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brought before him, she told him to prepare himself, because 

 that night Raju was going to make the final assault on all 

 parts of Prea Cotta, and that into it he would put all the re- 

 mainder of his strength. All there considered that this woman 

 was the guardian angel of that fortress, who came to warn 

 them of that assault, for without doubt Raju would have 

 succeeded in his aims if in it he had taken the soldiers unawares 

 and exhausted by the weakness of hunger. So says Francisco 

 de Macedo in the account that he sent me of this siege ; but 

 the captain of the inhames told me on many occasions that 

 that woman was or had been the concubine of a soldier of ours, 

 of whom she was fond ; and seeing the risk in which the fortress 

 was, came to warn him, with the aim of seeing if she could 

 save him, should any disaster befall that fortress, and that 

 this soldier brought her to convey the warning to the captain. 

 In fine, however it was, she seemed directed by heaven to 

 come and give that warning to the captain, who at once 

 dispatched to Columbo Antonio da Silva, who had already 

 been there several times, by whom he sent word to Dom 

 Diogo de Atayde, that as soon as he heard bombard shots 

 that night he should move from there with all his men, and 

 go and fall on the rear of the enemy, who would be fully 

 occupied with the assault that they intended to deliver on 

 Prea Cotta, the which post he immediately ordered to be 

 provided with many munitions and the arms doubled ; and 

 he in person with those that accompanied him, and the king 

 with them, took up their position in one of the bastions of 

 Prea Cotta, where most might be feared. 



Antonio da Silva reached Columbo whilst it was still day, 

 and found already there in that fort Jorge de Mello, captain 

 of Manar. who with one hundred soldiers had arrived the day 

 before in order to succour our people ; and hearing the 

 message, at once they all took the field, in order to set out 

 at night ; and Dom Diogo ordered to discharge a camelete, 

 which was the signal that Pedro de Atayde had ordered, to 

 know if Antonio da Silva had arrived there, the which 

 was heard well in Cotta, whereby Pedro de Atayde was in 

 some measure relieved, because he had a sure sign that he 

 would be succoured, although he had no information that to 

 this end Jcrge de Mello had arrived at Columbo. 



At the beginning of the daylight watch next day Raju 

 attacked the city all round, and he in person with the greatest 

 force attacked Prea Cotta, having in front of him the elephants, 

 in order that with their foreheads they might ram the bastions, 

 which were of wood ; but they encountered so many deadly 

 weapons, and in the few and debilitated men who defended 

 them met with such doughty deeds, that they were astounded 



