_ 158 _ When the Commander enquired the whereabouts of the King, he said he was in Zabid. The Commander informed him that his reason for coming to Aden was because he had heard that the Turks wanted to come and take Aden and he had come to defend them if the King of Aden wanted to join forces. The Moor went ashore with this message. Item 24: He returned and reported that the King was away and they were waiting for him. The Commander’s response was that they should open the gates of the city and receive Your Highness’s flag. They should also make available two houses for him and his men where they could await the King, whose name was Sheikh Amir Ben Abet Cluhat. The Moor left with this message. Item 25: When he arrived for the third time, he explained that the governor of the country had told him that he was the King’s slave and that he could not receive the flag of another sovereign, only his own. Nor could he consent to any another master coming ashore except his. However, if he wished to confer with him, they could agree on a place and then each come with thirty men and talk. The Commander’s reply was that he would talk to him the following day accompanied by all his men. Item 26: The following morning, Saturday, the eve of Easter, the Commander sallied forth with all his forces
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTg0NzAy