volume one

HISTOKT OF THE CEUSADES. 189
obstinately prosecuted the siege of Archas, whicli opposed
to him the firmest resistance, Godfrey went to lay siege
to Gribel or Gibelet,* a maritime city, situated some leagues
from Laodicea. The leaders of the army never consented
to unite their efforts against the Saracens, but sold to the
emirs, b}^ turns, their inaction and their neutrality.
The only expedition in wliich success cro\^Tied their bravery
was the attack of Tortosa.f Raymond, viscount do
Turenne, the viscount de Castellane, the seigneur d'Albret,
and some others of the principal leaders of the Grascons and
Proven9als, with a hundred horse and two hundred foot,
presented themselves before this city. The inhabitants
closed their gates, manned their ramparts, and forced the
Christians to retreat. The leader of this expedition, Eaymond
de Turenne, who had not a sufficient number of troops
to undertake a siege or force a city to surrender, had recourse
to a stratagem, which succeeded. At night he caused to be
lighted in a neighbouring wood such a number of fires, that
the inhabitants of Tortosa were persuaded that the whole
Christian aimy was come to attack them, and before the
break
them
of day they all fled
their most valuable
to the mountains,
effects. On the
taking with
morrow the
Christians approached the city, the ramparts of which they
found deserted, and entered it without resistance. After
having pilbged the houses, and given up to the flames a city
they could not keep, they returned to the camp loaded with
booty.
*
The Mussulmans shut up in Archas still held out against
the Christians. Although the army was encamped in a
fertile country, they soon began to experience the want of
provisions. The poorest of the pilgrims were reduced, as at
Antioch, to feed upon roots, and dispute with animals the
leaves of the trees and the grass of the fields. The numerous
clergy which followed the army sunk into the deepest
distress. Such as could fight went to ravaoje the surroundinef
* Gibel. This word signifies mountain, in Arabic. Gibel is the
Gabala of Strabo and Hiny ; the Gavala of the table of Peutinger. It
still subsists under its ancient name of Djebil, and the remains of an amphitheatre
are still to be seen there. It is, I beliere, the Giblim of the
Bible, whence was embarked the wood of Lebanon sent to Solomon.
f Tortosa is the Antaradua of Ptolemy and the Itinerary of Bordeaux.