His plight was noted by some French persons of standing, who presented him to the public as the "Prince of Timor", but Baltazar eventually died poor and forgotten, some time after 1778.
In 1748 a number of Timorese princedoms in West Timor, who were usually clients to the Portuguese, turned rebellious against Gaspar da Costa.
Gaspar da Costa raised a comprehensive army consisting of Topasses and levies from the various Timorese princedoms still under his control.
The Topass-Timorese army camped at Penfui, at present-day El Tari Airport east of Kupang, where they made fortifications of stone and earth.
When Gaspar da Costa attempted to leave the battlefield on horseback he was pierced by a Timorese spear, while his followers were slaughtered in the thousands.