THE CAPTURE OF MALACCA, A.D: 1511. 75 
and the other prisoners had spent two years in the town and had 
come to know the locality, the language, and the foreign merchants. 
Still the task before him was a hard one. In those days the 
channel of the Malacca River turned sharply to the right after 
reaching the sea and allowed ships to lie at anchor off the 
mudbanks on which the houses are now built. Disembarkation on 
those mudbanks was impossible; the key of the position was the 
landing-place at the mouth of the river and at the foot of St. 
Paul's Hill, but unfortunately for the Portuguese this point lay 
beyond the reach of the covering-fire of their ships’ guns wile it 
was exposed to the fire of every Malay stockade and building in the 
vicinity. The Viceroy tried to grapple with the difficulty by 
building a sort of armed raft or floating-battery which could float 
in shallow water and be moored at the mouth of the river so as to 
silence the Malay gun-fire and cover the landing of the troops. 
The battery was a failure. It grounded in the wrong place was 
exposed to a very heavy fire, and was only saved from capture by 
the heroism of its commander, Antonio d’Abreu who stuck to his 
post though wounded grievously. At last d’ Albuquerque was 
compelled to attack without the help of any artillery to cover his 
advance; he sent out a strong force, cleared the landing-place of 
the enemy’s troops by a sudden rush, and then forced up the 
floating-battery to a more commanding position where it made 
short work of the Malay defences. This advantage was not secured 
without heavy loss; for after the first surprise of the first Portuguese 
attack the Malays had rushed together from all quarters and had 
made a most desperate onslaught upon the landing party which 
they endeavourea to throw back into the sea. The prince Alaedin, 
mounted on an elephant, headed this charge in person; and the 
Portuguese lost 60 men before it was repulsed. This success and 
the destruction of the Malay defences encouraged the Portuguese 
to follow up their advantage by an attack upon the mosques and 
palaces on St. Paul’s Hill, but the Malays were numerous and 
were fighting under cover while the Viceroy’s troops were bewildered 
by the confused mass of building and were driven back with heavy 
loss. So ended theday. The Portuguese had cleared the landing- 
place; and that was all. 
The crowning attack took place on St. James’Day, the 24th 
Juiy, 1511. The Viceroy landed troops again under cover of the 
guns of his floating-battery but when once they had come ashore 
they were charged by a wild mob of 700 Malays and mercenaries 
under the Prince Alaedin in person. The fight was long and 
furious; and though it put the Portuguese to heavy loss it could 
only end in one way: armour, superior weapons, discipline,— 
everything was on their side. The Malays retreated once more to 
the shelter of the buildings that had served them so well on the 
previous day. This time d’Albuquerque advanced with more 
caution; he burnt the buildings as he went along. The work was 
slow and cruel, for the defenders shot down poisoned arrows upon 
R.A. Soc.; No. 61, 1912. 
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