How they returned again to Tider, and of the Moors that they took.
Me seemeth it is not necessary that we should speak of the arrival of
the caravels at Lisbon, nor that we should fill up this writing of ours
with a recital of the sale of the Moors, as we found it in the account
of Affonso Cerveira, from whom we have borrowed this record; for already
the men of that city[AH] were accustomed to the coming of Moors from
that land: for, as saith Fra Gil de Roma, in the first part of his first
book,[N133] _De Regimine Principum_, "the property of temporal goods, as
regards the desires of men is of such a kind that before a man
possesseth them, they appear to him much more valuable than in truth
they are; but after he hath acquired them, the contrary happeneth, for
however vast and good they may be, he holdeth them not in so great
account." And returning to our history: as soon as those three caravels
had set out, there arrived other three out of those four which had
failed to come before, and among these there was no small complaining
that they had not been with their companions at the invasion of the
island; for although the fighting was not greater than we have related,
it appeared to them that whatever they might do they could not hope to
win any honour;[AI] and so like men who felt jealous at it, they called
upon the others forthwith to order a sortie upon the land: and upon this
matter they took counsel, and after some debate they determined that the
three smallest caravels should go to the ford of the creek of Tider, and
that the people of the other caravels should go likewise in the boats.
For it might be that the natives would return to the island, in which
case they could take some of them in that spot.
[Footnote AH: Lisbon.]
[Footnote AI: After what had already been accomplished.]
And beginning to put their plan in action, they set out in the night;
yet they were not able to reach the passage till day. And arriving
there, they saw the Moors on the other side; and the Christians being in
front of the ford--which was a broad sheet of water, though shallow,
except for the distance of a stone's cast that could not be crossed
without swimming--the Moors stood still on the other side of it looking
at them.[AJ] But of them they seemed to have small fear indeed; and
their countenances showed that it was so, for they were dancing and
rejoicing like men who are secure from their enemies, to whom they made
those signs, as if to enrage them by scoffing at their approach. But it
would have been well for them if they had been better advised, and
especially if they had remained further in the creek, where the water
was deep, for so they would have been in greater security in regard to
what chanced to them afterwards. The Christians, besides the desire they
had to get at them, when they saw their behaviour, which was that of
enemies who despised them, felt doubly eager to fight, although the
Moors were many more in number.
[Footnote AJ: The Christians.]
So, although they suffered great hindrance from the water, which was
between ebb and flow, the ardent desire they had forced them to pursue
their purpose. And so they began to enter into the water till they came
to that deep place which could not be passed without swimming, and
arriving there they halted, as they held the crossing to be dangerous.
And while they stood there battling as it were with themselves, for
courage urged them on, and fear replied to courage with the threat of
death, there happened to be among them a youth of the Infant's chamber,
whom I afterwards knew as a noble esquire, and who was now going as
purser in one of these caravels--for it was the custom of the Infant not
to give the position of an esquire to any youth of his court till he had
exercised himself in some feat of arms; and according to their merit he
granted them in the future such dignity as he thought they deserved. Now
this youth, who was named Diego Gonçalvez, mastered by the ardour of his
courage, spake to a man of Lagos who was near him, called Pero
Allemam[N134] (I do not know if it was because he was a native of that
country of Germany, or if it was a nickname that had been given him),
and asked him if he would join him in swimming across. "By my faith,"
replied the other, "you could not ask me a matter I would grant you with
greater willingness;" and before he had finished his answer he plunged
into the water and began to swim, and the youth with him; and after him
an esquire of the Infant's Household, named Gil Gonçalvez, who had been
at the taking of the first Moorish prisoners, under the captaincy of
Antam Gonçalvez, and also in the war waged against those other Moors who
border upon our Spain, and he had the reputation of being a valiant man.
And immediately after them went another youth of the Prince's Household,
who was named Lionel Gil, and a son of that knight to whom the banner of
the crusade had been entrusted, and many others followed after these.
But the enemy, though they saw them, judged this movement of their toil
to be but play, boldly trusting in their multitude, and thinking that
victory would hasten to them as it had come the other day, when they
slew the seven men from the other caravels. But our men, as soon as they
gained a foothold, stood erect and pressed on as far as they could until
the enemy fell on them. So the Christians, in order to gain the land,
and the Moors in order to prevent them, began their fight, plying their
lances, by the which there could well be seen the hatred there was
between them. But the fight on the part of the Moors was not so much
from enmity as in defence of their women and children, and still more
for the salvation of their own lives. Our men wondered greatly at the
courage they perceived in their enemies; and though the comparison was
unequal in the number of the two parties, for the Moorish company was
very much greater, yet, God being willing to aid His own, they slew out
of hand sixteen, and the others were routed in a very short space. And
although the love of their women and children was of surpassing strength
before all other passions of theirs, as is natural in all men, yet,
seeing themselves routed, all their care was to provide for their own
safety; for, however terrible other matters may be, death doth put an
end to all. And so, being conquered, they began to fly, and there
perished many of them. But because the heat was very great, and our men
were sore wearied, they were not able to pursue them far; but they took
fifty-seven of them, and with them returned to the caravels.