The Portuguese in the Sea of Oman

_ 412 _ After dropping anchor Antorio de Miranda experienced a strong gail before him with which Lopo de Mezquita, the captain of the "Samorin Pequeno" sailed into Diu. The seas were still rough when he met a Moorish ship, carrying two hundred well-armed men. The Portuguese numbered no more than thirty, but they approached the Moorish naos although the wind was fierce and the seas high. They threw the grappling iron onto the naos and Lopo de Mezquita leapt aboard her with a good part of his men. They then began to fight the enemy with great courage and in this battle both the naos and the galleon were badly damaged by heavy battering they received from the enormous waves, so that both were broken open and took in quantities of water. They would have been lost if the grappling hooks had not broken and each one went its way leaving Lopo de Mezquita with his men as I said in the naos. As those in the galleon were unable to return to the naos because of the severity of the water, they took shelter from the sea to save themselves Lopo de Mezquita and the other who remained in the naos saw that their salvation apart from Our Lord lay in fighting. Thus, they fought the Moors bravely killing the greater part of them, the remainder receiving many wounds. Having secured

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