s left in charge of the
fort with 300 men.

[Footnote 368: This gentleman has been said only a little way before, to
have been _mortally_ wounded. He must only have been _severely_ wounded
on that former occasion; or perhaps it might have been Don Ferdinand,
another son of the governor, who was killed.--E.]

Having prepared for battle by the sacraments of the church, this small
army marched out at break of day of the 11th November 1545, to attack
the numerous forces of the enemy, who were strongly entrenched and
defended by a powerful train of artillery. At this time two Portuguese
gentlemen who had challenged each other, agreed that he who first
mounted the works of the enemy should be deemed conqueror: both
honourably strove to gain the victory, and both died gloriously in the
attempt. After a severe conflict, in which the Portuguese sustained some
loss, they at length mounted the works, and Mascarenhas and Don Alvaro
de Castro, having each gained possession of a tower or bulwark, made
room for the army drawing up in the open field in the rear of the
hostile works. Twice was the ensign carrying the royal standard thrown
down from the enemy's works, and twice remounted. Rumi Khan used every
effort, backed by his numerous army, to drive the Portuguese from his
entrenchments, but unsuccessfully. Being joined by Juzar Khan, who had
been worsted by Mascarenhas, they united their troops and renewed their
fight, and distressed the Portuguese exceedingly, when father Antonio de
Cazal appeared in the ranks carrying a crucifix aloft on the point of a
lance, encouraging the troops to behave courageously. By great and
valiant exertions, after covering the field with dead and wounded Moors,
Rumi Khan was constrained to retreat in disorder; but having rallied his
troops, the Portuguese in their turn were thrown into disorder. Don
Juan, however exerted himself to admiration, and restoring his men to
order renewed the battle. At this time a stone or bullet broke off an
arm from the crucifix, and the priest calling on the soldiers to avenge
the sacrilege, they fell on with such fury, that after incredible
efforts they drove the enemy into the city with vast slaughter.
Mascarenhas, Don Alvaro de Lima, and Don Juan de Castro, successively
forced their way into the city with their respective battalions, by
several avenues, making the streets and houses run with blood. The
women shared the fate of the men, and even children were slain at