40 council was held in Khor Fakkan about what should be done with the fleet in the state in which it was after three battles, and it was generally agreed that it should sail to Muscat and there await orders from the Viceroy; and that because of the shortage of men, the lack of money and munitions and equipment, all this should be waited for before attacking Ormuz. The Commander Nuno Alvares had already done what he had come to the Strait to do, which was to fight the enemy fleets and drive them out of it, but because of the lack of war materials he could not try to return towards Ormuz without dealing with this lack and giving his men rest and refreshment. So, he agreed with the general opinion to take the fleet to Muscat with the intention of preparing as quickly and as well as possible to return to attack Ormuz to carry out whatever the Viceroy ordered. Or to fight the enemies, if they came back after re-forming, although it was more likely that they would not do so because of the bad condition in which they had gone away, or rather had fled from the Strait. So, Commander Nunes Alvares Botelho with all his fleet left the bay of Khor Fakkan for the fortress of Muscat to await reinforcements from India, and meanwhile to make repairs to whatever was necessary as well as could be done. When they reached Muscat, a council was held to consider what to do. The Commander Rui Freire and the Captain of the fortress, Martim Afonso de Melo, the Chief Treasury Officer and the other captains present agreed that it would be best if Nuno Alvares Botelho were to go to Goa with his fleet to re – fit,
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