There was no other intelligence of this at Malacca, but what the army of Achen brought itself. They came before the place, and entered the port on the 9th of October, in the year 1547, about two o'clock in the morning, resolved to assault it while they were favoured by the darkness. They began by a discharge of their artillery, and sending in their fire-ships against the Portuguese vessels. After which the most daring of them landed, ran without any order against that part of the wall which they believed weakest, filled up part of the ditch, and mounted the ladders with a furious assault. They found more resistance than they expected: the garrison, and the inhabitants, whom the shouts and artillery of the barbarians had at first affrighted, recovering courage through the imminence of danger, and the necessity of conquering or dying, ran upon the rampart, and vigorously repulsed the assailants; overthrowing their ladders, or tumbling their enemies headlong from them, insomuch that not a man of them entered the town, and great numbers of them lay dead or dying in the ditch. Soora comforted himself for the ill success of his assault, by the execution which his fire-ships and cannon had done. All the vessels within the port were either burnt or disabled. And the rain which immediately fell, served not so much to extinguish the flames, as the violent wind which then arose contributed to kindle them. Those of Achen, proud of that action, appeared next morning on their decks, letting fly their pompous streamers, and shouting, as if already they were victorious. But their insolence was soon checked; the cannon from the fortress forced them to retire as far off as the isle of Upe. In the mean time, seven poor fishermen, who had been out all night about their employment, and were now returning to the town, fell into an ambuscade of the Infidels, were taken, and brought before the general. After he had cut off their ears and noses, he sent them back with a letter, directed to Don Francisco de Melo, governor of Malacca, of which these were the contents: