16. CHAPTER XVI.
Siege of Malaga continued.—Destruction of a tower,
by Francisco Ramirez de Madrid.
Seeing the infatuated obstinacy of the besieged,
the christians now approached their works to the
walls, gaining one position after another, preparatory
to a general assault. Near the barrier of the city
was a bridge with four arches, defended at each end
by a strong and lofty tower, by which a part of the
army would have to pass in making an attack. The
commander-in-chief of the artillery, Francisco Ramirez
de Madrid, was ordered to take possession of
this bridge. The approach to it was perilous in the
extreme, from the exposed situation of the assailants,
and the number of Moors that garrisoned the twoers.
Francisco Ramirez, therefore, secretly excavated
a mine leading beneath the first tower, and
placed a piece of ordnance with its mouth upwards,
immediately under the foundation, with a train of
powder to produce an explosion at the necessary
moment.
When this was arranged, he advanced slowly
with his forces in face of the towers, erecting bulwarks
at every step, and gradually gaining ground,
until he arrived near to the bridge. He then planted
several pieces of artillery in his works, and began to
batter the tower. The Moors replied bravely from
their battlements; but, in the heat of the combat,
the piece of ordnance under the foundation was discharged.
The earth was rent open, a part of the
tower overthrown, and several of the Moors torn to
pieces; the rest took to flight, overwhelmed with
terror at this thundering explosion bursting beneath
their feet, and at beholding the earth vomiting flames
and smoke; for never before had they witnessed
such a stratagem in warfare. The christians rushed
forward and took possession of the abandoned post,
and immediately commenced an attack upon the
other tower at the opposite end of the bridge, to
which the Moors had retired. An incessant fire of
cross-bows and arquebusses was kept up between
the rival towers, volleys of stones were discharged,
and no one dared to venture upon the intermediate
bridge.
Francisco de Ramirez at length renewed his former
mode of approach, making bulwarks step by
step, while the Moors, stationed at the other end,
swept the bridge with their artillery. The combat
was long and bloody,—furious on the part of the
Moors, patient and persevering on the part of the
christians. By slow degrees, they accomplished their
advance across the bridge, drove the enemy before
them, and remained masters of this important pass.
For this valiant and skilful achievement, king
Ferdinand, after the surrender of the city, conferred
the dignity of knighthood upon Francisco Ramirez,
in the tower which he had so gloriously gained.
[1]
The worthy padre Fray Antonio Agapida indulges
in more than a page of extravagant eulogy, upon
this invention of blowing up the foundation of the
tower by a piece of ordnance, which he affirms to
be the first instance on record of gunpowder being
used in a mine.
