OF THE CITY OF MALAGA AND ITS INHABITANTS.--MISSION OF HERNANDO DEL
PULGAR.
The city of Malaga lies in the lap of a fertile valley, surrounded by
mountains, excepting on the part which lies open to the sea. As it was
one of the most important, so it was one of the strongest, cities of
the Moorish kingdom. It was fortified by walls of prodigious strength
studded with a great number of huge towers. On the land side it was
protected by a natural barrier of mountains, and on the other the
waves of the Mediterranean beat against the foundations of its massive
bulwarks.
At one end of the city, near the sea, on a high mound, stood the
Alcazaba, or citadel, a fortress of great strength. Immediately above
this rose a steep and rocky mount, on the top of which in old times had
been a pharos or lighthouse, from which the height derived its name of
Gibralfaro.* It was at present crowned by an immense castle, which, from
its lofty and cragged situation, its vast walls, and mighty towers, was
deemed impregnable. It communicated with the Alcazaba by a covered way
six paces broad, leading down between two walls along the profile or
ridge of the rock. The castle of Gibralfaro commanded both citadel and
city, and was capable, if both were taken, of maintaining a siege. Two
large suburbs adjoined the city: in the one toward the sea were the
dwelling-houses of the most opulent inhabitants, adorned with hanging
gardens; the other, on the land side, was thickly peopled and surrounded
by strong walls and towers.
* A corruption of “Gibel-faro,” the hill of the lighthouse.
Malaga possessed a brave and numerous garrison, and the common people
were active, hardy, and resolute; but the city was rich and commercial,
and under the habitual control of numerous opulent merchants, who
dreaded the ruinous consequences of a siege. They were little zealous
for the warlike renown of their city, and longed rather to participate
in the enviable security of property and the lucrative privileges of
safe traffic with the Christian territories granted to all places which
declared for Boabdil. At the head of these gainful citizens was Ali
Dordux, a mighty merchant of uncounted wealth, connected, it is said,
with the royal family of Granada, whose ships traded to every part of
the Levant and whose word was as a law in Malaga. Ali Dordux assembled
the most opulent and important of his commercial brethren, and they
repaired in a body to the Alcazaba, where they were received by the
alcayde, Aben Comixa, with that deference generally shown to men of
their great local dignity and power of purse. Ali Dordux was ample
and stately in his form and fluent and emphatic in his discourse; his
eloquence had an effect, therefore, upon the alcayde as he represented
the hopelessness of a defence of Malaga, the misery that must attend a
siege, and the ruin that must follow a capture by force of arms. On
the other hand, he set forth the grace that might be obtained from the
Castilian sovereigns by an early and voluntary acknowledgment of Boabdil
as king, the peaceful possession of their property, and the profitable
commerce with the Christian ports that would be allowed them. He was
seconded by his weighty and important coadjutors; and the alcadye,
accustomed to regard them as the arbiters of the affairs of the place,
yielded to their united counsels. He departed, therefore, with all speed
to the Christian camp, empowered to arrange a capitulation with the
Castilian monarch, and in the mean time his brother remained in command
of the Alcazaba.
There was at this time as alcayde in the old crag-built castle of
Gibralfaro a warlike and fiery Moor, an implacable enemy of the
Christians. This was no other than Hamet Zeli, surnamed El Zegri, the
once-formidable alcayde of Ronda and the terror of its mountains. He
had never forgiven the capture of his favorite fortress, and panted
for vengeance on the Christians. Notwithstanding his reverses, he
had retained the favor of El Zagal, who knew how to appreciate a bold
warrior of the kind, and had placed him in command of this important
fortress of Gibralfaro.
Hamet el Zegri had gathered round him the remnant of his band of
Gomeres, with others of the same tribe recently arrived from Morocco.
These fierce warriors were nestled like so many war-hawks about their
lofty cliff. They looked down with martial contempt upon the commercial
city of Malaga, which they were placed to protect; or, rather, they
esteemed it only for its military importance and its capability of
defence. They held no communion with its trading, gainful inhabitants,
and even considered the garrison of the Alcazaba as their inferiors.
War was their pursuit and passion; they rejoiced in its turbulent and
perilous scenes; and, confident in the strength of the city, and, above
all, of their castle, they set at defiance the menace of Christian
invasion. There were among them also many apostate Moors, who had
once embraced Christianity, but had since recanted and fled from the
vengeance of the Inquisition.* These were desperadoes who had no mercy
to expect should they again fall into the hands of the enemy.
* Zurita, lib. 30, cap. 71.
Such were the fierce elements of the garrison of Gibralfaro, and its
rage may easily be conceived at hearing that Malaga was to be given up
without a blow; that they were to sink into Christian vassals under
the intermediate sway of Boabdil el Chico; and that the alcayde of the
Alcazaba had departed to arrange the terms of capitulation.
Hamet determined to avert by desperate means the threatened degradation.
