_ 119 _ up; to sixty men. He took up his position by the opening, where he could defend himself until more of our men went in, In this way they could advance into the city in a single body, and proceed to fight the enemy, who could be seem in large numbers at a distance, since they had all withdrawn to the mountain-side, not daring as yet to resist us. Meanwhile our men were still in a great hurry to climb the ladders; without hearing what the governor was telling them. Fearing that the ladders might break, the governor sent the halberdiers who were guarding him to use their halberds to support the ladders, by crossing them, thus forming a fork. But this was of no use because the ladders broke, the halberds broke; and the halberdiers were squashed beneath the men who fell on top of them. Some were trodden on, some were slightly wounded, but they all got up at once. At this point another group's ladder also broke, after one of its captains, Henrique Homem, and about 100 other men had already climbed up to the top of the wall. The other captain of this group, João Fidalgo, was at the foot of the wall; and the governor ordered him to go at once to the mountain, by following the walls until he came to it; he was, to attempt to climb it, and from there come down
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