Chapter XXI

How they, Lançarote and the others, returned in their boats to Tiger, and of the Moors that they took.

Although the necessity of the night obliged them to spend it chiefly in sleeping, yet their wills were so bent upon this charge that their thoughts never left what lay before them. And so they took counsel as to what they should do on the next day, and agreed, after many reasons given (which I omit in order not to make too long a story), that they should go in the boats and attack the settlement before morning. For it is very likely, they said, that the Moors, having seen our retreat, will think that we went away like men in despair of being able to catch them, and, thinking so, will return to their encampment; and not only would their return profit us, but also the security with which they are able to repose.

And this counsel being settled, they set off in the night, rowing their boats along the coast. And at the first dawn they disembarked and attacked the village, but they found no one there; for the Moors, as soon as they saw their enemies retreat on the previous day, came to the village but would not sleep in it, and went and stayed a quarter of a league distant, near a ford by which they passed to Tiger. And when the Christians saw that they found nothing in the village, they returned to their boats and coasted along that island on the other side of Tiger, and ordered fifteen men to march along the land and look if they could see any Moors, or find any trace of them. And on their way they saw the Moors flying as fast as they could; for they had already caught sight of them, and at once all our men leaped on shore and began to run after them. But as yet they could not overtake the Moor men, but only the women and little children, not able to run so fast, of whom they caught seventeen or eighteen.

And one of the boats, in which was John Bernaldez, and which was among the smallest in the fleet, was coasting the island, and they who were in this boat saw some twenty canoes passing over to Tiger, in which were Moorish men and women, great and small, in each one four or five. And with this sight they were exceeding glad, at the first view of it, but afterwards they were still more grieved thereat. The pleasure they had was in seeing the profit and honour that now offered, which was the end for which they had come there: but they had great sorrow when they saw that their boat was so small that they could only take in a few. But with their slender oarage they followed after as fast as could, till they were among the canoes; and, moved with pity, although they were heathen who were going in the boats, they sought to kill but few of them. But it is not to be doubted that many, who in their terror forsook their boats, perished in the sea.

And some of them our men left on the right, and others on the left, and going into the middle among them all, they chose the smallest of them, because they could get more of these into their boat, of whom they took fourteen; so that those who were captured in those two days, apart from some who were killed, were in all forty-eight.

And for this good booty, and all the grace that God had shown them in those days, they rendered Him much praise for His guidance and the great victory He had given them over the enemies of the faith. And with the will and purpose to toil still more in His service, they embarked again in their boats and returned to their ships, which were lying five leagues off. And here, on their arrival, they reposed themselves, as men who needed it much, for they had toiled enough. But their respite was not long, for that very night they took counsel of what they ought to do next, as men who strove to make use of time, while they thought that the opportunity offered for doing their business.