batteries beyond the church of St Dominic never
ceased its destructive fire, Perestrello detached 120 men under
Alexander de Sousa and Augustino Nunnez, who drove the enemy after a
vigorous resistance from the battery with great slaughter, and set their
works on fire, and levelled them with the ground, without sustaining any
loss. Among the arms taken in this successful sortie was a cymeter
inscribed, Jesus save me.

[Footnote 379: To expert modern gunners it would be an easy matter so
discharge as many balls in _one day_, as were expended in this siege in
a whole month. De Faria mentions that an expedient was fallen upon by
which the danger from the plunging fire was avoided, but gives us no
intimation of its nature.--E.]

Having ruined the defences of the town, the enemy attacked several large
houses in which they endeavoured to establish themselves, but were
repulsed from some of these with considerable loss, while the defenders
lost but one man. On attacking the house of Hector de Sampayio, which
was undermined by the Portuguese with the intention of blowing it up
when occupied by the enemy, some fire accidentally communicated to the
mine during the conflict, and blew it up while still occupied by the
Portuguese, by which 42 of their soldiers were destroyed, and without
injury to the Moors, who planted their colours on the ruins. Ximiri Khan
made an assault by night with 600 men upon the bastion of the holy
cross, in which Ferdinand Pereyra was posted with 30 men, who was
reinforced by Henry de Betancourt with a few more. The assailants were
beaten off and five of their colours taken which they had planted on the
work. In this action Betancourt fought with his left hand, having
previously lost the right; and Dominic del Alama, being lame, caused
himself to be brought out in a chair. April 1571 was now begun, and the
enemy were employed in constructing new works as if determined to
continue the siege all winter. Alexander de Sousa and Gonzalo de Menezes
were appointed to head a sally upon these new works, but their men ran
out without orders to the number of 200, and made a furious assault upon
the enemy, whom they drove from the works after killing fifty of them
and losing a few of their own number. The two commanders hastened to
join their men, and then directed them to destroy the works they had so
gallantly won. Perplexed with so many losses, the Nizam made a general
assault under night with his whole army, att