ABSTRACT
After I had been privileged to observe this noble majeSty and to share in the all-embracing bounty of his beneficence, I set out to visit the tomb of my mother. I arrived at my home town of Tangier ana visited her, and went on to the town of Sabta [Ceuta], where I stayed for some months. While I was there I suffered from an illness for three months, but afterwards God restored me to health. I then proposed to take part in the jihád and the defence of the frontier, so I crossed the sea from Ceuta in a barque belonging to the people of Asílá [Arzila], and reached the land of Andalusia (may God Almighty guard herl) where the reward of the dweller is abundant and a recompense is laid up for the settler and visitor. This was after the death of the Christian tyrant Adfúnus [Alphonso XI.] and his ten-months' siege of the Jebel [Gibraltar], when he thought that he would capture all that the Muslims Still retain of Andalusia; but God took him whence he did not reckon, and he, who of all men Stood in the most mortal terror of the plague, died of it. 1 The first part of Andalusia that I saw was the Mount of ConqueSt [Gibraltar]. I walked round the mountain and saw the marvellous works executed on it by our maSter [the late Sultan of Morocco] Abu'l-Hasan and the armament with which he equipped it, together with the additions made thereto by our master [Abú ‘lnán], may God Strengthen him, and I should have liked to remain as one of its defenders to the end of my days.
