ey had destroyed forty of the Portuguese. The king, enraged at
this disappointment, ordered a second attack, threatening to have his
admiral trampled to death by elephants if he failed of success. A boat
was sent ahead of this fleet with a signal of peace, and assurances to De
Sousa that the king, as soon as he was made acquainted with the injury
that had been committed, had caused the perpetrators of it to be
punished, and now once more requested him to come on shore and trust to
his honour. This proposal some of the crew were inclined that he should
accept, but being animated by a speech that he made to them it was
resolved that they should die with arms in their hands in preference to a
disgraceful and hazardous submission. The combat was therefore renewed,
with extreme fury on the one side, and uncommon efforts of courage on the
other, and the assailants were a second time repulsed; but one of those
who had boarded the vessel and afterwards made his escape represented to
the Achinese the reduced and helpless situation of their enemy, and,
fresh supplies coming off, they were encouraged to return to the attack.
De Sousa and his people were at length almost all cut to pieces, and
those who survived, being desperately wounded, were overpowered, and led
prisoners to the king, who unexpectedly treated them with extraordinary
kindness, in order to cover the designs he harboured, and pretended to
lament the fate of their brave commander. He directed them to fix upon
one of their companions, who should go in his name to the governor of
Malacca, to desire he would immediately send to take possession of the
ship, which he meant to restore, as well as to liberate them. He hoped by
this artifice to draw more of the Portuguese into his power, and at the
same time to effect a purpose of a political nature. A war had recently
broken out between him and the king of Aru, the latter of whom had
deputed ambassadors to Malacca, to solicit assistance, in return for his
former services, and which was readily promised to him. It was highly the
interest of the king of Achin to prevent this junction, and therefore,
though determined to relax nothing in his plans of revenge, he hastened
to dispatch Antonio Caldeira, one of the captives, with proposals of
accommodation and alliance, offering to restore not only this vessel, but
also the artillery which he had taken at Pase. These terms appeared to
the governor too advantageous to be rejected. Co