenth of Ramazan, met the infidels near the city of Khourfekan. Their fleet consisted of four immense barges, three large galleons, six Portuguese guard-ships, and twelve golettas.
THE ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN SEIDI ALI AND THE PORTUGUESE.
The Moslems immediately hoisted their colours, weighed anchor, and got in readiness all their warlike machines. With flags hoisted and sails spread, and looking in confidence to the Supreme Being, they set up Mohammedan shouts, and commenced an attack, the fierceness of which baffles description. By the favour of God, their fire struck one of the Portuguese galleons, which was wrecked on the island of Fak-al-asad. They fought bravely till night-fall, when the capudan hoisted the lights. The infidels however fired a gun as the signal of retreat, and fled to Ormuz. Thus, by the favour of God, the victory was left to the Moslems, who, favoured by the winds, departed next day for the city of Khourfekan, where the troops took in a supply of fresh water, and after seventeen days’ sailing, arrived in the neighbourhood of Muscat and Kalat.
SECOND EXPEDITION OF SEIDI ALI, AGAINST THE CAPUDAN OF GOA.
On the morning of the 26th of Ramazan the captain of Goa, the son of the governor, left the harbour of Muscat, and with his barges, guard-ships, and galleons, with their mainsails spread and colours flying, sailed against the Moslems, who, still trusting in God, remained near the shore prepared for battle.
The enemy’s barges first came up, and attacked the galleys, when a sharp fire was opened on both sides, and a furious engagement ensued. The infidels then began to shower down their hand-grenades from the maintops upon the galleys, one of which and a barge which was near it they burnt by throwing a bomb into the galley. Five barges and as many galleys were driven ashore and lost. Another barge was driven ashore by the violence with which the wind beat against it, and was lost. At length the sailors and the troops on both sides were exhausted, the former being unable to pull at the oars, and the latter to work the guns any longer; they were therefore obliged to cast anchor: but even in this position they fought for some time with springs to their cables. They were finally obliged to abandon their boats. Elmshah Reis, Kara Mustaffa, and Kalfat Mumi, the commanders of the lost galleys, and Durzi Mustaffa Beg, the Commander of the volunteers, with about two hundred Egyptian soldiers, reached the shore in safety, and afterwards returned to the fleet, bringing with them many Arabs to the assistance of the Moslems. The infidels also recovered the men who were in their barges which had been driven ashore. This battle was even greater than that between Khair-ad-din and Andrea Doria. Few soldiers are known to have ever been engaged in such a fight. At last, when night approached, a strong gale began to blow, and each of the barges threw out two stream anchors; but the men on board were so overcome with fatigue, that they were obliged to stand out from the shore, and sail before the wind. In this way they came to the coast of Barjash, where, finding plenty of sea, they succeeded in reaching Bender Shehbar in Mekran. Here they took in water, and by the direction of a pilot, reached Bender Goader; the governor of which, Malek Dinar Oghli Jelal-ad-din, came to examine the state of their fleet, and represented to the sultan the necessity of sending supplies: in consequence of which, fifty or sixty vessels with provisions were sent out, and joined them before they reached Ormuz.
THE RESULT OF SEIDI ALI’S EXPEDITION TO THE INDIAN OCEAN.
From Bender Goader the capudan again sailed with nine vessels for the Indian Ocean, and directed his course towards Yemen. For a few days the weather was favourable, and they had arrived in the neighbourhood of Zaffar and Shedjer, when the westerly winds began to blow, and they were overtaken by the storm called the Elephant, before which they scudded, being unable even to carry the foresail. Compared with this, a storm in the Mediterranean is as insignificant as a grain of sand: day could not be distinguished from night, and the waves rose like huge mountains. Their vessels were thus greatly injured, and they were obliged to throw overboard a great part of their ammunition and stores. In this way they drifted before the wind for ten days, during which time it rained incessantly, and there was no appearance of daylight. The sailors here saw immense fishes, of the length of two galleys; at which their spirits rose, because they consider them animals of good omen. They also saw sea-horses, huge serpents, tortoises as large as millstones, and sea-weed. After having been detained a long time, they at last approached the bay of Chekd.