54 CALIPHS OF SPAIN. 



arms consisted of a short coat-of-mail, a light hel- 

 met, Arabian horse furniture, a leathern buckler, 

 and a slender spear. The African mercenaries 

 sometimes used camels in battle, so equipped as to 

 make the hump on their backs appear larger than its 

 natural size — a stratagem that frequently threw the 

 Christian army into confusion. 



Their arnis were a peculiar kind of knotted staves,. 

 or rather pikes, termed annas, which they drove 

 furiously against the enemy. The massy silver of 

 their belts, their bridles, and their swords displayed 

 the magnificence of a prosperous nation. Their ac- 

 coutrements were light, and not like those of the 

 Christians, who were completely cased in steeL 

 Their combats generally consisted in personal en- 

 counters rather than regular engagements ; each 

 man fighting for himself until the strongest or 

 bravest remained masters of the field. Beyond 

 this, indeed, the military knowledge of the Span- 

 iards themselves was not much advanced ; but their 

 infantry was superior to that of the Moors, inasmuch 

 as they could both attack and resist a charge in a 

 body — while the latter, unaccustomed to such a 

 mode of assault, was scarcely of any service. This 

 defect, however, was amply compensated by the 

 superiority of the Moorish cavalry, which was com- 

 posed of horsemen selected from the best families, 

 and mounted on excellent chargers, to the manage- 

 ment of which they were trained from infancy. 

 Instead of wagons, they were attended by a long 

 train of camels, mules, and asses ; the multitude of 

 these animals, whom they bedecked with flags and 

 ensigns, appeared to swell the pomp and magnitude 

 of their host ; and the horses of the enemy were 

 often thrown into disorder by the uncouth figure 

 and odious smell of the camels of the East. Their 

 order of battle was a long square of two deep and 

 solid lines, the first consisting of archers, the second 

 of cavalry. In general actions they were accus- 



