_ 292 _ year 86, blinded by the passion and anger which he had held against them since the previous year when he had lost three fustas of our fleet in his port which, rather with pertinacity than good warfare, they had taken quite heedlessly at the bar during the winter.(A) There was no lack of those who wanted to put a halt to this groundless attack, principally a brave soldier called Alvaro de Avelar. He persuaded the captain of the fortress that he should bear in mind that he was putting at risk a large fleet and many men for something for which risking even two ships was not worthwhile. He told him that he should see clearly that such an undertaking would not bear any fruit at all since it was not at all possible to take the Niquelus unawares as the port was tricky to negotiate and had poor landing points, and it would be very easy for them [the Niquelus] to escape. For they would be well-prepared and fearful, seeing such a fleet gathered in Ormuz. And that even if they burned their terradas, which was the plan, if it proved to be impossible to do them any other damage. It seemed to be the most possible (impossible) thing to do, as they were (A) The captain of Ormuz was Joao Gomes da Silva, who had just taken over from Mathias de Albuquerque, who was still at the fortress and was the major reason for this fatal journey taking place. It was he who, the previous year, had lost the ships of which the author Couto speaks, Dec 10, 1.6.10 and 1.7.18.
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