_ 220 _ but that he nonetheless trusted that God would grant him a victory. He also feared that while the enemy attacked the stockade, others would go and fight on the other side (i.e. the factory and the houses where the Portuguese 1ived), and he therefore sent word to the captains who were in charge of it, telling them that they were not to leave it on any account. They replied by telling him not to worry. After this they had dinner and pretended to be celebrating merrily all night, to let the enemy know they weren't afraid of them. The Cannanore army began to get ready before daybreak and started to move towards the stockade already in broad daylight, shouting loudly and carrying their balls in front. Of these there were so many that they almost took up as much space as the stockade. Each of them was pushed by two men who rolled it forward, and they formed a wall which shielded the whole army following behind. As I said, their intention was to draw near our trench and fill it up, thinking that as soon as they crossed it they would capture our stockade on account of their great numbers. Our men were ready and began to fire the artillery, believing that this would tear apart the cotton balls. However, it was not as they thought, although the cannon ball was large. Instead, it was merely absorbed by
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