place, and the several actions of the battle. The sorcerers and
soothsayers were consulted by the Pagan women, whose husbands and sons
were in the fleet; and they confirmed whatever was related in the town.
It came at last to a public rising against Xavier; and the governor
himself was not wholly free from the popular contagion.

But Xavier, far from the least despondence in the promises of God, and of
the knowledge he had given him concerning the condition of the fleet,
with an erected countenance assured, they should suddenly see it return
victorious. Which notwithstanding, he continued frequent in his vows and
prayers; and at the end of all his sermons, recommended to their
devotions the happy return of their desired navy. Their spirits were so
much envenomed and prejudiced against him, that many of them treated him
with injurious words; while he was rallied by the more moderate, who were
not ashamed to say, his prayers might be of use for the souls of the
soldiers, who were slain in fight, but were of little consequence to gain
a battle which was lost.

Some fresh intelligence, which arrived from Sumatra, increased the
disorders and consternation of the town. The king of Bintan, son to that
Mahomet, whom Albuquerque the Great had despoiled of the kingdom of
Malacca, sought for nothing more than an opportunity of reconquering what
his father had lost by force of arms. Seeing the town now bare of
soldiers, and hearing that the Achenois had beaten the Portuguese, he put
to sea, with three hundred sail, and put in at the river of Muar, within
six leagues of Malacca, towards the west.

That he might the better execute his design, by concealing it, he wrote
from thence to the governor Melo, "That he had armed a fleet against the
king of Patan, his enemy, but that having been informed of the defeat of
the Portuguese, he was come as a friend and brother of the king of
Portugal, to succour Malacca, against the king of Achen, who would not
fail to master the town, if the course of his victories was not stopped;
that therefore he desired only to be admitted into the place before it
came into the possession of the conqueror; after which he had no farther
cause of apprehension."

Melo, whom the constancy of Father Xavier had reassured, discovered the
snare which was laid for him; and tricked those, who had intended to
circumvent him. He answered the king of Bintan, "That the town had no
need of relief, as being abundantly pro