_ 110 _ of the King of Portugal as he claimed; and also, to receive our flag and men, for this was what the kings and rulers of India had done. He also sent a message to the native and foreign merchants whose ships were in the harbour, telling them to go to their ships, for he would give them a safe-conduct and would return all goods captured from them by our men. He told them this so that they might leave the city; in this way Mira Mergena would have less men at his disposal and would surrender more quickly. However the latter was playing for time, and he sent his reply to the governor, saying that he had received his authority from the Sheikh, and that he governed the city on his behalf. Therefore, he could not surrender the city without consulting him first; he had already sent word of it to the sheikh, and he now asked the governor to meet him at the shore, while they waited for the sheikh's reply; each of them accompanied by twenty men. The merchants replied that if our men had not already seized their ships, they would be happy to return to them and sail away as they had however, the thought it best to remain in the city. After he had received these replies the governor thought that Mira Mergena was merely being deceitful to play for
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