How they forced their way upon shore.
Now that tempest lasted for the space of three days, and they were kept
continually running backwards before a contrary wind, but after those
three days were ended, that great tempest abated, and the weather became
serene, when they had now come to the point where[N116] they had
previously captured the seven Moors; and on that day the captaincy
happened to be with Mafaldo, and he waited for the other caravels to
come up. And when they were all assembled in full day light, he came
upon the deck of his ship and spake thus to the other captains: "You see
right well that we are near to the place where we took the seven Moors,
and you know that according to the track of those men which we lighted
on, and the nets of their fishery, the land ought in reason to be
peopled. Wherefore, if you think it well, I desire to go on shore and
see if I can obtain any booty." And as you see that among many men there
are always divers purposes, some began at first to say that such a sally
appeared to them useless, since they had got enough wherewith to make
their return to their own land, as they had already said before they set
out for the land of the Negroes. Others again said that, forasmuch as
the expedition was perilous, they ought to go by night and not by day.
"Now," said Mafaldo, "I am your captain to-day, and you are one and all
bound to obey me as fully as you would obey the Infant our lord if he
were present, and you may suppose that I do not love my life less than
each one of you loveth his. Wherefore, my purpose is, notwithstanding
your reasonings, to sally forth, for even supposing that the land be
peopled it is not to be presumed that the Moors will be even now on the
shore waiting for us. And if we go by day we shall have reason to see
the country better, and know in what direction we have to go."
The others replied that it sufficed he was captain, for though the
contrary opinion might be in favour with some of the company, it was
necessary they should obey him; but they begged him to consider well the
affair, for they would not turn back, no, not for any mishap that might
befall them. The boats were at once lowered, and those who were to go
forth were accoutred ready for starting, and, in fact, set out at once.
They were in all about thirty-five men-at-arms, and as they went on
their way towards the land, one of the men in the boats said to the
captain, "I know not if you see what I do?" "And what do you see," said
the captain, "that we do not?" "I see," said he, "as me thinketh, that
those black things that are upon those banks of sand are the heads of
men, and the more closely I look at them, the more it seemeth to me that
I am right, and if you look narrowly you will see that they are moving."
And the captain ordered the boats to stop still a little, whereat the
Moors concluded that they were discovered, and forthwith they discovered
themselves to the number of fifty men, apparelled for fighting, though
with no other arms than lances. And when all had thus come forth,
Mafaldo made his boats approach near to the shore, at which the Moors
showed great pleasure, some wading into the water as high as their
necks, and others lower, all of them desirous to get at the Christians.
And when Mafaldo saw them thus on the beach, displaying a countenance of
such hardihood, he signed to the other boats to draw near to him; and
when they were all together he made them stop rowing, and began to speak
to them in this wise: "Friends, you know the end for which we came forth
from our country; how it was for the service of God, and of the Infant
our lord, and for the honour and profit of ourselves, wherein by the
grace of that great Lord who created all things, we have had a good
enough profit of our booty without any danger to ourselves; yet all our
honour is in being 500 leagues from our country in unknown lands,
increasing our past victories with new adventures. And since God knoweth
our good wills, He hath appointed us a place and time in the which we
may gain an honourable victory; for you see before you those Moors with
such pride, as if they held us in siege with great advantage to
themselves and without hope of succour, provoking us, like men secure of
victory over things already vanquished. And although they are more in
number than we by a third, yet they are but Moors, and we are
Christians, one of whom ought to suffice for two of them. For God is He
in whose power lieth victory, and He knoweth our good wills in His holy
service. But if we do not join battle with them it would be to our great
dishonour, and we should make them full of courage against any others of
our Law. Wherefore my counsel is, that the boats should all three
together row straight among them, and then that each one should do the
best he can."
"Your purpose," said the others, "is good enough and full of profit, but
what are we to do if many more of their people are lying hidden? For
just as these were lying in wait, so there may now be ambushed a much
greater number of them unknown to us, and if there is a snare laid and
we land, our perdition is assured." Others did not seek to correct these
matters, but began to complain, saying that if they were always to
reason thus, they would never do a single brave deed. "Is it right,"
said they, "to see our honour before our eyes, and to leave the matter
thus through fear of a hap so doubtful? All the men opposed to us are
not sufficient to withstand ten of ours in a fight. For they are but a
handful of Moorish knaves, who have never learnt to fight except like
beasts, and the first man to be wounded among them will frighten all the
others, so that they will not know how to face our arms any longer. Bold
indeed would be the men that have their armed ships in the Strait of
Ceuta, and through all the Levant Sea, if they were to dread such a
hostile gathering as this." These last reasons were well in accord with
the will of the captain, and those that spake them were much praised of
him.
Wherefore he commanded that in each boat three men should place
themselves in the prow with lances and shields to protect themselves and
those that rowed, if perchance they should be shot at by the Moors; and
as soon as they should have rowed the boats ashore, these men were to
leap out at once with their weapons. And he commanded the cross-bow men
to keep their cross-bows charged, ordering their shots in such wise that
their bolts should be employed to the best advantage. And after this he
had the boats rowed as vigorously as possible, telling them to go bow
forward among the Moors as had been before determined; the which matter
was straightway put in action; and all shouting with a loud voice, "St.
George," "St. James," "Portugal," leapt out upon them as men who feared
little the valour of their enemies. And as if in a matter which God
Himself willed to ordain, the Moors at the first onset at once
discharged their arms, from which no Christian received any dangerous
hurt; but, on the contrary, they proved of use later on, for our men
possessed themselves of these arms and used them as if they had been
their own.