s ▁as ▁cr us ades ), ▁s elling ▁royal ▁lands ▁and ▁having ▁the ▁crown ▁j ew els ▁m elt ed ▁down ▁and ▁sold . ▁He ▁also ▁had ▁much ▁t ighter ▁control ▁of ▁his ▁nobles ▁than ▁in ▁ 1 3 3 3 , ▁with ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁great ▁nobles ▁of ▁Cast ile ▁accomp any ing ▁the ▁expedition . ▁He ▁set ▁up ▁his ▁base ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁of ▁La ▁L í nea ▁de ▁la ▁Con cep ción , ▁north ▁of ▁Gib ral tar , ▁with ▁an ▁army ▁of ▁some ▁ 2 0 , 0 0 0 ▁men . ▁The ▁Cast ili ans ▁made ▁no ▁attempt ▁to ▁storm ▁Gib ral tar ▁but ▁settled ▁down ▁for ▁a ▁long ▁sie ge ▁and ▁d ug ▁def ensive ▁d itch es ▁across ▁the ▁is th mus ▁to ▁block ▁Mo or ish ▁attempts ▁to ▁break ▁out . ▁The ▁camp ▁was ▁more ▁like ▁a ▁town ▁than ▁a ▁temporary ▁camp , ▁with ▁bar ra cks ▁constructed ▁for ▁the ▁army . ▁Alfonso ▁even ▁brought ▁along ▁most ▁of ▁his ▁family ▁by ▁his ▁mist ress ▁Leon ora ▁de ▁Gu z man ▁– ▁four ▁boys ▁and ▁a ▁girl ▁– ▁with ▁his ▁legit imate ▁son ▁Peter ▁remaining ▁in ▁Se ville . ▁The ▁sie ge ▁was ▁supported ▁by ▁primitive ▁can non ▁in ▁what ▁was ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁first ▁use ▁of ▁gun pow der ▁weapons ▁against ▁Gib ral tar ' s ▁fort ifications . ▁ ▁The ▁sie ge ▁drag ged ▁on ▁through ▁aut umn ▁and ▁winter ▁with ▁no ▁sign ▁of ▁the ▁g arrison ▁surrender ing . ▁In ▁the ▁New ▁Year