CHAPTER LXXIII

Chronicle of the Conquest of Granada

by Washington Irving

CHAPTER LXXIII, CHRONICLE OF THE CONQUEST OF GRANADA by Washington Irving

SIEGE OF BAZA CONTINUED.--HOW KING FERDINAND COMPLETELY
INVESTED THE CITY.


The Moorish prince Cid Hiaya had received tidings of the doubts and
discussions in the Christian camp, and flattered himself with hopes
that the besieging army would soon retire in despair, though the
veteran Mohammed shook his head with incredulity. A sudden
movement one morning in the Christian camp seemed to confirm the
sanguine hopes of the prince. The tents were struck, the artillery
and baggage were conveyed away, and bodies of soldiers began
to march along the valley. The momentary gleam of triumph was
soon dispelled. The Catholic king had merely divided his host into
two camps, the more effectually to distress the city.

One, consisting of four thousand horse and eight thousand foot,
with all the artillery and battering engines, took post on the side of
the city toward the mountain. This was commanded by the marques of
Cadiz, with whom were Don Alonso de Aguilar, Luis Fernandez Puerto
Carrero, and many other distinguished cavaliers.

The other camp was commanded by the king, having six thousand horse
and a great host of foot-soldiers, the hardy mountaineers of Biscay,
Guipuscoa, Galicia, and the Asturias. Among the cavaliers who were
with the king were the brave count de Tendilla, Don Rodrigo de
Mendoza, and Don Alonso de Cardenas, master of Santiago.

The two camps were wide asunder, on opposite sides of the city, and
between them lay the thick wilderness of orchards. Both camps were
therefore fortified by great trenches, breastworks, and palisadoes.
The veteran Mohammed, as he saw these two formidable camps
glittering on either side of the city, and noted the well-known
pennons of renowned commanders fluttering above them, still
comforted his companions. "These camps," said he, "are too far
removed from each other for mutual succor and cooperation, and the
forest of orchards is as a gulf between them." This consolation
was but of short continuance. Scarcely were the Christian camps
fortified when the ears of the Moorish garrison were startled by the
sound of innumerable axes and the crash of falling trees. They
looked with anxiety from their highest towers, and beheld their
favorite groves sinking beneath the blows of the Christian pioneers.
The Moors sallied forth with fiery zeal to protect their beloved
gardens and the orchards in which they so much delighted. The
Christians, however, were too well supported to be driven from their
work. Day after day the gardens became the scene of incessant and
bloody skirmishings; yet still the devastation of the groves went
on, for King Ferdinand was too well aware of the necessity of
clearing away this screen of woods not to bend all his forces to the
undertaking. It was a work, however, of gigantic toil and patience.
The trees were of such magnitude, and so closely set together, and
spread over so wide an extent, that, notwithstanding four thousand
men were employed, they could scarcely clear a strip of land ten
paces broad within a day; and such were the interruptions from the
incessant assaults of the Moors that it was full forty days before
the orchards were completely levelled.

The devoted city of Baza now lay stripped of its beautiful covering
of groves and gardens, at once its ornament, its delight, and its
protection. The besiegers went on slowly and surely, with almost
incredible labors, to invest and isolate the city. They connected
their camps by a deep trench across the plain a league in length,
into which they diverted the waters of the mountain-streams. They
protected this trench by palisadoes, fortified by fifteen castles
at regular distances. They dug a deep trench also, two leagues
in length, across the mountain in the rear of the city, reaching
from camp to camp, and fortified it on each side with walls of earth
and stone and wood. Thus the Moors were enclosed on all sides by
trenches, palisadoes, walls, and castles, so that it was impossible
for them to sally beyond this great line of circumvallation, nor
could any force enter to their succor. Ferdinand made an attempt
likewise to cut off the supply of water from the city; "for water,"
observes the worthy Agapida, "is more necessary to these infidels
than bread, making use of it in repeated daily ablutions enjoined by
their damnable religion, and employing it in baths and in a thousand
other idle and extravagant modes of which we Spaniards and
Christians make but little account."

There was a noble fountain of pure water which gushed out at the
foot of the hill Albohacen just behind the city. The Moors had
almost a superstitious fondness for this fountain, and chiefly
depended upon it for their supplies. Receiving intimation from some
deserters of the plan of King Ferdinand to get possession of this
precious fountain, they sallied forth at night and threw up such
powerful works upon the impending hill as to set all attempts of
the Christian assailants at defiance.