194 THE CALL OF THE SEA 



obliquely and threw it into disorder, killing many 



men, because all the Moors showed themselves 



above, but our men remained below, and none 



showed except the gunners and the men who 



assisted them. The Portuguese ships kept their 



steerage way, keeping aloof from the Moorish 



ships, passing amongst them all, doing wonders 



with their artillery, firing both broadsides and 



their poop and forecastle guns, as in all directions 



it was not possible to miss ; the Moors also fired 



much artillery which they carried, but they were 



small guns, and when they passed near our ships 



they covered them with arrows, but they did not 



hurt the men, who lay hid, and so they passed 



through all the fleet of the Moors, and when they 



had passed the ships and sails were covered with 



arrows, and there were many holes in the sails 



and much rigging broken ; but the Moorish ships 



were much ill-treated, they were shattered and 



stove in, and many had the masts and yards 



shattered, which was the greatest advantage our 



men obtained. 



Vasco da Gama. 



