Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. I.djvu/496

350 360 WAR OF GRAIN ADA. PART No military operations worthy of notice occurred ' during the remainder of the campaign, except occa- sional cavalgadas or inroads, on both sides, which, after the usual unsparing devastation, swept away whole herds of cattle, and human beings, the wretched cultivators of the soil. The quantity of booty frequently carried off on such occasions, amounting, according to the testimony of both Christian and Moorish writers, to twenty, thirty, and even fifty thousand head of cattle, shows the fruitfulness and abundant pasturage in the southern regions of the Peninsula. The loss inflicted by these terrible forays fell, eventually, most heavily on Granada, in consequence of her scanty territory and insulated position, which cut her off from all foreign resources. Towards the latter end of October, the court passed from Cordova to Madrid, with the intention of remaining there the ensuing winter. Madrid, it may be observed, however, was so far from being recognised as the capital of the monarchy at this time, that it was inferior to several other cities, in wealth and population, and was even less fre- quented than some others, as Valladolid for exam- ple, as a royal residence. Thus, Algeziras comes from an Guadalquivir, great rtver, Guadia Arabic word which signifies mi na, narrow or little river, Guada island; Alpuxarras comes from a lete, &c. In the same manner the term signifying herbage or pastur- term Medina, Arabicl "city," has age; Arrecife from another, signi- been retained as a prefix to the fying causeicay or high road, etc. names of many of the Spanish The Arabic word lead stands for towns, as Medina Celi, Medina del river. This without much violence Campo, &c. See Conde's notes has been changed into guad, and to El Nubiense, Descripcion de enters into the names of many of Espana, passim, the southern streams ; for example,