_ 255 _ Ceylon), whom the King D. João had sent to India. Because he was a man of great military knowledge and experience, he held the post of field officer and sergeant-major on this expedition. After building emplacements, he positioned five pieces of artillery there with their gun carriages and extra-strong protective screens. When all of this was finished, he began to bombard the fortress with such force and fury that (the lower part) was reduced to ruins and the whole of the upper section demolished. When the Turks in the fortress, who numbered 400, saw the ferocity of the bombardment with the walls breached in many places, they realised that they must lose, so they called a council and agreed to withdraw by night and abandon the fortress of El Katiff. Thus, after eight days of onslaught, they started leaving during the mid-watch by a false door that opened onto the backlands, in such silence that they were not heard until the last ones were leaving. These were spotted by three of Pedro Afonso de Avelar’s soldiers, stationed in that area, whose names were Martim Casco, from Evora, Baltasar de Gois, a native of Ceita and Pero Machado. While these were standing guard outside the ramparts they heard a noise there and noticed that the Turks were departing. Seeing a few stragglers, they charged them with
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