He knew that there was a large party in the city faithful to El Zagal,
being composed of warlike men who had taken refuge from the various
mountain-towns which had been captured; their feelings were desperate
as their fortunes, and, like Hamet, they panted for revenge upon
the Christians. With these he had a secret conference, and received
assurances of their adherence to him in any measures of defence. As to
the counsel of the peaceful inhabitants, he considered it unworthy the
consideration of a soldier, and he spurned at the interference of the
wealthy merchant Ali Dordux in matters of warfare.
“Still,” said Hamet el Zegri, “let us proceed regularly.” So he
descended with his Gomeres to the citadel, entered it suddenly, put to
death the brother of the alcayde and such of the garrison as made
any demur, and then summoned the principal inhabitants of Malaga
to deliberate on measures for the welfare of the city.* The wealthy
merchants again mounted to the citadel, excepting Ali Dordux, who
refused to obey the summons. They entered with hearts filled with awe,
for they found Hamet surrounded by his grim African guard and all the
stern array of military power, and they beheld the bloody traces of the
recent massacre.
* Cura de los Palacios, c. 82.
Hamet rolled a dark and searching eye upon the assembly. “Who,” said
he, “is loyal and devoted to Muley Abdallah el Zagal?” Every one present
asserted his loyalty. “Good!” said Hamet; “and who is ready to prove his
devotion to his sovereign by defending this his important city to the
last extremity?” Every one present declared his readiness. “Enough!”
observed Hamet. “The alcayde Aben Comixa has proved himself a traitor to
his sovereign and to you all, for he has conspired to deliver the
place to the Christians. It behooves you to choose some other commander
capable of defending your city against the approaching enemy.” The
assembly declared unanimously that no one was so worthy of the command
as himself. So Hamet was appointed alcayde of Malaga, and immediately
proceeded to man the forts and towers with his partisans and to make
every preparation for a desperate resistance.
Intelligence of these occurrences put an end to the negotiations between
King Ferdinand and the superseded alcayde Aben Comixa, and it was
supposed there was no alternative but to lay siege to the place. The
marques of Cadiz, however, found at Velez a Moorish cavalier of some
note, a native of Malaga, who offered to tamper with Hamet el Zegri for
the surrender of the city, or at least of the castle of Gibralfaro. The
marques communicated this to the king. “I put this business and the key
of my treasury into your hands,” said Ferdinand; “act, stipulate, and
disburse in my name as you think proper.”
The marques armed the Moor with his own lance, cuirass, and target and
mounted him on one of his own horses. He equipped in similar style also
another Moor, his companion and relative. They bore secret letters
to Hamet from the marques offering him the town of Coin in perpetual
inheritance and four thousand doblas in gold if he would deliver
up Gibralfaro, together with a farm and two thousand doblas for his
lieutenant, Ibrahim Zenete, and large sums to be distributed among
his officers and soldiers; and he offered unlimited rewards for the
surrender of the city.
Hamet had a warrior’s admiration of the marques of Cadiz, and received
his messengers with courtesy in his fortress of Gibralfaro. He even
listened to their propositions with patience, and dismissed them in
safety, though with an absolute refusal. The marques thought his reply
was not so peremptory as to discourage another effort. The emissaries
were despatched, therefore, a second time, with further propositions.
They approached Malaga in the night, but found the guards doubled,
patrols abroad, and the whole place on the alert. They were discovered,
pursued, and only saved themselves by the fleetness of their steeds and
their knowledge of the passes of the mountains.*
* Cura de los Palacios, MS., c. 82.
Finding all attempts to tamper with the faith of Hamet utterly futile,
King Ferdinand publicly summoned the city to surrender, offering the
most favorable terms in case of immediate compliance, but threatening
captivity to all the inhabitants in case of resistance.
It required a man of nerve to undertake the delivery of such a summons
in the present heated and turbulent state of the Moorish community. Such
a one stepped forward in the person of a cavalier of the royal guards,
Hernan Perez del Pulgar by name, a youth of noble descent, who had
already signalized himself by his romantic valor and daring enterprise.
Furnished with official papers for Hamet el Zegri and a private letter
from the king to Ali Dordux, he entered the gates of Malaga under the
protection of a flag, and boldly delivered his summons in presence of
the principal inhabitants. The language of the summons or the tone in
which it was delivered exasperated the fiery spirit of the Moors, and
it required all the energy of Hamet and the influence of several of
the alfaquis to prevent an outrage to the person of the ambassador. The
reply of Hamet was haughty and decided. “The city of Malaga has been
confided to me,” said he--“not to be surrendered, but defended, and the
king shall witness how I acquit myself of my charge.” *
* Pulgar, part 3, cap. 74.
His mission at an end, Hernan del Pulgar rode slowly and deliberately
through the city, utterly regardless of the scowls and menaces and
scarcely restrained turbulence of the multitude, and bore to Ferdinand
at Velez the haughty answer of the Moor, but at the same time gave him
a formidable account of the force of the garrison, the strength of the
fortifications, and the determined spirit of the commander and his men.
The king immediately sent orders to have the heavy artillery forwarded
from Antiquera, and on the 7th of May marched with his army toward
Malaga.