In December 1509, a force gathered in Ibiza and Formentera, led by Pedro Navarro, with the aim of taking several places on the Barbary Coast.

On January 1, 1510, 20 ships and between four and five thousand men left, bound for Béjaïa, landing on the 5th and taking the city in the face of weak resistance.

[1] A battle on the outskirts of the city encouraged Algiers and Tunis to pay homage – nominally at least – to king Ferdinand.

García Álvarez de Toledo arrived along with 3000 men and the rank of captain general, replacing Pedro Navarro at the head of the troops.

The heat and the lack of water caused hardship and the soldiers gradually abandoned their positions to reach some wells in a palm grove.

Immediately, the Spanish infantrymen began to flee, gathering those who, like them, had separated from their squadrons to make for the wells, and spreading panic among their comrades in arms.

The rowing boats had been sent to control the narrow passage that connects the island with the mainland, and the other ships could not manoeuvre close to shore.

The disaster also prompted the Spanish expression Los Gelves, madre, malos son de ganare.

[11][12] and "Lloraba la viuda de los Gelves, tocas blancas en años verdes" ("The widow of Djerba was crying, white hats in green years").