After the great Afonso Dalboquerque had withdrawn with his forces to the ships, having obtained this victory—news having in the meantime reached him that the Hidalcão had built a fleet of twenty-five sails, of paráos, fustas, and watchboats, armed with quantities of artillery and coiled cables, and painted flags, and many men on board, with intention of setting fire to the Portuguese shipping—he dispatched Diogo Fernandez de Béja in a galley, and Afonso Pessoa and Simao Martinz in two others, to go and reconnoitre the city and observe whether this fleet that was reported was really being built. As soon as Diogo Fernandez and his companions had set out, Afonso Dalboquerque commanded Antonio de Noronha, his nephew, to make himself ready with all his captains in the boats belonging to their ships, in order to be able to render assistance to Diogo Fernandez, if it should be necessary to do so. And because, from the position in which the fleet was placed, neither the galleys nor the city could be seen by those on board—on account of their being hidden by a bend which the river makes there, —Afonso Dalboquerque gave orders to Diniz Fernandez to take up such a position in a paráo in the middle of the stream that he could observe both one and the other.