33 the post, and appointed Antonio Telles to be admiral of the fleet as soon as he had recovered. As for the reaction of the Persians, I shall only say that if the first time they were awestruck, this second time they were far more intimidated because of the fierceness with which both sides fought, and the missiles and fire they saw coming from the flagship and proportionately from all the other galleons in company with it(1). As for the condition of the fleet, many things could not be done because none of the masts were sound and there were no spars with which to repair them, nor sails or rigging, and there was a severe shortage of officers. A council was held, with the Commander of the Strait Ruy Freire de Andrade and all the captains of high-sided ships and of oared ships. In view of all the difficulties and the possibility of bad weather in which the whole fleet might be wrecked on the island, as four oared ships had been lost a few days before, it was agreed that the fleet should go to Muscat, where there was timber and cordage to make repairs. But the Commanders Nuno Alvares and Rui Freire decided between themselves that they would stay there three or four days longer, and they would try and find a spy to discover the enemy’s intentions. They would go to Khor Fakkan, a bay on the coast of Arabia, 1 - English accounts say that the English and Dutch allies fired 11,000 cannon-balls, and seven or eight of their cannon fractured. They also say that about 20,000 balls were fired in the three fleets. Another account says that on the first day alone 16,000 were fired and on the second 17,000!.
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