easily removed if need be, when that fearful path becomes wholly impassable; nor can he who hath then advanced upon it either go forward or turn back. The length of each of these narrow paths is a day's journey; and the city itself is situate in the rudest part of the mountains of Duren, or Doren, which are sierras that extend from the Western Sea of Africa to the Mountains of Telencen, where they are joined by other chains, and these, divided into numerous branches, stretch to Cabis and Hamano which is beyond Trabolos, the journey through them requiring two months for its completion.

Having thus strongly fortified the City of Tinmaul, Mohamad Ben Abdallah, called El Mehedi, sent his forces to make incursions on the country. These troops, descending from their mountains like the impetuous torrents of winter, poured their rude hordes over the towns and territories of King Aly, carrying devastation and death to all they found, and keeping the people in continual disquietude with their robberies and violence. The unhappy dwellers in the district then complained of their perils and losses to the King, whom they implored to free them from their cruel enemies. Aly Ben Juzef had already expended large sums in the assembling of armies wherewith to restrain the rebels; and being himself earnestly desirous to put an end to their aggressions and prevent them from descending the mountains, he held counsel with his generals as to the best means whereby the men might be attacked in their fortresses, and shut up in their nest of Tinmaul.

King Aly was then given to understand that there was in his prisons a youth of Andalusian race, called Faleki, a bold man, and of great ability, who had been a renowned robber on the highways, though very young. They added that this man was not an unlikely person to accomplish the wishes of his majesty, or to contrive some means for the furtherance thereof. The King then pardoned the robber, and commanded him to consider the best means for proceeding in that matter, giving power to adopt the necessary measures for restraining the predatory bands of El Mehedi.

Faleki accordingly made all needful observations, and

men.

causing a fortress to be constructed at the point which he considered favourable for the purpose, he garrisoned the same with a carefully selected body of cavalry and good crossbowWith these he then assailed the Almohades in the defiles of their mountains, and attacking them as they proceeded from, or returned to, their haunts, he took them in the narrow ravines, and inflicted on them so many defeats that they were at length compelled to desist from further aggression: when the plain country was thus delivered from the perpetual disquietude and plunder to which its inhabitants had been subjected.

CHAP. XXVIII.-WHEREIN THE SUBJECT OF THE PRECEDING CHAPTER IS CONTINUED.

THREE years did El Mehedi remain in Tinmaul without descending from the city, except for some few short incursions which he made on the subjects of King Aly Ben Juzef; but his pride and vanity would then no longer permit him to remain shut up, and the rather as he knew that his name had become known and feared in consequence of his extraordinary victories, and the success of those forces which had suffered no check, nor endured any important defeat. He thus considered it advisable now to bolden himself, and go forth openly against the King Aly, whom he determined to besiege in hisvery Court of Morocco.

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With this intent he wrote to the tribes who had placed themselves in his obedience, commanding them to unite their forces with those which he had at Tinmaul; whereupon there presently assembled an innumerable multitude from all parts, insomuch that El Mehedi saw himself at the head of a force which counted no less than forty thousand men, who were for the greater part infantry; but he had also a good provision of arms and horses. He appointed the Xeque Abu Muhamad El Baxir, one of the ten men of his immediate followers, to be the general of those troops, and commanded him to proceed against Morocco; this Muhamad Ben Abdallah, called El Mehedi, having now formed the firm determination to make himself master of the

Empire of Africa. Yet he did not himself accompany the army, being at that time sick and ill at ease.

Abu Muhamad marched on Morocco accordingly, as commanded by his Imaum; and being joined on his way by the people of Agmat, with those from the Cabilas of Hesraga, Chesm, and some others, his forces were thereby largely increased.

King Aly, on his part, having assembled an army of ten thousand men, foot and horse, the opposing bands encountered each other near Morocce, when the Almoravides, confiding in their great numbers, commenced the attack. But it was the will of God that they should be defeated with a cruel carnage, and, turning their backs on the foe, they fled, amid the swords of the Almohades waving over their heads, and the lances of those rebels tinging their points in their shoulders, the flight and pursuit continuing even to the gates of the city.

