_ 454 _ had arrived in the port of Aden that it had created terror and panic in the city. Some merchants who were friends of his advised him to go into hiding, because the inhabitants of the city had conspired to hand him over to the enemy, consequently he was forced to seek a way to save his life and that of all the Portuguese, bar one, who had volunteered to stay behind. Whereupon, the naval personnel became uneasy and said that they ought not to be there exposed to the danger of Turkish attack. However, as Dom Paio was unable to give him news about Dom João de Ataide, whom he had not seen, Dom Alvaro decided to stay several days waiting for him. At this, the sailors remonstrated with him, pointing out the many drawbacks of waiting there longer. So, because he had no news of Dom João, Dom Alvaro had a cutter sent to within sight of Aden to see if it could obtain some information. This was on the point of leaving when Dom João appeared out at sea. He reported to Dom Alvaro that there were ten or twelve oared ships in Aden, and he had run the gauntlet of musket shots from three of them which were galleys, and if he had not escaped from the port, the disaster of the foists that were lost would not have happened to him. Furthermore, he did not know if the men who had travelled into the interior were dead or alive.
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