Miguel de Castanhoso

“ It is the most fertile hill that can be, and they may boast that they still enjoy manna, since they are in such luxury that they can get honey from the rifts in the rocks, and there is so much that there is no owner, and whoever likes collects it. This hill lies nearly due west of the Straits, and may be forty leagues distant. When D. Christovão had made over the hill to the Jew, he left him an order to send to the Preste to inform him of its capture. ”

“ Besides, our Lord chose to arrange matters thus, because the restoration of the kingdom was to be brought about by this means; when he came, the Jew informed D. Christovão about the hill, and told him that there were but few Moors on it, and that he would guide him to an approach where he would not be discovered until he was at the top, and that it was easy to capture, if the people of the country helped; that he would find on it many and good horses that were bred on the hill ”

“ He started for the camp, and as the way after passing the river was rough, he left thirty men with the horses to come on slowly, while he went on very quickly with the other seventy, dreading lest some disaster [60] should have befallen us, travelling both night and day. ”