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wholly triumphant, for a ship which was loaded with many of the most precious things, and with the better sort of prisoners, was not got far from the island, when the ammunition falling on tire, it utterly perished, and all that was within it. The Siege of Famagustu. The city of Nicossia being taken and sacked, Mustafa, leaving four thonsand foot-soldiers for its defence, sent the army towards Famagosta; for after the fall of Nicosia the Turks easily and with no further resistance made themselves masters of the whole of the rest of the island, because the other places which were weak and without men to defend them followed the fortunes of the conquerors, and surrendered at once. Cerines made no more delay or •difficulty than the rest, although the Commandant, Giovan-Maria Mndazzo, and Captain Alfonso Palazzo had jnst before, following the advice and prayers of the garrison of Famagosta, declared their intention of holding out as long as they could. The mountain-folk did the same. There camo at once to find Mustafa and to swear obedience to him Scipione Caraffa, Paolo Singlitico and other nobles, accompanied by many Greek priests and a great troop of peasants, so that throughout the kingdom all that remained faithful to the Signoiy of Venice was the one city of Famagosta. Mustafa led Iiis army thitherwards, and pitched his camp in the village of Pomodamo, three miles from the city, and every day caused many Tnrks to ride to and fro in sight of those within, carrying on lances the heads of divers notable persons killed in Nicosia, to terrify the soldiers, and to shake their determination to await an attack and to stand a siege. Next he moved up a little towards the city, making trenches with baskets full of sand, because the earth there was little tit for the work. But the garrison made vigorous sallies tu skirmish with the enemy, and harassed them to that extent that twice they drove them from their trenches. Moreover with the guns of the fortress they destroyed three forts which the Turks had raised with great speed in suitable positions, to wit, at S. George, at Precipui e and at the Torre dell' Oca. As it turned out, no small hurt was caused thereby to the besieged, because in a very few days their ammunition was greatly diminished, no less than 00,000 lbs. of powder being consumed. But winter was coming on which would hinder the siege, already seen to be a long and difficult matter, and part of the host was to be employed to man the galleys, un account of the news received of the junction of the Christian Heots, so ilustafa, who was little anxious to try another fall with Fortune, in which he might impair the glory won at Nicossia, kept treating in various ways with the inhabitants to peitmade them to come to some agreement. Thus he allowed Giovanni Sosomeno, who hail been taken prisoner at Nicossia, to enter the city, under pretence of collecting money for his ransom, and to urge them much to surrender. He was to say to the Governors and Captains that as they did not wish of themselves to decide on giving up the city to him, they ought, while the thing was still practicable, to write to the Signoiy of Venice, to show them how matters stood, how difficult it was for them to withstand so huge a host, and to be content to use the opportunity, yielding what they could in no wise keep, and so to arrange with the Grand Signor to preserve their dominions. After the same manner Mustafa caused certain letters to be written, as though they came from the Chiefs in Famagosta, and to make them fall into the hands of the ambassador at Constantinople. But the Chiefs and people of Famagosta were stanuch in their resolvo to defend themselves to the end. They lent no ear to these arguments, and instead of begging the Senate to surrender the city, they resolved urgently to demand aid for its defence; and that the state of things, and their immediate wants, 10« EXCERPTA CYPRIA.

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