tiations
still continued, and Albuquerque became convinced at last that the
Sultan was endeavouring to delay him until the change of the monsoon
should make it impossible for him to return to India that season. He
therefore resolved to attack Malacca at once. Ruy de Araujo informed
him that the key of the city was a certain bridge which united its
two portions. The Governor divided his forces into two battalions,
which were to attack the bridge from either extremity; and he fixed
the day of his patron Saint, St. James the Greater, July 25, for the
assault.

One division was led by Dom Joao de Lima, Gaspar de Paiva, and Fernao
Peres de Andrade; the other by Albuquerque himself and Duarte da
Silva. Each did what was required, and the bridge was carried. The
Governor then gave orders to build stockades on each side of the
bridge, in order that they might spend the night there; but the men
became wearied by the constant attacks made upon their position, and
towards the evening the Portuguese set fire to the city and returned
to their ships. Special mention is made of the use of elephants
during this action, but the animals were wounded and did more harm to
the Malays than to the Portuguese.

The withdrawal of his tired-out soldiers did not {102} dishearten
Albuquerque, and he resolved to call a council of his captains to
obtain their consent to renewing the attack with the idea of
permanently occupying the city, and building a fortress there; for he
had experienced both at Ormuz and at Goa the great distaste
entertained by the Portuguese captains for the work of building
fortresses. The policy of Almeida, who preferred factories to
fortresses, had always plenty of adherents who could not appreciate
the imperial notions of Albuquerque.

A report is given of the speech which Albuquerque is said to have
delivered to his captains, both in Correa and in the _Commentaries_.
It is not probable that he actually spoke these words, any more than
the Roman generals in Livy made use of the very sentences attributed
to them. But the language is thoroughly consonant with Albuquerque's
character, and exhibits the aims of his policy so clearly that the
oration deserves quotation. The text here selected is that of the
_Commentaries_, which is fuller than that given by Correa.

'Sirs,' he is reported to have said, 'you will have no difficulty
in remembering that when we decided upon attacking this city, it
was with the determinat