_ 297 _ Our fleet was some way from the land as the place where they had disembarked was very rocky, and as soon as they saw the confusion and disarray of our men and that the Moors were using lances, those on board pulled still further out to sea, since those who were on the ships (who were simply guards of the galley slaves, sailors and gunners) feared that the enemy would take control of the fleet and therefore destroyed any hope on the part of those who thought that they could take refuge in the ships and galleys. Many, when they reached the beach, threw themselves into the sea, but arrived so exhausted that they were unable to carry on, and so they drowned miserably before they could be saved by the fleet’s ships - this was if the Moors had left them to die a death other than one by their lances and spears. The captain saved himself from this rout together with a very few of the better runners. All the others died, stretched out on those sandbanks, among them young noblemen of great promise, together with the captain of the vanguard who had been the cause of this great destruction. Avelar, whose sensible and sound advice had been so little heeded, fought bravely, preferring an honourable death to saving himself infamously. Our fleet weighed anchor at once, fearing greatly being captured by the enemy now that they were so lacking
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