_ 160 _ view they were to take our men alive. Being famous as sea farers Khwaja Attar had ordered this because he wanted to share them out between his naos. Afonso de Albuquerque had realized on the previous day that this matter would only be resolved by force. He therefore immediately called the counsel with his captains and agreeing on the time and manner of the attack he divided the responsibilities between them. They were to go ashore only when he ordered. This would only be after their artillery attack had done its work. He hoped that by the grace of God their naos would be victorious and only then would they attack the city. Then morning came he gave the signal to fight, and the artillery began to be fired. Our naos were towing to each other to move closer to those of the enemy. There was so much firing, smoke and shouting that it was like an inferno. There was such confusion that they could neither see nor hear each other. While all this was going on the enemy executed a plan they had prepared, with about a hundred and twenty terradas, being rowing boats, which were hidden by the naos, they blackened by the smoke. As swarm of these terradas with outstretched oars then assailed our naos
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