of Perez for 10,000 ducats if taken. This victory cost the
Portuguese some blood, as several were slain, and few escaped without
wounds. From this time forwards, the natives of Java were for ever
banished from Malacca.

[Footnote 134: Faria perpetually confounds all Mahometans under the
general denomination of Moors. These possessors of the coast of Java
were unquestionably Malays.--E.]

Soon after this brilliant victory, Ferdinando Perez sailed from Malacca
to Cochin with a valuable cargo of spice, accompanied by Lope de Azevedo
and Antonio de Abreu, who came from the discovery of the Molucca islands
with three ships. After their arrival at Cochin, Antonio de Miranda
arrived there from Siam, to the great joy of Albuquerque, who thus
reaped the rich fruits of his care and labour for the acquisition of
Malacca, and the happy return of those whom he had sent upon other
discoveries.

King Mahomet had not yet lost all hope of recovering Malacca, to which
he now drew near; and having in vain attempted to succeed by force, had
recourse to stratagem. For this purpose he prevailed on a favourite
officer named Tuam Maxeliz, to imitate the conduct of Zopirus at
Babylon. Being accordingly mutilated, Tuam fled with some companions to
Malacca, giving out that he had escaped from the tyrannical cruelty of
his sovereign. Ruy de Brito, who then commanded in the citadel of
Malacca, credited his story and reposed so much confidence in his
fidelity that he was admitted at all times into the fortress. At length,
having appointed a particular day for the execution of his
long-concerted enterprise, on which Mahomet was to send a party to
second his efforts or to bring him off, he and his accomplices got
admittance into the fort as usual, and immediately began to assassinate
the Portuguese garrison by means of their daggers, and had actually
slain six before they were able to stand to their defence. Brito, who
happened to be asleep when the alarm was given, immediately collected
his men and drove the traitor and his companions from the fort, at the
very moment, when a party of armed Malays came up to second their
efforts. The commander of this party, named Tuam Calascar, on learning
the miscarriage of Tuam Maxeliz, pretended that he came to the
assistance of Brito, and by that means was permitted to retire.

Soon after this Pedro de Faria arrived at Malacca from the Straits of
Sabam, bringing with him _Abdela_ king of Campar, who being n