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DE CHASTL’s VOYAGE TO TERCERA, 841
with riguur the firft who fhall again evince any fuch mutinous difpofition, and feperate thofe
foldiers who behave with propritiy. ‘Yhefe he promifed on his life and honour he would
never abandon, but die with them; {tating at the fame time his willingnefs to allow
any who had not courage enough to follow him to battle to declare themfelves, and
allowing fuch the liberty of going wherever they pieafed. Upon this they exclaimed
aloud that they would never give him again any caufe to be angry but would follow
his orders.
Towards midnight on the fame day, which was Thurfday, the commander was in-
formed that a Spanifh foldier had arrived at the firft barrier of the village bringing a
letter from Don Pedrode Padilhe, and Don Auguttino Inique, Maitres de Camp of the Spa-
nifh army, which he fent for to the barrier, not being willing to fpeak to the Spaniard. The
fubject of this letter was, that the faid Padilhe and Inique being convinced of the ex-
tremity to which the commander was reduced, and the rifk he ran of his life, had
begged the marquis de Santa Cruz to have it preferved, which he had promifed them ;
and as they were his friends, and had noticed his bravery, and that of his companions
on the day of battle, they gave him intelligence of this in order that he might not refufe
the proferred courtefy. “he commander gave for an{wer verbally, by the means of one
of his captains, who bore it to the Spaniard at the barrier, that he was much obliged
to thofe gentlemen, who were more concerned for his life than he was himfelf;
that it was not in fo much danger as they imagined, but if it were loft with thofe of his
companions in the ferviceof the king his matter, hefhould confider it well expended, but at
anyrate they fhouldnot be cheaplybought. And although the commander wasunder great
affliction from having no other means of fupport than water, which ran in a brook acro{s
the village, and {curvy green pears, on which they had already fubfifted for eight or nine
days, very little ammunition, and few foldiers inclined to fuffer more hardfhips with himfeif
and his companions, a good part of his beft men being dead, wounded, or fick; ne-
verthelefs he would not liften to any capitulation, without firft confulting with the chief
Portuguefe captains, who were in the mountains, and learning from them, whether,
after the fault they had been guilty of, in abandoning him in the battle, who had pur-
pofely come to rifk his life, and that of his companions, for the prefervation of theirs,
their property, and their liberty ; their courage fhould have returned, in which cafe he
was perfectly ready to meet the enemy afrefh, from whom they had as little mercy to
expect as the French, informing them at the fame time, that a capitulation was propoled
to him, which, however, he would not give ear to, provided they determined upon an
honourable death with himfelf.
Inftead of anfwering the commander, they fent his letters to the marquis de Santa
Cruz, to whom Francilco Diez, one of the principal Portuguefe captains wrote as well
that he was the humbie flaye and fubject of king Philip, and that if he had not declared
as much before, it was for want of knowing his right to the kingdom of Portugal; but
that if his fervices were acceptable, he would come and join him with his Portuguefe,
and would act againft the French who had folicited him to join them, that he would
make a prifoner of the count de Torrevedros, who was wandering about the mountain,
his boat in which he had attempted to fave himfelf being wrecked. In the inte:im, the
commander received a fecond letter from Don Pedro de Padilhe, and Don Inique, in
which they complained of the commander not having returned a written an{wer, and
ftating their furprize at his refolution of fo unadvifedly lofing his life, Gnce having no
means of ferving his mafter by that facrifice, he could acquire no great honour byit ; that
knowing his merit they were much concerned in his fate ; and entreating him if he had
any regard for himfelf, he would fend fome gentlemen of his party to treat of a capi-
VOL. 1. ae tulation,
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