_ 217 _ Ibn Ali Khan heard this, afraid that what Mahmud Khan said was true, and because he wanted it to be so on account of his being no friend of the Turks, he made himself ready by assembling five hundred danacos with artillery and many riflemen, bowmen and cavalry, and he crossed the river himself to give as much assistance as possible to Mahmud Khan. As soon as the King heard what was happening, he sent aid to his fortresses on this frontier and here in Basra, where he prepared himself together with all his men, fearing a possible attack because he had few men with him, and also fearing that the people of that land might turn traitor to him. I assure you that he had, and still has, himself very closely guarded. On the following day the King sent four foists he has, which are the ones which were captured when Basra was taken, under his sea-commander, very well-armed as was needed, up-river to see the state of the fortresses. As they reached them, some danacos appeared, and he fought and defeated them. He reached one of the fortresses and found that it was on the point of being taken because the captain together with some men there had not been in time to protect it. If these foists had not gone there, all of them in the fortress would have died because they were surrounded
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