Great was the number of the Almoravides who there died the death of the sword; and not in the battle only, but in the pursuit, and even to their entrance into Morocco. The Almohades then besieged the capital, resolved that they would never strike their tents until they had obtained possession of the place, or had died in the attempt. The Almoravides, on their part, sallied forth, and gave them many surprises; sanguinary skirmishes ensued, wherein both sides fought with implacable rage and hatred, the field remaining covered with corpses-a savoury feast for the beasts and birds of prey. There were some forty thousand horsemen in the city at the commencement of the siege, with a multitude of crossbowmen and foot-soldiers beyond count; but every day dimnished and weakened their numbers.

Now among the garrison of the besieged there was a cavalier of Andalusia called Abdallah Ben Humusqui, who was captain of a hundred Andalusian soldiers, and belonged to the command of the General Abu Ishak. This cavalier being one day in the presence-chamber, with other captains and generals, discoursing of the war, and of their sallies. against the enemies, said to Aly Ben Juzef, "There is nothing, O King, which renders men so contemptible in the eyes of their foes as that which we are now doingkeeping ourselves shut up tamely within the walls of the

city." The king laughed at his words, reflecting that the youth did not well consider wherefore he, who had so frequently been routed in the field, should be compelled to content himself with that method of defence. The General Abu Mohamad, who likewise considered the remark of the young captain a light one, replied with a smile, "Abu Abdallah thinks fighting with the Almoravides to be like a contest with the Christians." But the Andalusian made answer and said, "Not so, since I have fought against the one and the other, and have even led the men of Masamuda, who are now our adversaries; but it is a truth that we shall make but small progress in our affairs if we continue to sit still as we have hitherto done. Choose from the force a body of marksmen, among whom we have many of great dexterity, but let them not be too numerous, lest they hinder each other: these should sally forth between a chosen force of cavalry; and what I would beg for myself is that you would give me three hundred Andalusians, with a certain number of good marksmen, whom I will choose, and you shall see that I am right in what I say."

The king having acceded to the request of Abu Abdallah, that captain then chose the three hundred men whom he had required, and having remarked that the Almohades used very long lances, with which they wounded their enemy from afar, he commanded his people to shorten their weapons to such an extent that none exceeded the length of six cubits. Thus disposed, the men selected by Abu Abdallah marched out before the dawn, and just as day was about to appear they attacked the Almohades in their tents, wherein they held them as it were besieged, and before the day was half spent the leader returned to the city with the heads of three hundred Almohades in his possession.

This exploit was very much applauded; it put courage into the hearts of the besieged, and the king with his generals perceiving that their foe was not invincible, gave orders for a general assemblage of the forces, resolving to give the enemy battle. The command was entrusted to the Xeque Abu Muhamad Ben Bannadin, and on the morning of the day following that of Abu Abdallah's success, the army of Aly Ben Juzef marched forth. The strife was

a cruel and desperate one, but the Almoravides conducted themselves so valiantly as utterly to defeat the Almohades, whom they drove in confusion to their tents, while the victors, entering with them, filled the whole camp with terror and dismay. In that combat forty thousand Masamudes lost their lives, scarcely four hundred men of all the force escaping, and even to assemble that number it was necessary to count both foot and horse.

On that terrible day there died the Xeque and general of the Almohades, Abu Muhamad Baxir, who was one of the Decemviri of El Mehedi. There would not indeed have remained a single man of all their host had it not been for the efforts made by that brave and prudent leader, Abdelmumen, who exhibited on that occasion the most heroic valour, as well as a steadiness and forethought which were admitted on all sides to be most admirable. He it was who found means to withdraw the poor relics of the army from that place of death. But the Almoravides pursued the few who had made good their retreat from the camp, even to Medina Agmat, and in that flight there perished five more of El Mehedi's council of ten, all fighting like raging lions that have been driven by the

ardent hunters to their last hold.

When El Mehedi received intelligence of that fearful defeat he seemed to pay no regard to what his people were relating, and only exclaimed," But Abdelmumen is not dead ?" and when they replied that he was not, he said, "It is well! since Abdelmumen lives our empire shall still endure!"

It was nevertheless manifest that the sight of the battered remnants of his late victorious army, returning in so deplorable a condition, caused El Mehedi heavy sorrow; his sickness was much increased by the pain thereof, and the troops under his command were suffered to remain long inactive, without once leaving the enclosures of Tinmaul. The defeat of El Mehedi's forces took place in the year 519, and on that occasion the Cabilas of Hinteta, Ganfysa, Hezama, and others, which had joined him in his rebellion, returned to their allegiance, submitting themselves once more to their King, even Aly Ben Juzef.