_ 216 _ the island and placed their artillery positions opposite the passages around it, Khwaja Safar placed his at the passage of Palari and Ali Khan at the others. By date and night the artillery never ceased firing in order to deny transit to various catures that were carnying provisions and munitions through the passages. Khwaja Safar much desired to capture the passage of Palari and one night he improved his position there to be closer to it, as he well knew that he could not do it by day. To finish the work quickly one night he ordered it to be carried out using large farming baskets filled with earth. Whilst engaged in this work with five hundred Turks under his command. Miguel Vaz passed along the river in his catur. He caught sight of the quantity of earth being placed there in some baskets without being able to distinguish what was being done. He ordered a hail of musket shots to be fired off at which the Turks sheltered behind the baskets. They did not stir in order not to be detected, fearing that he would stop them from carrying out the work. Lopo de Sousa heard the musket shots and immediately went to the scene in his galeota. He ordered an appropriate shot to be fired from a camelo and it landed on the baskets scattering all of them. It also killed some Turks, when Lopo de Sousa saw the quantity of earth disappearing, he ordered
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