It may have been about mid-day when they placed us in the boat, giving us

two kegs of water and some biscuit; and the captain, moved by I know not

what compassion, as the lovely Zoraida was about to embark, gave her some

forty gold crowns, and would not permit his men to take from her those

same garments which she has on now. We got into the boat, returning them

thanks for their kindness to us, and showing ourselves grateful rather

than indignant. They stood out to sea, steering for the straits; we,

without looking to any compass save the land we had before us, set

ourselves to row with such energy that by sunset we were so near that we

might easily, we thought, land before the night was far advanced. But as

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the moon did not show that night, and the sky was clouded, and as we knew

not whereabouts we were, it did not seem to us a prudent thing to make

for the shore, as several of us advised, saying we ought to run ourselves

ashore even if it were on rocks and far from any habitation, for in this

way we should be relieved from the apprehensions we naturally felt of the

prowling vessels of the Tetuan corsairs, who leave Barbary at nightfall

and are on the Spanish coast by daybreak, where they commonly take some

prize, and then go home to sleep in their own houses. But of the

conflicting counsels the one which was adopted was that we should

approach gradually, and land where we could if the sea were calm enough

to permit us. This was done, and a little before midnight we drew near to

the foot of a huge and lofty mountain, not so close to the sea but that

it left a narrow space on which to land conveniently. We ran our boat up

on the sand, and all sprang out and kissed the ground, and with tears of

joyful satisfaction returned thanks to God our Lord for all his

incomparable goodness to us on our voyage. We took out of the boat the

provisions it contained, and drew it up on the shore, and then climbed a

long way up the mountain, for even there we could not feel easy in our

hearts, or persuade ourselves that it was Christian soil that was now

under our feet.

The dawn came, more slowly, I think, than we could have wished; we

completed the ascent in order to see if from the summit any habitation or

any shepherds' huts could be discovered, but strain our eyes as we might,

neither dwelling, nor human being, nor path nor road could we perceive.

However, we determined to push on farther, as it could not but be that

ere long we must see some one who could tell us where we were. But what

distressed me most was to see Zoraida going on foot over that rough

ground; for though I once carried her on my shoulders, she was more

wearied by my weariness than rested by the rest; and so she would never

again allow me to undergo the exertion, and went on very patiently and

cheerfully, while I led her by the hand. We had gone rather less than a

quarter of a league when the sound of a little bell fell on our ears, a

clear proof that there were flocks hard by, and looking about carefully

to see if any were within view, we observed a young shepherd tranquilly

and unsuspiciously trimming a stick with his knife at the foot of a cork

tree. We called to him, and he, raising his head, sprang nimbly to his

feet, for, as we afterwards learned, the first who presented themselves

to his sight were the renegade and Zoraida, and seeing them in Moorish

dress he imagined that all the Moors of Barbary were upon him; and

plunging with marvellous swiftness into the thicket in front of him, he

began to raise a prodigious outcry, exclaiming, "The Moors--the Moors

have landed! To arms, to arms!" We were all thrown into perplexity by

these cries, not knowing what to do; but reflecting that the shouts of

the shepherd would raise the country and that the mounted coast-guard

would come at once to see what was the matter, we agreed that the

renegade must strip off his Turkish garments and put on a captive's

jacket or coat which one of our party gave him at once, though he himself

was reduced to his shirt; and so commending ourselves to God, we followed

the same road which we saw the shepherd take, expecting every moment that

the coast-guard would be down upon us. Nor did our expectation deceive

us, for two hours had not passed when, coming out of the brushwood into

the open ground, we perceived some fifty mounted men swiftly approaching

us at a hand-gallop. As soon as we saw them we stood still, waiting for

them; but as they came close and, instead of the Moors they were in quest

of, saw a set of poor Christians, they were taken aback, and one of them

asked if it could be we who were the cause of the shepherd having raised

the call to arms. I said "Yes," and as I was about to explain to him what

had occurred, and whence we came and who we were, one of the Christians

of our party recognised the horseman who had put the question to us, and

before I could say anything more he exclaimed:




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