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Turkish cavalry came up before our own had left the gates— they should, according to the orders given, have come out to support the infantry—we were forced to make an unto-ward retreat, leaving Captain Piovene and Alberto Scotto dead, and the Lieutenant of Captain Pocopani, with about 100 others, Italians and Greeks, prisoners. The rest retreated through the same gate, bringing in Turkish arquebuses, scimi-tars, and other booty. From that day forth we made no more sallies, the risk was too great ; so needs must, we allowed the enemy to come up and work what harm they could. With the consent of the Colonel di Fano, and on his plan, we made the redoubts on the two bastions Podocataro and Costanzo, by narrowing the throats of these bastions. In those of Davila and Tripoli we followed the orders of Gio. Sozomeno, and made a simple place of retreat without leaving any foot-hold for the enemy. But we could no longer prevent the Turks from making an easy and even ramp by which to attack now one, now. two bastions, and even four at once. They were ever repulsed valiantly, with great losses on either side, and great waste of rockets and other fireworks, and we were compelled at last to write in cypher to Famagusta begging for additional infantry. No answer came, and we feared our messengers were taken prisoners; and this proved true, for they were paraded before us by the Turks, that seeing help to be impossible we might surrender. We were obliged at last to send Captain Gio. Battista Colomba, a man of weight and resource, who went and returned at great risk to himself and no manner of benefit to us. To the same effect we wrote to the people in the hills, and these messengers too were captured. Before dawn on Saturday, September 8, at Mustafa's request, every galley at the Salines landed 100 of its men, who marched together to Nicosia under the command of Ali. He arrived at the 22nd hour of the same day with a force of about 20,000, and was received by Mustafa with The Siege of Nicosia 173

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