attack Malacca in person. On the 2nd of May, 1511, Albuquerque sailed from Cochin on his expedition against Malacca, with 19 ships[1] and 1,100 soldiers, 800 of whom were Portuguese and 600 Malabars. While off the island of Ceylon, he fell in with and captured five vessels belonging to the Moors, which were bound for Malacca. On arriving at the island of Sumatra, the kings of Pedir and Pisang[2] sent friendly messages to Albuquerque, on which occasion Juan de Viegas, one of the men left behind by {{sc|Sequeira, was restored to freedom, he and others having made their escape from Malacca.[3]
On the 1st of July 1511, the Portuguese fleet cast anchor in the roads of Malacca, infusing terror and dismay among multitudes that covered the whole shore, by the clangour of their warlike instruments, and the noise of repeated discharges of cannon, being sensible of their guilty conduct to Sequeira, and conscious that the present armament was designed for their condign punishment. Next day a Moor came off in great state with a message from the king, and was received with much courtesy and ceremonious pomp by Albuquerque, to whom he said that if he came for trade, the king was ready to supply whatever merchandise he wanted. Albuquerque made answer that the merchandise he sought for was the restitution of the Portuguese who had been left there by Sequeira, and when they were restored, he should then say what further demands he had to make from the king. On his return to the city, the Moor spread universal consternation by this answer, and it was agreed to endeavour to avert the threatened danger, by restoring the Portuguese, and by paying a large sum of money. But Prince Ala'Eddin, the son of the king of Pahang, opposed this, and made ready for defence. Upon this Albu-
