The four remaining storm-battered patrol ships, now…
August 1503 CE
The four remaining storm-battered patrol ships, now under the command of Pêro de Ataíde after the death of the Sodré brothers, had decided to return to India, but, battered by storms, they had had to inch their way painfully against contrary winds.
They had only managed to get as far as Angediva (Anjadip) island, before being forced to stop for repair (soon joined by a fifth ship, that of António do Campo, which had been separated from the Fourth Armada the previous year).
At Angediva (or Cannanore, according to Correia), the crippled patrol is finally found by the vanguard of the Fifth Armada in August 1503—that is, Francisco de Albuquerque and Nicolau Coelho.
Finishing repairs, Albuquerque places the patrol caravels under his command and sets sail south towards Cannanore.
Along the way, they are caught up by the ship of Duarte Pacheco Pereira (of the first squadron of the Fifth Armada, who had undertaken a solo crossing of the Ocean—the captain-major, Afonso de Albuquerque, had probably decided to remain behind in Malindi as long as possible, to see if Saldanha's third squadron showed up).