_ 276 _ As he wanted to take the Portuguese to the Grand Turk as a present, he attempted to besiege and capture them. For that purpose he ordered some pieces of artillery to be disembarked. He wished to take them to the top of the hill but could only take one cão (small cannon) because the incline was very steep, so it was very difficult for the men to climb. With this piece placed at the summit, he stationed himself with all the Turks on top of a steep mound, which served as a redoubt for the fort. He strengthened it and erected bastions, surrounding them with trenches and a strong stockade. From there he began to fire his guns and to assail our men with a series of attacks. As the fort was completely exposed to his bulwarks, he emptied all his shots into it, thereby wounding many of our men, who returned the enemy fire with interest. This lasted eighteen days with no respite, in which the Portuguese defended themselves with great valour, but as they were short of supplies because they never thought the Turks would stay there for such a long time, they began to run short of water and food and the little that they had, they started sharing out with great care so that they would last them for several days more.
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