Page:Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (IA journalofstra17181886roya).pdf/223

and perceiving that his people began to grow faint by long exertions, excessive heat, and want of food, he withdrew to the ships towards night. Ten of the Portuguese died in consequence of their wounds from the poisoned arrows. The loss of the enemy was not known. The king of Pahang withdrew to his own country, under pretence of bringing a reinforcement, but never returned.

While Albuquerque rested and refreshed his mien on board, Mahmud was busily employed in making every possible preparation for defending the city. For this purpose he undermined the streets in several places, in hopes to blow up the assailants, strewed poisoned thorns^[1] in the way, covering them over to prevent their being observed. He likewise fortified the bridge, and planted cannon in many places. As a prelude to the second assault, Albuquerque sent Antonio de Abreu, in a vessel well manned, to gain possession of the bridge. On his way thither he had to pass through showers of bullets from both sides of the river and from the battlements of the bridge, and though desperately wounded,^[2] refused to be brought off, when Diniz Fernandez Melo, who came up to his rescue, proposed sending him to the ships to have his wounds dressed, saying that, "though he neither had strength to fight nor voice to command," he would not quit his post while life remained. Floats of fire were sent down the river to burn the vessel,^[3] but at length Albuquerque in person gained possession of the bridge, and the vessel, being freed from the fire-rafts, had liberty to act against the enemy. Having rested his men a short time on the bridge, Albuquerque penetrated the city, through showers of bullets, darts,

1. No doubt ranjau, caltrops made of bamboo.
2. In the jaw.
3. A big junk brought down to overtop the bridge: but she had to wait nine days until the tide was high enough to carry her over the sandy spit outside the river mouth, and while she was in this position the fire-boats were despatched against her night after night with the ebb-tide, but Albuquerque was on the watch and kept them off.