302 vellous courage, and rare skill Al־Valenci

302
vellous courage, and rare skill A l ‫ ־‬V a l e n c i compelled the
enemy encamped before Safi to give w a y , and raised the
siege. Azamor is stated to be the later place of residence
of this brave Jewish hero; and to Azamor we will accompany
the Portuguese conquerors. Azamor, but a few miles distant
from Fez, was next to Safi, the chief town of the province
of Duccala.
Long before the capture of Safi, by the
Portuguese, K i n g Manuel, in order to continue the friendship and peace which Jotlo had established with the Moors
of Azamor, kept some trustworthy Portuguese in this town.
A t their instigation, and with the assistance of the Jewish
Rabbi there, Rabbi Abraham, in 1512, the inhabitants of
Azamor, by letters and treaties, and with the consent of their
chief, Mulei Zeyan, submitted themselves to the K i n g of
Portugal. Mulei Zeyan, who ruled with the greatest tyranny,
had several times violated the contracts with Portugal,
and Manuel, therefore, determined in 1013 to conquer
Azamor. For this purpose he equipped a fleet of more
1
2
para hir contra los Xarifes,
que estauan en aquel tiempo sohre la
forlaleza de Cepfa, y tcnian may afligidos h los Portuguezes v as alios
del Rey D. Manuel que la defendian.
Llegaron entonces los nauios
de nuestro Alualensi al puerto de Cepta, y auiendo desembarcado la
genie en tierra, espero tiempo oportuno de la noche, y con qnatocientos
Nombres deo sohre el ezercifo del Xarife,
que eran mas de treynta
mil, y mafaron mas de cinco mil dellos, sin perder uno solo de los
suyos.
Luego al otro dia alsfzjo el Xarife el cerco y se retiro a
Fez. Aboab, Xomologia (Amsterdam 1629) 305 /.
1
El Tirano Xarife d‫ ׳‬Marrueeos cerco a la ciudad de Safi en el anno
de 1539 con cien mil hombres y el valiente Samuel Yalenciano Judio de
A2amor, y Almirante dc guerreros Yergantines, que formo h su costa,
socorria h los cercados Portuguezes, y con admirable industria, y
audicia desbarato h los Mahometanos y descerco a la Ciudad. Barrios,
Historia Universal Judayca, 8 f.
2 Dam. de Goes I. c. 367:
Muito antes da tomada de f'afim por el
Bey D. Manuel continual• nas pazes e amiza de etc. (Compare likewise Schiifer 1. c. I l l , 119, who, like ourselves, translates G o e s ) . . .per
medo dos quaes (cavallecros) o de hum Babi
mor dos
Judeos,
per no me Babi
Abraham
(why Schiifer does not mention the
Rabbi, we do not know) &c.