_ 183 _ withdraw because they wanted to kill him; that was what they were talking about. Lionel Coutinho’s nephew, João de Lima who had also come ashore and was 18 years old heard this and told his uncle not to wait any longer. Lionel Coutinho didn’t follow his advice and told the interpreter to tell the Arabs that he hadn’t come to fight but to make peace and asked them to give him an answer so that he might let the commander-in-chief know. Afterwards they would have time to fight. The Arabs continued to talk of killing him and he withdrew, almost having to fight his way back, because the Arabs followed him to the sea. There he was rescued by Rui Pereira Countinho and the others and they all went back to speak to the Arabs. But the latter ran away when they saw them coming towards them and Lionel Coutinho went back to the commander-in-chief and informed him of what had happened. When he learnt the news, he summoned the council and told the captains of the fleet about the message he had sent to the Arabs and how they responded. Afonso de Albuquerque at once said that since the Arabs didn’t want peace and were so arrogant, we should fight them and make them realize how ill-advised they had been to act as they had done.
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