PEREZ had purchased during his residence in China. Such was the profitableness of the China trade at this time, that PEREZ, though only an apothecary of mean parentage, had by this time acquired 2,000 weight of rhubarb, 1,600 pieces of damask, 400 pieces of other silks, above 100 ounces of gold, 2,000 ounces of silver, 84 pounds of loose musk, above 3,000 purses or coods of that perfume called papos, and a great deal of other commodities.
Between the years 1522 and 1524 Malacca was much straitened by the king of Bintang,[1] who sent a powerful armament against it, to oppose which GEORGE ALBUQUERQUE sent a naval force under DON SANCHO ENRIQUEZ; but in a violent storm 70 out of 200 Portuguese were lost. Till now the king of Pahang had sided with the Portuguese; but seeing the tide of fortune had turned against them, he too became their enemy. Ignorant of this change, ALBUQUERQUE sent three ships to his port for provisions, where two of his captains and thirty men were killed. The third made his escape, but was slain with all his men at Java. SIMON ABREU and his crew were slain on another occasion, and two vessels sent to pre- vent provisions from getting into Bintang were lost. At this time MASCARENHAS, who waited in Malacca for the proper sea- son of sailing to Cochin to assume the government, went against Bintang with twenty-one ships and 400 Portuguese soldiers, having likewise 600 Malays commanded by Tuan MAHOMET and SINAI Rajah. Although the capital of Bintang was well fortified and defended by 7,000 men, MASCARENHAS surmounted every opposition and took the place. Of the enemy 400 were slain and 2,000 taken prisoners. A vast booty was made on this occasion, among which were nearly 300 pieces of cannon; and the Portuguese lost only three men in this glorious exploit. The king of Bintang died of grief, and MASCARENHAS restored the kingdom to the lawful heir under vassalage to Portugal, the former king having been an usurper.
- ↑ Bentan.
