rdinand was already waiting his arrival.

A rumour was now spread that the Moors were flying from Tangier as they
had fled from Ceuta castle two and twenty years before, but Zala ben
Zala, who commanded here as he had done there, now knew better how to
defend a town, with the desperate courage of his Spanish foes. The
attack instantly ordered by Henry on the gates of Tangier was roughly
repulsed, and for the next fortnight the losses of the crusaders were so
heavy that the siege was turned into a blockade. On September 30th,
10,000 horse and 90,000 foot came down from the upland to the coast for
the relief of Tangier. Henry promptly led his little army into the open
and ordered an attack, and the vast Moorish host which had taken up its
station on a hill within sight of the camp, not daring to accept the
challenge, wavered, broke, and rushed headlong to the mountains. But
after three days they reappeared in greater numbers and even ventured
down into the plain. Again Henry drove them back; again--next day--they
returned; at last, after their force had been swollen to 130,000 men,
and by overwhelming numbers had compelled the Christians to keep within
their trenches, they threw themselves upon the Portuguese outposts.
After a desperate struggle they were repulsed and a sally from the town
was beaten back at the same time; the Europeans seemed ready to meet any
odds. With these victories, Henry was confident that Tangier must soon
fall; he ordered another escalade, but all his scaling ladders were
burnt or broken and many of his men crushed beneath the overhanging
parts of the wall, that were pushed down bodily upon the storming
parties. In this final assault of the 5th of October, two Moors were
taken who told Henry of immense succours now coming up under the Kings
of Fez, of Morocco, and of Tafilet. They had with them, said the
captives, at least 100,000 horse; their infantry was beyond count. Sure
enough; on the 9th of October, the hills round Tangier seemed covered
with the native armies, and it became clear that the siege must be
raised. All that was left for Henry was to bring off his soldiers in
safety. He tried his best. With quiet energy he issued his orders for
all contingents; the marines and seamen were to embark at once; the
artillery was given in charge of the Marshal of the Kingdom; Almada, the
Hercules of Portugal, was to draw up the foot in line of battle; the
Infant himself took his station with the caval