_ 24 _ beach, all are of stones, and this town was at the foot of the mountains, because there is a narrow strip between the sea and the mountains. There are a few stone houses and many have straw roofs. Here too is a Sheikh of the King of Ormuz and revenues are collected because horses from the mountains and dates are shipped from here, and the mountain lords are at peace with these towns because they are ports through which their merchandise can pass. There was nothing in the town because when they heard the news from Kalhat everyone had left, and there was nothing at sea, because knowing that the fleet was sailing along the coast everything had put out to sea or returned towards Kalhat. Close to the land there was a kind of island where the Moors had guns with which they could damage boats arriving to disembark. Our fleet anchored some way from the land because of the wind; only Manuel Telles and Antonio da Campo went in closer, and because it was late when they arrived, they did nothing. There were many Moors in the town, who positioned themselves in readiness to fight with our men, not because they thought they could defend themselves but only so that they could not be blamed for not fighting.
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