_ 211 _ I said, there was nowhere else where they could obtain it. Like the enemy's trench, our stockade stretched from one side of the coast to the other. He also had a path cleared, and a drawbridge built over a trench they had dug outside the stockade; and which was raised and lowered by means of chains. Some pieces of artillery were positioned by the stockade and the path and placed in small houses. When the King of Cannanore saw how the captain was getting ready he wished to delay no longer. He mustered his men, who numbered 60,000, both Kshatryas (warrior caste) and Arabs. At the beginning of May the stockades on both sides were completed and the king gathered all his men before the fortress. They were all well-armed in their usual way, with arrows, lances, swords and shields. There were so many of them that they covered the land and presented an astonishing sight specially so when they all began to give loud cries. After this they began to fire their artillery from the houses, and our men responded likewise from theirs. The captain had assigned the captains to each of these houses, but I was unable to find out what their names were, Lourenco de Brito came to help his men at the stockade, for the combat was now under way and there was an exchange of fire. This lasted for quite some time, after
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