30 



the foregoing slates, but to those also which are 

 nolinclucied in the precediug enumeration. Mean- 

 while ! must proceed with the historical details 

 of Malacca, 



The Portuguese, wlio at this period were con- 

 A. D. 1508, H«g. siderably in adv ance of other Euro- 

 pean rifUions, with respect to Colo- 

 nial possessions aud an enterprizing navy, seat 

 out »fi expedition under Diego Lopez de Sequeira 

 for the discovery of tlie island of Madaga.^car and 

 llie port of Malacca. Bequeira touched at Pedir 

 and Paceni, as he passed down the siraitsi, and 

 finally cast anchor in the Malacca roads; be then 

 opened a heavy fire from all his vessels on the 

 unsuspecting inhabitants aud, as the historian* 

 expresses it, all the people of Malacca were 

 ■* frightened when they heard the sound of their 

 ** cannon, saying, * what sound is this like thuo- 



der V and the bullets came and struck the 

 ** people who were ou the land, and some had 

 " their necks severed, and some had their waists, 

 ** and some their hands ajid their feet. The ter- 

 '* for grew constantly worse and worsae, and they 

 " said* ' What is the name of this weapon which 



is so round? It is not sharp, yet will it kill/" 

 The following morning Sequeira lauded his troops, 

 conceiving no doubt that the Malays were suffi- 

 ciently disheartened so that the conquest of Ma- 

 lacca would be a work of little difficulty. In this 

 expectation, however, be was deceived, for after 

 a sharp conflict he was obliged to retreat to his 

 ships and weigh anchor* The Portuguese his- 

 torian (De Faria) asserts that his countrymen 

 were overcome by treachery, as Sulthauo Ma- 



