_ 287 _ All the nobles and honourable knights that were in the fortress put themselves forward for this sortie, but the captain refused them permission. At the mid-watch, when all of them were ready and the postern gate open to allow them to leave, D. Alvaro de Noronha, either because he feared some disaster or suspected that they had been spotted, ordered Gonçalo Guedes to stand down, which made all of those who were with him very depressed. The bombardment continued, but when Piri Reis saw the little damage, he had done to the fortress, he turned his artillery on the carracks and, for an entire day, directed a storm and great hail of cannon balls against them. Most of these were fired at the carrack from Portugal against which they kept up a continuous barrage, but in return it fired such an impressive salvo that it cost the lives of several of their men. The boatswain and all the sailors worked very well, because they rushed very quickly to plug several holes made by the cannon balls.
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