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CLAUDE DELAVAL COBHAM
Exerpta Cypria
page 162

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Third Assault. On July 9 they made the third assault on the ravelin, the great tower of S. Nappa, on that of the Antruzzi, on the curtain and great tower of the Arsenal. It lasted over six hours, bnt in four places the enemy was repulsed, though the ravelin was abandoned to the Turks with great loss on their side and ours. The defenders could not in that small space use their pikes to any purpose, and when they tried to retire, aceording to the order given by Signor Baglione, they fell into disorder, and retreated mixed up with the Turks. Our mine was fired, and we saw with horror the destruction of more than a thousand of the enemy, and more than a hundred of our own men. Captain Roberto Malvezzi of Bologna died on the spot, Captain Marchetto of Fenno was grievously wounded in the attack on the Arsenal, where Captain David Noee, the Quartermaster, died. This attack lasted five long hours, and the people of Famagosta with their women and children displayed everywhere great valour. The ravelin was so shattered by the explosion that no further effort was made to retake it, for there was nothing left as a shelter. The base of the left flank was intact, and here we dug another mine. Opposite the ravelin was the Ijiinisso gate, a lower work, which was always kept open, for it had an iron portcnllis, very heavy and studded with sharp points, closed by cutting a rope. It was intended to carry in the earth of the ravelin by this gate, and for four days the Turks did not approach it, afterwards they began to entreneh them-selves anew on the higher ground commanding the front and flanks, and allowed no one to leave the gate, which they watched very carefully, because they were frequently attaeked by our troops. Fourth Assault. So on July 14 they caine to attack the gate, and after a charge at all the other batteries they inarehed up to plant their ensigns right in front of the gate. Signor Baglione and Signor Lnigi, who had undertaken the defence of the gate, were present and eheeredon the soldiers, who rushed forth and killed and put to flight the greater part of the enemy. They fired the mine on the flank, which slew four hundred Turks, bnt the carelessness of the men in charge allowed it to injure many of oui- own soldiers. Signor Baglione took one of the enemy's standards, wresting it from the hands of its bearer; thirteen other Turkish flags were captured. The next, day they fired the mine under the curtain, but the result was of little use to them, and they waited to deliver a set attack, and went on widening and raising the traverses in the ditch, to secure themselves against attack. They had dug out all the earth near the counterscarp, and there they lodged in their tents, invisible to us. They brought up seven pieces of artillery on the wall of the counterscarp, so disposed that we could not see them, two on the ravelin of S. Nappa, one on the Antrucci, and two facing the battery of the curtain. They came with planks covered with raw hide to dig in the pampetts, while we were not slow in hurling grenades among them, and iu sallying now and then from the shelters to harass the diggers, but our losses were considerable. We restored the parapets with bnffalo skins soaked in water, stuffed with wet rags and cotton and well bound up with cords. All the women of Famagosta, under the guidance of a monk, made np companies for each quarter of the city, for they dreaded the example given by those dogs of Turks in Nicosia. Every day they went to work at the post assigned to them, carrying stones, and water to quench the fires. For the Turks, who had failed to capture the gate, found a wholly new device. They collected a great quantity of wood called teglia whieh burns easily with 154 EXCERPTA CYPRIA.

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