_ 112 _ During this time and days the Captain was ill, and ill conditioned, nevertheless he always ordained and arranged all that was expedient and was necessary in all parts and places, and the greater part of the time he was present at the places and walls, where the evenings fire was more keenly directed, encouraging the men to discharge their muskets, and assist to supply and load the guns which were placed in dangerous spots, and where we had some of the men wounded, and to the sergeant and gunners who showed remarkable skill he gave them his pieces and of his own money and by this means he made them so skillful and courageous, that they no longer felt dread or fear of any thing, and they performed their service. So well, that I do not think they could do so better according to the shots they discharged; and speaking about (sic) the gunners in this account must be reckoned Francisco Pires the foreman of the works, who knows how to direct a shot better than João de la Camara the Sergeant who was with the Viceroy Dom Francisco d' Almeida when he routed the fleet of the Rumes over Dio, of whom it is said that, by one of his well directed shots he caused two of the enemies ships to sink to the bottom, for he aimed his shots so well that the greater number of the pieces of the Captain fell to him.
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