_ 185 _ to see how the Portuguese attack and how the Arabs defend themselves. They are very confident owing to their numerical superiority, and I don’t doubt that they will come to meet us outside the city. If they do this, I trust in our Lord’s mercy that He will redouble our men’s efforts so that the Arabs will not be able to withstand them and will seek shelter in the city. As they escape out men will follow them and enter it along with them. And if they don’t escape, we will make sure none of them remains alive. As for the danger in disembarking and your claims that Arabs will cause us much harm as we attempt to disembark, we shall solve this by going ashore before daybreak. In this way, when they come to the beach we will already be on our way to the city. I ask you to agree with what I am saying, for this is what I shall do, and even if you don’t agree I’m sure you will help just as if you were in favour of it. When the captains saw his determination, they said that they would follow him in everything and told him to do what he thought was best. It was agreed that they would disembark before daybreak, and that Afonso de Albuquerque should go in front with 400 men, along with Lionel Coutinho, Rui Pereira Coutinho, Francisco de Travora and other noblemen, such as Afonso de Noronha, his brother Antonio de Noronha,
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