_ 203 _ called Melo and Antonio de Lis. When the Arabs saw them, they rejoined the others below, while they continued to defend the entrance from above. As the staircase which led down to their chamber was very dangerous and our man risked being killed if they went down to the Arabs they stayed upstairs. Besides this was a good position from which to fire at the enemy. Nuno Vaz carried a crossbow, and after he had made a hole on the roof with a knife, fired it 14 times, using up all his arrows. Nevertheless, he could not weaken the Arabs’ resolve for they were like possessed men; it was amazing to see them in action. Afonso de Albuquerque saw that if matters continued in the same way the combat would never end and sent for two battering rams which two men drove against the door. They broke it and went in followed by many others, and after they'd gone inside killed all the Arabs in a short space of time. With their death our men were masters of the fortress. It had taken them from six in the morning to midday to capture it, and during this time about 85 Arabs were killed. Only one of them was taken alive, a pilot whose name was Omar, of our men only João Freire died and about 50 were wounded, 7 of whom later died.
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