_ 219 _ taking all their merchandise along, whilst the King of Cannanore would have to stay behind in his own land, as weakened and impoverished as the King of Calicut had been. He should therefore learn from the King of Calicut's experience. Although the prince's advice was the best one, the Arabs had much influence. This fact, added to the king's bad character, blinded him to it, and he ordered his captains to build huts all along his trench, so that our men might know that they wouldn't leave until they had captured our stockade. This order was carried out with great speed and completed three days after the prince had sent us his warning. The enemy arrived one afternoon carrying many instruments of war in front and making a tremendous din. They also brought their cotton balls which were taller than a man and meant to absorb the blows of our artillery. The captain saw this and immediately went to see all the huts in a short space of time, both on the factory side and the stockade. This is where our men had placed the artillery and they now began to fire at the enemy, without success. This went on until nightfall, during which time the enemy finished building their huts. The Portuguese captain summoned all the army leaders and told them about the cotton balls and what their function was to be,
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