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the city on eveiy side, they arrived at Nicosia on S. Laurence's day. Messengers were sent also to the hills, to ask for help, but they were taken and paraded under onr walls. There was no chance now of assistance fiOiu without, and they began forthwith to make réduits; Colonel Palazzo directed the construction of those in the Podochatoro and Costanzo bastions, closing with them the passage into the bastion. But Signor Sosomeuino at the Tripoli and Davila bastions constructed a simple réduit, leaving no room for an enemy : and probably if the same plan had been followed iu the Podochatoro the Turks in their last attack would not have held their ground. On August 12 the two gunners reconnoitred the enemy's forts, and conceived great hopes of dismantling them: they talked with their chief and with the general of artillery, and asked for two cannons of a hundred pounds, they fired one shot and struck the mouth of one of the enemy's gnus, destroying the embrasure, and with the splinters killing many Turks. The Lieutenant was informed, but in spite of all they could say, he would not consent to a further expenditure of powder: he agreed however to do all lie could. The next day Monsignor Contarmi, in concert with Signor Pisani, Marco Polani and ] others, held an animated conference, and with strong and almost angry reasonings engaged I the Lieutenant to work out some careful plan for our defence and the enemy's discomfiture. \ With the utmost possible secrecy they decided to make a sally with a thousand infantry, Greeks and Italians, and all the Stradiot horse. The gentry and feudatories wished to join them, but the Government would not consent. On the 12th Caia Cenlibi was despatched with six galliots to collect news. He reached Candia and then took a boat with a few Christians, who said that the Christian fleets had assembled : this news lie brought back to Cyprus. The Pashas meanwhile sent out vessels to scour the seas as far as Baffo, while our people on the mountains by beacons and bonfires signalled, as the Government had bid them do, the number of the ships they saw. We were thus often led to hope that the vessels might be those of our fleet. On the 15th without noise or bustle the Stradiot cavalry was set in array, and at midday at the usual resting honr mustered, lance in hand, in the bed of the stream which passed through Nicosia : they opened the gate which leads to Famagosta, and sent out the infantry, not indeed all which it had been determined to send, but a good part, under Captain Cesare Piovene di Vicenza, "Lieutenant of the Coadjutor, who had drilled his men on horseback but now chose to go out on foot. With him were Count Alberto Scotto, Nicolo Gradinico, Zanetto Dandolo, Giorgio Pandeo, and Cav. Magriuo, the engineer. They all marched stoutly forth, and finding the Turks asleep, as their habit was at midday, made themselves easily masters of the first two forts. The Turks fled liko so many stags to the hill of S. Marina, fearing some greater disaster. The noise reached the tents, the greatest confusion prevailed, some of the enemy took to flight, leaving everything behind them, and but for their haste they would have spiked their guns. Our men burst into their camp, caught np bows, arrows, scimitars and other booty, and even their cooking pots full and hot. Afterwards some of our renegades told us that if the Christians had followed up the attack with more infantry, and with our cavalry, and had turned the Turkish guns against their masters, we should very likely have remained victors. But, as the best and worst of our ill luck would have it, the Lieutenant and Vi ce-Prevedi tor forbade the cavalry to go out, as well as the rest of the infantry, all of whom were eager for the fray ; and this, as some said, because he had forbidden the gentlemen to go out, and seeing among the horsemen Falier and certain other gentlemen with their vizors lowered, he threw everything into confusion. Others laid the blame on the Lieutenant of the Coadjutor who wanted all the honour for himself, and rather CALE PIO. 135

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