e pursued by Pereyra, who cut off many of their vessels in the rear.
Almost half of this great army perished by the sword or sickness in this
siege, which lasted three months.

Hardly was the army of the queen of Japara gone from Malacca when the
king of Acheen arrived before it with 40 gallies, and several ships and
smaller vessels, to the number of 100 in all, with a great train of
artillery. Tristan Vaz gave orders to Juan Pereyra in a galley,
Bernardin de Silva in a caravel, and Ferdinand de Palares in a ship,
having each 40 men, to go out of the harbour on purpose to protect a
convoy of provisions then in its way to Malacca, of which the city was
in great want. The fleet of the enemy immediately attacked them, and
soon battered all three ships to pieces. Seventy-five of the Portuguese
were slain or drowned on this occasion, forty were made prisoners, and
only five saved themselves by swimming. Only 150 men now remained in.
Malacca, of whom 100 were sick or aged. Being in want both of men and
ammunition Tristan Vaz was under the necessity of remaining very quiet;
but the enemy fearing he was preparing some stratagem against them,
raised the siege in a panic of terror when they might easily have
carried the city, after remaining before it from the beginning to the
end of January 1575. The priests, women and children of the distressed
city had implored the mercy of God with sighs and tears; and next to
God, the city owed its safety to the courage of Tristan Vaz, and to his
generosity likewise, as he spent above 20,000 ducats in its defence.

At this period Juan de Costa cruised upon the Malabar coast with two
gallies and twenty-four other vessels. The town of Guipar near Bracalore
being in rebellion, he landed there and set the town on fire after
killing 1500 of the inhabitants. He likewise cut down the woods[383] in
revenge for the rebellion of the natives. After this he destroyed an
island belonging to the zamorin in the river of Chale, and ruined the
city of Parapangulem belonging to the same sovereign, where the heir of
the kingdom was slain with 200 of his followers. At _Capocate_ 300 of
the natives were slain with the loss of two only of the Portuguese. The
town of _Nilacharim_ near mount Dely was destroyed by fire. In the
intervals between these exploits on the land, several vessels belonging
to the enemy were taken, by which the fleet was supplied with slaves and
provisions.

[Footnote 383: Probably the grov