Portuguese history of Malacca. 125 



and perceiving that his people began to grow faint by long 

 exertions, excessive heat, and want of food, he withdrew to 

 the ships towards night. Ten of the Portuguese died in con- 

 sequence of their wounds from the poisone 1 arrows. The loss 

 of the enemy was not known. The king of Pahaug withdrew 

 to his own country, under pretence oh" bringing a reinforce- 

 ment, but never returned. 



While Albuquerque rested and refreshed his men onboard, 

 M ah mud was busily employed in making every possible pre- 

 paration for defending the city. For this purpose he under- 

 mined the streets in several places, in hopes to blow up the 

 assailants, strewed poisoned thorns ( 1 ) in the way, covering 

 them over to prevent their being observed. Pie likewise for- 

 tified the bridge, and planted cannon in many places. As a 

 prelude to the second assault, Albuquerque sent Antonio de 

 Abreu, in a vessel well manned, to gain possession of the 

 bridge. On his way thither he had to pass through showers of 

 bullets from both sides of the river and from the battlements 

 of the bridge, and though desperately wounded, (-) refused 

 to be brought off, when Diniz Fernandez Melo, who came 

 up to his rescue, proposed sending him to the ships to have his 

 wounds dressed, saying that, " though he neither had strength 

 to fight nor voice to command," he would not quit his post 

 w T hile life remained. Floats of fire were sent down the 

 river to burn the vessel, ( 3 ) but at length Albuquerque in per- 

 son gained possession of the bridge, and the vessel, being freed 

 from the fire-rafts, had liberty to act against the enemy. 

 Having rested his men a short time on the bridge, Albuquer- 

 que penetrated the city, through •showers of bullets, darts, 



(*) No doubt ranjau, caltrops made of bamboo. 



( a ) In the jaw. 



( 3 ) A big junk brought down to overtop the bridge : but she had 

 to wait nine days until the tide was high enough to carry her over 

 the sandy spit outside the river mouth, and while she was in this 

 position the fire-boats were despatched against her night after 

 night with the ebb-tide, but Albuquerque was on the watch and 

 kept them off. 



