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To the succour of the besieged there came two hundred ships from Sicily, with troops, provisions, and engines of war. They were met on the part of Abdelmumen by the Alcayde and Ameer of the sea, Abdallah Ben Maymoun, with a large fleet of ships, well manned, and carrying forces from Andalusia and Almagreb. A fierce engagement then took place, with heavy loss on both sides; but the Moslemah were finally victorious. They took several of the Christian ships that were loaded with munitions of war, and burnt others; inflicting on their adversaries a very severe loss, not only as regarded their stores, but also by the destruction which they made among the crews of those vessels.

The siege of Medina Mehadia was a much protracted one, but the steadiness of the Almohades ultimately prevailed; and after a severe contest of six months and nine days the city was taken by them, when every Christian found therein was put to the sword, without sparing the life of a man.

This event is related in a different manner by Aben Yahye Ben Omeira, who tells us that when the Christians perceived the fixed determination of Abdelmumen Ben Aly to conquer them, and felt assured that he would not raise his hand from over the city until he had made it his own, they sent eight envoys to confer with the monarch in his camp. These men, addressing him with great humility and in very flattering terms, declared that they had found a prophecy written in certain of their books to the effect that he, Abdelmumen, must become master of the whole country, and of their city among the rest, but that the inhabitants of the same were bound to conceal their wish for his protection, and their intention of submitting to his rule, until the lapse of six months, which period having expired they would proceed to require security for their lives, and that received, would place themselves in his hands. This writer adds that Abdelmumen Ben Aly believed their assertions, and not only gave them security for their lives but allowed them moreover to depart freely with their property and arms, the king having signed those conditions at the end of the six months named by the envoys, and subsequently fulfilled them to the utmost: the Christian de

fenders of Mahadia then departed with all freedom from that city and sailed for Sicily.

The conquest of Medina Mehadia was effected in the year 555, and that having been secured, the remaining cities and fortresses of the coasts surrendered without resistance, insomuch that the subjugation of all the eastern parts of Spain might be considered complete. The Cabilas and tribes that dwell near Barea, or who wander thence even to the confines of Medina Telencen, then resigned themselves to the rule of Abdelmumen; nor was there any intermediate territory that was not his own,-all was in fact now under his protection, and was governed by his Walies, Amils, and Alcaydes.

Abdelmumen then repaired and heightened the walls of many among the cities and fortresses thus surrendered to his power, while he caused mosques to be constructed in all, and likewise founded numerous schools and colleges for the instruction of children and youth.

At this time the king commanded that all the territory of Africa from Barca to Velad Noul, in Sus Alaksa, should be accurately measured by miles and parasangs, taking the land both in length and breadth, but deducting one-third from the whole for the mountains, rivers, lakes, &c. According to this measurement the king then decided the demarcation of the provinces, comarcas of cities, and jurisdiction of towns, all which he was thereby enabled to regulate with justice and exactitude in reference to the number of the population, and had moreover a certain guide whereby to decide the amount of contributions in fruits and flocks which each province ought to pay, due regard being had to the extent of wealth and degree of fruitfuless possessed by all.

This examination was furthermore useful, inasmuch as it enabled the king to judge of the measures that might usefully be taken for improving the products of the land, and ameliorating the labours of agriculture, with those needful to the care of flocks, which are the most valuable riches of a state. Abdelmumen Ben Aly is said to have been the first monarch who gave his attention to these arrangements in Almagreb.

It

Albornoz and Hannon affirm that the king completed the conquest of Mehadia on the day Axur, in the year 555. was in this year also that the renowned Vizier Giaffar Ahmed Aben Atia was poisoned by the venom placed in a copy of verses sent him by Abdel Selem of Salè, who had succeeded the illustrious Andalusian in his office, when Abdelmumen deposed his former Vizier. In the same year the Christians made themselves masters of the fortress of Alcazar Alfetah, in Algarve, which was called the Alcazar of Abi Denis, when they put all who had been engaged in the defence to the edge of the sword.

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